Onuesoke Condemns Gambari's Option for Niger Delta Summit

Mr. Sunny Onuesoke, a Delta State PDP chieftain has condemned Federal Government's option of Professor Ibrahim Gambari as Chairman of the Niger Delta Summit saying it is a regional disgrace to the South-South people and suggested that Nigeria should adopt the United States standard of democracy.

Onuesoke who made this known while speaking with journalists in Warri recently, said to achieve any good result for the Niger Delta people a serious conference must be designed to address the Niger Delta crisis and all ethnic nationalities must be involved in its planning and implementation, adding that such cannot be left to politicians who have their personal ambitions.

He noted that "no conference was organized for the development of Abuja as the federal capital territory, or even Lagos as the most commercialized city in Nigeria. Mr. President should also note that a development commission was not set up to develop Abuja as it is today in the Niger Delta with an nonfunctional NDDC designed to serve some group of persons.

Without mincing words, Mr. President knows what to do and not bringing somebody from Kwara State who has not set his eyes on the creeks in his life to preside over how Niger Delta can be developed.

It is a shame on Niger Delta leaders and their people for Mr. President to pick somebody from the North to come and tell Niger Deltans on how we can be developed. I know it will never happen except we the leaders allow it".

He stressed that the only solution to the Niger Delta problems is for Nigerians to practice the United States standard of democracy where the states pay taxes to the central and use whatever that remains for the development of the states, adding that a Master Plan for the development of the Niger Delta does not need an Ibrahim Gambari-led summit.

And that a Master Plan co-ordinating the development plans in the various areas in the region that would be properly funded by the government and oil companies is what is needed now, not a fête in which development funds will be shattered.