President Yar’adua to meet nine Niger Delta Governors
By
Jun 20, 2007, 17:31

In furtherance of his avowed commitment to restore peace and fast-track development in the Niger Delta region, President Umaru Musa Yar’adua has said he would soon call a meeting of the Vice President, the nine Governors from the area and the Chairman and Managing Director of NDDC to discuss the issue of budgeting and coordination of the Niger Delta Master Plan, launched last March.

The President disclosed this on June 20 during a briefing by the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, at State House Abuja.

He said “I will call a meeting of my Vice President, the nine coastal Governors and the NDDC management to discuss the issue of budgeting and coordination of the execution of the Master Plan. If we need to deepen it, we will do so, but you cannot achieve the Plan, without a coordinated approach to its implementation”.

He reiterated his determination to tackle the problem of security in the region, adding that the Niger Delta summit would be held to address all issues affecting that strategic area of the country.

The President noted that if the concerned states and local governments will be part of the funding of the Master Plan, then there is a need for a mechanism for that, adding that they have to be involved through consultation as early as possible.

The NDDC Chairman, Ambassador Sam Edem, had earlier told the President that over 4000 kilometres of roads had been constructed, 339 electrification projects completed, medical outreaches made to over 300,000 citizens, while numerous skill acquisition programmes were on-going, among many other interventions in the Niger Delta region.

Mr. Timi Alaibe, Managing Director, made a presentation of the Master Plan to the President.

In a related development, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, told the President that the reform in the power sector, especially the Public Private Partnership was very critical and should be maintained and strengthened, in order to encourage investors.

The Commission’s chairman, Dr. Ransome Owan, leading the six other members and a representative of the Independent Power Producers’ Association of Nigeria, to the State House, on June 20 said there was need for payment discipline among power consumers, the installation of pre-payment meters, construction of a gas pipeline network to provide gas to power plants, and the diversification of the nation’s power mix through coal plants, solar and wind generation.

President Yar’adua expressed concern about power situation in the country and thanked the Commission for the comprehensive briefing.

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