Delta State: Ndokwa professionals decry lack of devt in the region

By Olusegun Obisanya

The League of Ndokwa Professionals, an umbrella body comprising professionals from Ndokwa region in Delta State has decried what it described as gross underdevelopment and what it termed “injustice” being meted out to the region notwithstanding the region’s huge economic contributions to state’s coffers.

The President of the association, Engr. Tony Amechi, who observed with trepidation that the region has been neglected in the scheme of things by the state government, stated this while addressing journalists over the weekend in Lagos.

They are aggrieved that other regions are been developed to the detriment of Ndokwa region and therefore called on the Governor of the State, Ifeanyi Okowa, to reverse the trend, which they noted is not in the interest of the region.

He said, “Sequel to the newly approved construction of roads in Delta state spread across the region with the exception of Ndokwa land and the recent Executive Bill of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to the Delta State House of Assembly, to upgrade 33 higher institutions of College of Education, Agbor, to a University of Education; Anwai Campus of the Delta State University, to Delta State University of Science and Agriculture, and the Ozoro Polytechnic, to Delta State University of Science and Technology with none situated in Ndokwa/Ukwani land.”

They pointed out that Ndokwa land, the second largest population and second largest oil producing area in the state cannot be secluded from the construction of roads in the state without adequate provisions for their constituency coupled with its huge mass of the oil and gas resources production that contributes to the 13 percent Oil Derivation Fund accruing to the Delta State Government every month from the Federal Government.

“As such, Ndokwa land should not be discriminated against in the distribution and allocation of projects in the state. It will also amount to gross socio-economic injustice to leave Ndokwa land without any meaningful developmental project as this will amount to lack of inclusiveness in governance especially when the area contributes heavily to the revenue generation of the State,” the president added.

The association demanded, among other things, that the State Government should make the necessary adjustments and include roads in Ndokwa land in the projects to avoid protest, social unrest and/or legal action.

They call on the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa to send an additional bill to the Delta State House of Assembly to site a University with immediate effect in Ndokwa land, among other things.

Other demands include, “That the State Government should consider Ndokwa Land in her policies and give her a pride of place, deserving of it in the scheme of things for the purposes of economic integration and social justice.

“We urge the Delta State Government to look into our demands and respond within the next fourteen (14) days, failing which we shall have no other option than to proceed against the state to seek legal redress.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Secretary of the association, Barrister Evans Ufeli called on representatives of Ndokwa land in government and Delta State House of Assembly to wake up to their responsibilities.

Ufeli said, “They should understand that their primary purpose of appointment and election into Delta State House of Assembly is to represent the interests of Ndokwa People and not their personal interests. It amounts to gross negligence and dereliction of duty if they keep mute in the face of these gross injustices being meted out on Ndokwa people.”