Daniel Iworiso-Markson, Publisher of First News newspaper, expressed deep concerns about the marginalization of the Niger Delta and called for a radical rethinking of the region’s future during the opening remarks at the First News 4th Public Lecture held in Port Harcourt on Friday, October 4.
Addressing attendees, at the event Themed “Building The Niger Delta of Our Dream: With Or Without Oil” Iworiso-Markson lamented the continued neglect of the Niger Delta despite its vital contribution to Nigeria’s economy. He emphasized that, while the people of the region take pride in their identity, there is growing frustration over how the region is treated by the federal government.
“Most of us from the Niger Delta are proud to be Niger Deltans, but as an online newspaper, we are pained by the somewhat biased treatment of the Niger Delta,” he said. “This is our own little way of addressing the problem.”
Iworiso-Markson noted that 68 years after the discovery of oil in Oloibiri, the region still suffers from a lack of ownership over its resources, a problem that has contributed to the region’s persistent underdevelopment. “There is a difference between possession and ownership,” he remarked. “We possess the oil, but we don’t own it.”
He pointed to Punch Editorial on Nigeria’s 64 years of independence which described the country as a “total mess,” arguing that the country is currently unable to defend or manage itself effectively.
Reflecting on the past, he said the Niger Delta fared better when it operated under a regional government system, suggesting that a return to such governance might better serve the region’s interests.
“There can be no better time to rethink the future of the Niger Delta,” he urged, adding that the gathering of stakeholders at the lecture could mark the start of a movement for change in the region.
In his closing remarks, Iworiso-Markson stated, “Let it be on record that you are at the programme where the revolution started as regards to the events of the Niger Delta.”
The public lecture served as a platform for dialogue on the future of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole, with participants calling for urgent reforms to address the socio-economic challenges facing the oil-rich region.