Elder statesman and prominent leader in Nigeria’s South-South region, Edwin Clark, has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to dissolve the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. Clark described the move as unacceptable to the people of the Niger Delta and expressed concerns over its implications.
His condemnation comes shortly after President Tinubu announced the scrapping of several ministries, the dismissal of some cabinet members, and the nomination of new ministers. According to Clark, the dissolution of the ministry lacks justification, emphasizing that its creation under late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was intended to address the region’s security challenges and drive its development.
Clark, also a leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), accused the presidency of planning to divert funds meant for the South-South region to other parts of the country via regional development commissions. He expressed doubts about the president’s intentions, asserting that scrapping the ministry disregards the specific needs and interests of the Niger Delta people.
“There’s no basis for scrapping it now,” Clark said. “Yar’Adua had a clear purpose for creating the ministry to foster peace and development in the Niger Delta, and we’ve been working for years to manage our commissions effectively.”