On Sunday in Yenagoa, Frank Oyosongo and Godwin Edikan, chair and secretary of the Movement for the Protection of Oil-Producing Communities in Niger Delta, issued a joint appeal. They emphasized the importance of having an individual from the oil-producing areas who understands the challenges faced by the people to advise the president effectively.
According to the stakeholders, the Niger Delta affairs ministry should prioritize appointing someone from the region due to its significance in addressing the concerns of the communities. They also pointed out that the Nigerian constitution allows each state to produce a minister, and the president has already fulfilled that requirement. People’s Gazette reported.
The stakeholders highlighted the need for expertise and relevant experience in the ministries, ensuring that each ministry is efficiently managed by qualified individuals.
“The Ministry of Justice will always be manned by a lawyer. The Ministry of the Niger Delta Affairs is more about political expediency and requires someone from an oil-producing area within the Niger Delta region,” they said.
They urged the president to “put square pegs in square holes” when allocating portfolios to his team of ministers.
“This is one of those responsibilities he must discharge to the satisfaction of well-meaning Nigerians and to the people of the Niger Delta region in particular,” the group added.
