The Federal Government has warned the boards and managements of the six regional development commissions that funds diversion or mismanagement will attract instant sack and prosecution.
Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh, at the second edition of ministerial press briefing in Abuja on Friday, said any management of regional commission that fails to perform according to the mandate of President Bola Tinubu will be disbanded.
“Our role is supervisory. The money will be domicile in these commissions.
“There will be no room for ‘settlement’. We read a riot act to the managements and boards of the regional commissions during their inauguration. And we told them we will not accept any under performance, and no money will be used for ‘settlement,'” the minister stated.
The Ministry of Regional Development was created in October 2024 to replace the Ministry of Niger Delta Development, and Momoh explained that the new mandate of the ministry have been extended to include “coordinating, overseeing and supervising all the established Development Commissions in order to enhance sustainable regional development in the country.”
He however stated that the ministry is yet to take off because only two of the boards of the Regional Development Commissions have been inaugurated.
Momoh was joined by the Minister of State, Alhaji Uba Maigari Ahmadu, said in the face of dwindling budgetary allocation for carrying out planned activities, “the ministry adopted the public private partnership (PPP) option towards meeting the infrastructural needs.
“Additionally, the ministry is following up on a request to seek funding intervention for some ongoing road construction projects through the 2025 SUKUK issuance by the Debt Management Office.”
He listed projects executed by the former Ministry of Niger Delta Development to include the reconstruction of 35.15km Oweeri-Omerelu segment of Owerri – Elele Road 35.15Km; dualisation of the Port Harcourt/Aba expressway-Obehia- Azumuni-Ukanafun; construction of 15.2km Ogriagbene-Torugbene road 15 in Bomadi LGA, Delta State; and the construction of 31.6km Onne Free Zone-Nchia-Afam-Imo River road in Eleme LGA, Rivers State.
“These two ministers have since hit the ground running, and they are here today to shed more light on what they have been working on since the creation of their Ministries,” he said.
The Minister commended the media for their dedication in covering the Ministerial Briefing Sessions, describing them as invaluable partners in informing Nigerians. He urged journalists to uphold accuracy and fairness in their reporting.
“The media have remained invaluable partners in our stride to continue to update Nigerians on the laudable achievements of the Tinubu Administration. I urge the media to ensure that these briefings are reported with the utmost sense of fairness and accuracy.
“There should be no recourse to sensationalism in the reporting of government policies and programs. Criticisms and disagreements are welcome, in the spirit of democratic practice, but misinformation and disinformation should have no room whatsoever in public discourse,” he said.
Idris assured that the government will provide wide publicity for the briefing sessions across multiple media platforms to promote accountability and encourage public feedback.
The Ministerial Briefing Series will continue to feature key government officials, who will be providing regular updates on the administration’s progress in various sectors.
Digitisation of cattle routes to know where they are. There are international cattle routes to pit border control and disease control. Anthrax was from Nigeria’s neighbours. To create vetninery clinics on these routes.
Ranches (tagging) is important to know the number of cattle in ranch to track when missing. Ranches will be linked to abattoirs. Will hold stakeholders engagement to communicate the intention of the ministry on how to model abattoirs.
