The Association of former Members of the National Assembly from Niger Delta has vouched for the credibility of the Minister of Niger Delta Development, Hon. Engr. Abubakar Momoh, saying, “We know what you stand for, we know your character, and we trust you will succeed.”
The leader of the delegation, Hon. Halims Agoda (OFR), who was accompanied by Hon. Abdul Oroh, Hon. Patrick Ikhariale, among others, on a courtesy visit to the Minister, said, “The President appointed you to improve the lives of our people, and on behalf of our constituents, we extend our congratulations.”
According to him, “We are familiar with your character. We worked together before in the National Assembly, and we appreciate your credibility and principles. We believe that God will guide you in developing the region and serving our people.
“Our region is the source of the country’s resources, but our roads and other infrastructure meant for the benefit of our citizens are yet to be fixed. Unfortunately, despite significant allocations in national budgets, projects like the East-West road remain unfinished. We have confidence that if this road is returned to the Ministry of Niger Delta Development under your leadership, you will prioritize its completion to boost the region’s economic growth, as without it, our economy will suffer.
“We urge you to collaborate with the governors of the region to identify priority areas and projects that will enhance the well-being of our people. We understand that you cannot do everything alone, but we know you to be an excellent individual with strong international connections, which can help attract much-needed funding since resources for addressing these challenges are limited.
“We encourage you to explore various funding agencies to meet the ministry’s needs, and we have full confidence in your ability to succeed.”
While responding, Minister Momoh, who deeply appreciated the visit of his esteemed colleagues, said, “I’ve listened attentively to your concerns. Let me emphasize that I remain true to who I am, and my principles will not change.
“My utmost priority is to ensure that the Niger Delta region experiences significant improvements during my tenure. When I arrived, I conducted an assessment, and it’s evident that the state of roads in the region is deplorable. The routes from Benin to Warri, Asaba, Bayelsa to Ugheli, and the Petrochemical roads in Warri and Port Harcourt are all in poor condition.
“I can confidently say that I have familiarized myself with the challenges facing the Niger Delta. And I intend to engage with the President to discuss the way forward and how to reposition the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for effective performance, not just during the current management but since its inception.
“The issues around the NDDC and its poor performance date back to the previous managements and not the present one. I’m talking about an agency executing concrete and star projects. When the President is fully briefed, he will take action. We cannot continue like this.
“I observed that the problem of the Niger Delta is also the problem of the people of the region. This time around, we will make change through concerted efforts. We will make sure that in every state, we have a star project. When we have the backing of the President, we will sanitize the place,” the minister promised.
