The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on the Federal Government to urgently address the deteriorating state of infrastructure in the Niger Delta, particularly the region’s road network.
PANDEF made the call in an Independence Day message marking Nigeria’s 66th anniversary, while urging greater attention to the development and welfare of the South-South region.
The Forum congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Government and Nigerians on the anniversary, while commending the Governors and people of the South-South for their contributions to peace, development and social welfare.
It noted that the region continues to face significant environmental and infrastructural challenges, with large parts of the six South-South states affected by waterlogged terrain.
PANDEF also acknowledged the contributions of intervention agencies, including the Niger Delta Development Commission, Niger Delta Basin Development Authority and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, to development in the region.
The Forum, however, said the condition of roads across the Niger Delta had reached a level requiring urgent Federal Government intervention.
It also called for renewed attention to environmental remediation, particularly the effects of decades of oil pollution and gas flaring in the region.
PANDEF urged the Federal Government to sustain efforts aimed at addressing the environmental challenges while improving infrastructure and supporting human and social development across the Niger Delta.
The Forum called on Nigerians to continue praying for peace, unity and progress, quoting Psalm 121:1, which says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labour in vain.”
PANDEF, through its National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, wished Nigerians a peaceful Independence anniversary and prayed for continued peace and progress in the country under the guidance of Almighty God.
