afrol News, 12 September - Nigeria's most prominent militant group yesterday denounced creation of a new ministry dedicated to problems of oil-rich Niger Delta, after it was announced to public by president Umaru Yar'Adua, arguing that it could lead to more corruption.

"People of region should receive this latest dish with apprehension," Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), said in a statement.

"It will be yet another avenue for corruption and political favouritism," statement further said.

Niger Delta has seen little economic development in 50 years that oil has been produced there and militants often attack oil installations.

Activists are skeptical that new ministry would just add "another bureaucracy" and avoid Delta's "real issues".

President Yar'Adua has yet to announce who will head this new ministry.

Information Minister John Odey said ministry would undertake civil infrastructure projects and provide employment.

"This will solve the immediate and long-term problems of the Niger Delta," Mr Odey said to media.

However, human rights lawyer Anyakwee Nsirimovu said government sponsored efforts to solve problems in past had not worked.

"To create another bureaucracy that does not deal with real issues and that stalls Niger Delta problem would be difficult to take," Mr Nsirimovu said.

In 2000, Nigerian government set up Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to relief poverty in region, hoping this would end unrest. But NDDC has been hamstrung by poor management and funding.

Millions of dollars were reportedly withheld from project by government of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.

Activists further say that region needs real government, infrastructural development and jobs to prevent politically well-connected crude oil-stealing syndicates from further destabilising region.

Delta region is source of most of government's income, yet it remains in poverty. Corruption has left whole region largely ungoverned.

Groups of militant youths have exploited this collapse of rule of law to make money through kidnapping and extortion from oil companies.

President Yar'Adua, who took office 16 months ago, has been under pressure to bring stability to Delta region.

MEND launched a campaign of violence in early 2006 that has shut a fifth of OPEC member's oil output.

Nigerian government reportedly set up a panel on Monday to look at how to bring peace to region, but militants dismissed it, arguing that it would be a failure like other past efforts.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Related pages and feature

Current afrol News Top Stories