-By Zik Gbemre
TINUBU'S MINISTRY FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AN ESCALATION OF CORRUPTION
President Tinubu's action makes no meaningful difference but will only escalate corruption.
Though the now defunct Ministry of Niger Delta was meant to focus on the region, it never really delivered much for the common good, but instead became cash-cow for the president and appointees to filter set funds into private vaults.
That is why we had the ministry for years and still couldn't realize completion of the East West Road for the Niger Delta. And while NDDC, after the sack of its foundation board, also became cash-cow for politicians in power, the sustained corruption in the commission escalated when President Mohammadu Buhari pushed NDDC into a patronage for the Ministry of Niger Delta.
So we shouldn't make mistake about it. This new ministry is not about how much it denies the Niger Delta special attention. With the emergent Ministry of Regional Development to now supervised all regional commissions, believe me, the circle of influence of the would be minister in-charge is enlarged.
It is corruption reloaded. The minister in-charge will become one of the most influential officeholders in the Tinubu's administration, controlling and dictating the allocation of funds and projects for all the regional commissions.
For me, what we need is true federalism and not proliferation of regional commissions, ministries agencies and departments working in conflict. This new ministry and regional commissions are still going to be building roads, schools, hospitals, agricultural development projects, duplication of functions of existing federal ministries.
It's sheer escalation of corruption, nothing more.
Zik Gbemre
October 24, 2024
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