Senate to Declare N’Delta Disaster Area – Ekweremadu
From Francis Ugwoke in Enugu, 01.04.2008
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday said the Upper Legislative House will declare the Niger Delta region a disaster area, as part of Federal Government efforts at finding lasting solution to the problems of the zone.
Expressing disappointment that the Federal Government has made several efforts to address problems of the Niger Delta to no avail, Ekweremadu said by declaring the area a disaster zone, government will then pay “undiluted attention to its development.”
In doing this, he said government will be seeking the support of the international or development partners to work with it to develop strategies for the Niger Delta question, adding that whatever government plans would be in addition to plans contained in the Niger Delta Development Master Plan, which would be an improvement to the plan.
“I have looked at the Niger Delta Development Master Plan, and I think we can improve on that. But what is important is the determination and zeal in dealing with this issue once and for all," he said.
Ekweremadu, who spoke in Enugu during a cash award of N25,000 each to 200 students from his constituency, Enugu West Senatorial District, said what the people of the Niger Delta need was infrastructural development that will touch their individual lives.He said it was regrettable that government's efforts have not been felt when compared to the amount of money that has gone to the area for development.“We need to show transparency, because a lot of money has been spent by the Federal Government in terms of the Niger Delta, but I don’t think that has translated meaningfully to the well-being of the people. If you look at the amount of money they received state by state and see what is on the ground, you begin to wonder where the money went to. So we need to bring in people whom we can trust, including development partners," he said.
