Decades of poor infrastructure have left communities across the Niger Delta disconnected, making movement of people, goods and services difficult.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has criticised what it described as the continued neglect of the South-South in the Federal Government’s infrastructure plans, urging President Bola Tinubu to ensure the oil-producing region receives a fair share of the N3.9 trillion recently approved for road projects across the country.
The group, at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, said the South-South was “grossly shortchanged” in the allocation of projects approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at its meeting of June 29, despite being Nigeria’s economic backbone through oil and gas production.
While commending President Tinubu and members of the Federal Executive Council for approving funds for road infrastructure nationwide, PANDEF national president, Amb. Godknows Igali, said the distribution of projects failed to reflect fairness and equity.
According to the forum, only one project, the N886 billion road linking Benue and Cross River states, is connected to the South-South, while no major federal road traversing the region was included in the approvals.
“It is troubling and shocking that out of the 26 major projects covering 15 states, the only one nearest to the South-South is the road connecting Benue State with Cross River State at the sum of N886 billion, with absolutely no allocation for any other road that runs through major parts of the South-South,” the group said.
PANDEF argued that decades of poor infrastructure have left communities across the Niger Delta disconnected, making movement of people, goods and services difficult despite the region’s enormous contribution to the nation’s economy.
The forum also lamented the slow pace of work on the East-West Road, describing the project as “a metaphor for a failed project.”
It noted that despite assurances by the Minister of Works that the road would be completed quickly, construction has continued at what it called a “snail’s pace.”
PANDEF further expressed concern over what it described as the abandonment of key ports in Calabar, Onne, Port Harcourt and Warri, saying there are no visible plans to rehabilitate, modernise or upgrade the facilities.
Describing the situation as “starving the goose that lays the golden egg,” the group warned that the continued neglect of the Niger Delta is fueling feelings of alienation and disenchantment among its people.
It called on President Tinubu to review the allocation of infrastructure projects and give greater attention to the South-South, noting that the region remains the country’s revenue base.
“The people of the Niger Delta therefore call on Mr. President to look into this matter with a view to reversing the situation, bearing in mind that the Niger Delta region is the revenue base of the country,” PANDEF said.
Despite its grievances, the forum reaffirmed its commitment to supporting national economic growth, assuring the Federal Government that the Niger Delta would continue to provide an enabling environment for increased oil and gas production while expecting “greater fairness, equity and justice” in the distribution of national infrastructure projects.