President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to abolish the Ministry of Niger Delta has been rejected by the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, or PANDEF.

Following a meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the General Assembly of the Forum expressed “serious concern about the scrapping of the Ministry of Niger Delta which was established to address specific issues bordering on the peculiar circumstances of the Niger Delta, its damaged environment, and its overall importance to the national economy,” PANDEF’s decision was announced in a communique.

According to PANDEF, which was led by elder statesman Pa Edwin Clark, the Ministry was disbanded without giving the unique circumstances that gave rise to it more thought.

Additionally, it claimed that the important stakeholders in the area and beyond had not been properly consulted.

At a time when the government is pursuing plans to drastically boost oil production, PANDEF, it continued, “calls on the federal government to further discuss this matter to address several specific concerns.”

The proposed South-South Commission to support current Federal Agencies is welcomed by the Assembly.

Nonetheless, it said, “The Niger Delta Development Commission’s (NÐDC) name ought to be a reflection of its roles and membership.”

The Assembly urged the state governments to make full use of the 13% derivation’s proceeds to carry out several vital programs on issues unique to the Niger Delta.

These include the seven seaports that are now not in use in the region as well as highways like the East-West Highway.

To address the problem, PANDEF called for the Federal Government to fix all damaged roads, finish the East-West Highway, start construction on the Calabar-Lagos railway, and establish a maritime mass transit system for the Niger Delta’s riverine regions.

According to report, this week the Senate cleared a second reading of a bill that will establish the South South Development Commission, or SSDC.

Cross River South Senator Ekpeyong Asuquo was the bill’s sponsor.

The bill was introduced following the enactment of five other like bills for different geopolitical zones.

President Tinubu and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) declared that the Ministry of Sports Development and the Niger Delta Ministry would no longer exist.