Presidency clears air over Niger Delta Ministry

President Bola Tinubu

Published By: Paul Dada

By Paul Dada

Amid unease over the supposed scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta Development, the presidency has explained that it was merely renamed and given a wider responsibility.

The Federal Government on Wednesday announced the reshuffle of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet and the restructuring of some ministries.

In the announcement, the Federal Government said that what was known as the Ministry of Niger Delta Development would now be called Ministry of Regional Development and would supervise the Niger Delta Commission, the South East Development Commission, the North West Development Commission and the North East Development Commission.

However, there are  people who have said the development is unfair to the Niger Delta.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, said the Ministry of Niger Delta Development was only renamed.

He said: “For our people over there in the Niger Delta region, I would like them to know that, that has not removed anything from them.

“The NDDC is still very much in place, which is still under the Ministry of Regional Development and all other such agencies are there. It’s just a question of change of nomenclature.”

He said further: “All the structures and everything about the Niger Delta remains. It’s just a change of nomenclature and, of course, expansion of activities of the ministry.

“So I think it’s something worthy of commendation.”