Conference of Presidents-General of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta Calls for Restructuring, Devolution of Power, and Fiscal Discipline in Nigeria at Yenagoa Meeting

The Meeting of the Conference of Presidents-General of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta Region took place in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, on Saturday, 31st August 2024, at the Ijaw House. The meeting was convened primarily to examine the state of the Nigerian nation and the South-South Region, against the backdrop of the lingering socio-political crises and the overwhelming poverty rate, despite the country's immense economic resources. Apart from mass poverty, which has subjected millions of Nigerians to extreme misery and disillusionment, rampant corruption, insecurity, and wastage in public service have become pressing concerns for the citizenry.

Significantly, the Conference harmonized the positions taken by most of the frontline South-South/Niger Delta ethnic nationalities, such as the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Itsekiri Leaders of Thought, Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU), Oron Development Union (ORU), and the Ogbako Ikwerre Convention (OIC), among others, in response to the recent call for memoranda and proposals for constitutional amendments by the Senate of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN).

In light of the current political structure, it was strongly argued, and a consensus reached, that restructuring the country would significantly place Nigeria on a path that would ultimately enable it to provide basic necessities to its citizens.

Consequently, the following resolutions were adopted after exhaustive deliberations:

That the South-South Region (the Niger Delta) of Nigeria supports the national call for the restructuring of the Nigerian state.

That such restructuring should be based on justice, devolution of power, and resource control among the component units of the federation, coupled with fiscal discipline. It was emphasized that restructuring in an environment of endemic corruption would be futile.

The Conference advocated that each region should have the autonomy to legislate and make decisions within its own sphere of influence, without undue political interference from the central government.

That the tenets of true federalism, such as regions or states as the only federal units recognized by the federal and regional constitutions, fiscal federalism or resource control, regional or state police with control over internal security, and devolution of powers—allowing the federal government only a few legislative powers—must be upheld. A two-tier federation, leaving local government as a residual matter for the regions or states to determine its role, and provisions in the constitution for the voluntary merger of states or regions, or the option for self-determination, were also emphasized.

The Conference supports the creation of Regional Development Commissions to address the specific challenges of each geo-political zone in the country.

As a matter of equity and justice, the group called on the National Assembly to legislate on the South-South Development Commission Bill, which seeks the creation of the South-South Development Commission. The Conference noted that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), as currently constituted, is a pan-Nigerian intervention agency, comprising states such as Imo and Abia in the South-East Region, and Ondo in the South-West Region, which are outside the Niger Delta. Therefore, there is a need to rename the NDDC as the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC). Reintroducing the old name OMPADEC would accommodate any state that may, in the future, emerge as an oil, gas, or mineral-producing state. This change is intended to prevent the unacceptable situation where states like Imo and Abia belong to both the South-East Development Commission and the NDDC, or Ondo State belongs to both the NDDC and the soon-to-be-established South-West Development Commission (SWEDEC), while the South-South Region is limited to a generally-owned development commission, the NDDC.

That the present NDDC Act and other extant laws governing the agency be amended to reflect its new responsibilities and address the challenges faced by oil-bearing communities across Nigeria.

The Conference is convinced that these recommendations, if implemented, would facilitate the gradual emergence of a stronger and more united nation, even though we differ in "tribe and tongue."

Signed for and on behalf of the Conference by:

Prof. Benjamin Okaba, Chairman

Dr. Chris Akanni, Assistant Secretary