By Godwin Chukwumaechi, Port Harcourt
Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has sued for a change in the current approach adopted by governors of states in the Niger Delta region in their pursuit of holistic regional development and economic prosperity.
The governor insisted on de-emphasising vested individuals’ political interests while looking at the bigger picture of achieving enduring regional integration that will strengthen unity of purpose to change the trajectory of development in the region.
Gov. Fubara made the call during the meeting of Governors of South-South States, under the auspices of BRACED Commission, at the Bayelsa State Government House in Yanagoa on Tuesday.
BRACED is an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.
He said: “I want to appeal that if we have to succeed in this drive, we need to keep our political differences aside and understand that the struggle, as at today, is for posterity, for the development of our region.
“It is really sad that in Niger Delta that is the economic base of this country, the construction of a road that you tagged ‘East-West Road’ could be an issue, that we need to beg, protest, and complain to get it fixed. I don’t think it is proper.”
Governor Fubara stated that it was not that the federal authorities did not understand that Niger Delta needs the road but quickly added that they have seen that even the people of the region do not take themselves seriously.
He said the moment Niger Delta people stopped playing to the gallery, and place value on themselves, outsiders would have no option than to accord the region and its people due regard.
Gov. Fubara said: “On my part, I want to say this: This is not the first time we are meeting. For me, I followed the course of the region meeting in a forum that we tagged “BRACED Commission.”
“BRACED Commission is also one of the bodies that was constituted at that time to support and work out development strategies for this region. But what I am seeing today is just limiting this meeting to only BRACED Commission.
“We need to widen the scope where other leaders of the region should be part of the discussion of the development of the region, and I think this is the direction that will help the region.”
Reading the communique of the meeting, the new chairman of the Forum of Governors of South-South States, and governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said they support the Federal Government Tax Reform Bills, and urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing percentages to oil and gas derivation.
He requested the Federal Government to urge relevant stakeholders and agencies to extend remediation of polluted environment ongoing in Ogoni land to other impacted communities and states in the region.
Governor Diri also said that the forum resolved to establish a structural regional security network to enhance safety and security, foster stable Niger Delta region conducive for economic growth and prosperity.
Highlight of the event was the hosting of Governor Fubara to a surprise 50th birthday celebration by the governors of South-South states at the Government House in Yenagoa.
