The Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promptly sign the South South Development Commission Bill currently awaiting his assent. The forum expressed concern that the delay in signing could negatively impact peace in the Niger Delta region.
During a press conference following their Board of Trustees meeting in Abuja, PANDEF’s national spokesman, Olorogun Obiuwevbi Ominimini, emphasized the importance of the bill for the South South zone, stating that failure to sign could foster feelings of exclusion among the people.
Ominimini remarked, “The non-signing of this law could create a sense of dejection among South-South citizens.” He urged the president to treat the region fairly and avoid discrimination, highlighting that the National Assembly had already passed the bill.
Additionally, PANDEF requested that the next Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) be appointed from the Niger Delta region and called for the revamp of existing ports in the area, which have significant advantages due to their coastal locations.
The forum’s demands reflect ongoing concerns about development and representation in the Niger Delta, especially following President Tinubu’s recent signing of the North West Development Commission Bill into law.
