A prominent stakeholder and leader in the Niger Delta, Dr Mike U .Emuh has identified divisiveness as the major factor undermining the development of the Niger Delta region.
Emuh disclosed this while speaking in an exclusive interview with The Tide shortly after the South South Summit on Restructuring held at the Obi Wali Conference Centre in Port Harcourt.
He frowned at the proliferation of various splinter groups with rested interest across the Niger Delta region and called for the harmonisation of ideas and policies to move the Niger Delta region forward.
Emuh who is the community representative in oil and gas producing states in the Board of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) also canvassed the implementation of laws such as the local content act to promote indigenous participation in the oil and gas industry.
He said Nigeria as a country was blessed with diverse components of human and natural resources and called for the implementation of people-oriented policies to create the right economic development impact.
Commenting on the Ogoni clean-up exercise, Emuh said the clean-up exercise was on course and assured the commitment of the Federal Government towards the clean-up.
He said the clean-up was a long term project requiring various stages of development, and explained that preliminary exercises were being carried out and would be followed up by the total clean up of the area.
Emuh commended the organisers of the South South Summit for creating a platform to discuss the development challenges in the oil rich Niger Delta region.
Taneh Beemen