Jonathan: Niger Delta stagnated by personal ambitions, weak political will

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has blamed the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta on weak political will and the personal ambitions of political office holders who, he said, routinely place rivalry above regional progress.

Jonathan stated this on Friday in Abuja at the launch of The Hidden Treasures, a 202-page book written by former Delta State governorship aspirant, Chris Iyovwaye. He was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe.

His concerns were echoed by the former presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Adewole Adebayo, and a former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana. Both leaders faulted the failure of successive administrations to act on long-standing development plans for the region.

Recalling several abandoned economic initiatives that could have accelerated growth, Jonathan said political actors had repeatedly allowed personal ambition to overshadow collective interest.

“A lot has been said in the past and even now. But when you don’t bring action to it, it will remain a potential. Deep inside here, we can have tonnes of gold, diamonds, and uranium. But it will remain zero until they are mined and brought out,” he said.

He noted that efforts to coordinate South-South governors and federal lawmakers on shared development goals had often collapsed under the weight of power struggles.

“In the past, when I was a deputy governor between 1999 and 2007, we had this same great commission. We used to have meetings of South-South governors. At one point, it was enlarged to include members of the National Assembly, and initiatives were held from state to state.

“But action could not be taken because of competition for power and control of that commission. At one point, everybody in the Niger Delta wanted to be the vice president to an unknown president.”

Jonathan attributed this scramble to political calculations ahead of the transition after President Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure.

“That was because Obasanjo was president from the South, and the next president was going to come from the North. But nobody knew who he would be. So, everybody started scrambling to become the vice president to whoever was coming,” he added.

The former president expressed hope in the revival of the South-South Governors’ Commission but warned that its success depends on commitment and deliberate action.

“Our advice on this occasion is to send a message to them that there is a need for action. And it has to be in practical terms, not just saying it without showing the right political will. They should move further to create the vehicle that will detail the investment opportunities, save up, and market them across the region.”

Emphasising the region’s strategic economic potential, Jonathan said the Niger Delta “is supposed to be the economic hub of this country, with the potential to build the biggest seaport in Nigeria.”

“From the Niger Delta, you can reach every part of the country, particularly the Middle Belt and the North. There is a need to harness our resources at this point in time for proper and physical development,” he said.

Jonathan maintained that without unity, coordinated planning, and the political will to execute regional projects, the Delta’s development will remain stalled.