Former President Goodluck Jonathan has blamed the persistent underdevelopment of the Niger Delta on many years of poor management, weak political will, and failure to behave on long-standing regional plans.
Jonathan mentioned this on Friday in Abuja in the course of the official launch of ‘The Hidden Treasures,’ a 202-page e-book written by former Delta governorship aspirant Chris Iyovwaye.
Represented by his Chief of Workers, Mike Oghiadomhe, the previous President who chaired the occasion recalled a number of deserted regional financial initiatives, noting that political rivalry and the scramble for energy had repeatedly stalled progress.
“Quite a bit has been mentioned up to now and even now. However while you don’t convey motion to it, it is going to stay potential. Deep inside right here, we are able to have tonnes of gold, diamonds, and uranium. However it is going to stay zero till they’re mined and introduced out. This e-book corroborates what we now have heard,” he mentioned.
The ex-president additionally traced previous makes an attempt to coordinate South-South governors and federal lawmakers on regional improvement, however mentioned private ambition overshadowed collective curiosity.
“Prior to now, once I was a deputy governor between 1999 and 2007, we had this identical nice fee. We used to have conferences of South-South governors. At one level, it was enlarged to incorporate members of the Nationwide Meeting and initiatives held from state to state.
“However motion couldn’t be taken due to competitors for energy and management of that fee. At one level, all people within the Niger Delta wished to be the vice chairman to an unknown president.
“That was as a result of Obasanjo was president from the South, and the following president was going to return from the North. However no person knew who he could be. So, all people began scrambling to turn into the vice chairman to whoever is coming,” he added.
