N’Delta ministry not the solution — Nzeribe

Four-term Senator, Chief Arthur Nzeribe, has said that the creation of the Niger Delta Ministry will not bring about the desired succour in the restive Niger Delta region.

The senator said that neither the creation of the ministry nor the setting up of the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta would suffice in solving the problems of the region.

Nzeribe, who made the comment while speaking with journalists in Benin on Sunday, said that the most feasible way of addressing the problem was to allow the people to have a fair control of the resources found in their land.

He blamed the seemingly intractable nature of the crisis rocking the region on the inability of successive administrations in the country to come up with right solutions to the issues affecting the zone.

Nzeribe, who was Chairman of the infamous Association for Better Nigeria that played a central role in the annulment of the June 12, 1993 elections, represented the Orlu senatorial zone for the fourth time until his defeat by his former aide, Mr. Osita Izuta, in April 2007.

Nzeribe argued that virtually all initiatives by the present administration had been tried before but did not work because the right measures were not followed.

He said that a serious method to tackle the Niger Delta problems should focus on empowering the region economically through more control of resources.

The controversial politician appealed to the aggrieved youths of the area to suspend all forms of violence and create a conducive environment for the government to make the desired input to develop the area.