* Says oil-rich region cannot remain Nigeria’s cash cow without critical infrastructure
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
The apex body of the oil-rich South-south geopolitical zone, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has mounted a strong challenge to the Federal Government over the distribution of the N3.9 trillion road projects recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), declaring that the South-south had once again been grossly shortchanged despite serving as Nigeria’s economic backbone through its oil and gas resources.
The socio-political organisation of the South-south geopolitical zone urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently review the allocation of the projects, warning that continued neglect of the Niger Delta was deepening infrastructure deficits and fuelling feelings of alienation in a region that generates the bulk of the nation’s revenue.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, PANDEF National Chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, commended the president for prioritising road infrastructure but argued that the pattern of project distribution fell short of the principles of fairness, equity and justice.
