PANDEF Canvasses Greater Synergy among South-south Politicians

The Pan Niger Delta group, Pan Niger Delta Forum, (PANDEF) has called for greater cooperation and synergy particularly among politicians from the Niger Delta, and the South-south geopolitical zone, warning that lack of cooperation would worsen the developmental efforts of the region.

The National Chairman of the regional body, and former military Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd) made the call in a press statement issued yesterday.

He said it became necessary to make the passionate appeal to South-south politicians due to recent happenings in the nation’s polity, and the continued poor attention to issues of the region by the federal government.

According to him, PANDEF had lately been inundated with worrying complaints of arbitrary termination of valid contracts of companies, in which Niger Deltans had a principal interest, in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the federal government, and mainly, in ministries where the ministers were also from the Niger Delta.

He opined that if these complaints were true, then it was very unfortunate, adding that they should not be working against themselves, for whatever reasons.

Nkanga further lamented that it was saddening that persons from the region were being used to perpetuate the insidious acts against the region.

He advised the affected persons, who had come to them to exercise patience and not seek redress in the law courts yet; while they made efforts to ascertain the facts of the matters, and seek peaceful resolutions.

According to him, ‘’Because the truth is that they do have the right to go to court if their contracts/projects were unlawfully terminated, especially in a manner that indicates vindictiveness and possible abuse of office by those concerned. PANDEF is quite disturbed by these circumstances; they are unhealthy and inimical to the socio-economic development of the region. As such we have decided to seek individual audiences with key political stakeholders including ministers, members of the National Assembly, and Heads of federal MDAs from the region, to discuss these concerns, and hopefully resolve them.