PANDEF urges FG to prioritise South-South infrastructure

Hails South-South governors for infrastructure, human development

Congratulates Nigeria, Tinubu on 66th Independence Anniversary

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA — As Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the apex socio-political body of the South-South geopolitical zone, has called on the Federal Government to pay greater attention to infrastructure development in the region.

PANDEF specifically urged the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation and expansion of the road network in the Niger Delta, which it said had reached a level of “national emergency.”

In a statement signed on Monday by its National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, to mark the 66th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, PANDEF also called for greater attention to environmental remediation in the Niger Delta.

The forum said the environmental degradation caused by decades of oil pollution and gas flaring in the region must be urgently addressed.

PANDEF, while congratulating President Bola Tinubu and Nigerians on the anniversary, also commended the governors of the six South-South states for what it described as their contributions to infrastructural development and investment in human welfare and social development.

The statement read:

“On the occasion of the celebration of the country’s 66th Independence Anniversary, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) sends hearty felicitations to Mr. President, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government and all the people of Nigeria for this landmark celebration.

“More importantly, PANDEF salutes the Governors of the South-South as well as the political leadership, traditional rulers, religious leaders, women, youths, and the entire people for the opportunity to mark the reign of peace and progress, in particular in our region.

“PANDEF furthermore salutes with pride that, despite its daunting environmental challenges, as most parts of the six states are waterlogged, the South-South, led by our Governors, continue to play sterling roles in infrastructural development as well as investment in human welfare and social development.

“PANDEF also appreciates the developmental efforts contributed by intervention agencies in the area, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP).

“We take the opportunity to remind the Federal Government to continue to pay greater attention to the state of infrastructure in the Niger Delta, especially the road network, which has reached a proportion of national emergency.

“Equally, the question of environmental remediation, which the area has had to bear for 70 years of oil pollution and gas flaring, needs to be placed on the front burner.

“We use the opportunity to call on all Nigerians to pray assiduously for the continued peace and progress of Nigeria. As the word of God says in the Holy Bible, Psalm 121 vs. 1, ‘unless the Lord build the house, its builders labour in vain.’

“Once more, we wish the entire country great celebrations, peace and progress in the hands of Almighty God.”