Former President Goodluck Jonathan has attributed the ongoing underdevelopment in the Niger Delta to years of poor leadership, weak political commitment, and the neglect of long-standing development strategies.
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Speaking on Friday in Abuja at the launch of The Hidden Treasures, a 202-page book authored by former Delta governorship aspirant Chris Iyovwaye, Jonathan—represented by his Chief of Staff, Mike Oghiadomhe—lamented the abandonment of key regional economic projects. He noted that political rivalry and power struggles have continuously derailed meaningful progress.
“A lot has been said in the past and even now. But when you don’t bring action to it, it will remain potential. Deep inside here, we can have tonnes of gold, diamonds, and uranium. But it will remain zero until they are mined and brought out. This book corroborates what we have heard,” he said.
The ex-president also traced past attempts to coordinate South-South governors and federal lawmakers on regional development, but said personal ambition overshadowed collective interest.
“In the past, when I was a deputy governor between 1999 and 2007, we had this same great commission. We used to have meetings of South-South governors. At one point, it was enlarged to include members of the National Assembly and initiatives held from state to state.
“But action could not be taken because of competition for power and control of that commission. At one point, everybody in the Niger Delta wanted to be the vice president to an unknown president.
“That was because Obasanjo was president from the South, and the next president was going to come from the North. But nobody knew who he would be. So, everybody started scrambling to become the vice president to whoever is coming,” Jonathan added.
