The change we promised is already here – Minister of Niger Delta

- Minister of Niger Delta, Usani Uguru Usani said Nigerians should be grateful to the All Progressive party for eradicating poverty in Nigeria

- Usani said since APC came into government, most the ‘changes’ promised by the party during the campaign has been realized

- He said the ministers have given up their comfort to ensure economic growth in the country

The minister of Niger Delta, Usani Uguru usani has said Nigerians should be grateful to All Progressive Congress party for eradicating poverty and hunger in the country.

Usani, in an interview with the sun said APC promises change and the party has delivered the change it promised the people.

When told by the interviewer that some Nigerians are saying the APC administration promised change but it’s giving them hardship, Usani said: “You can be sure that I belong to a political party that promised change which has installed the government and that party has a responsibility to talk about the nature of change demanded. I can tell you that as a member of the party and a functionary in government, whoever says they are not being given the change promised has made a mistake.

“Sometimes you never know what you have until you lose it. If we had not taken the reins of government, by now Nigerians would have been seen crawling to feed from waste bins, you may not understand, but that is the reality.

“The change we promised is that we will no longer depend on oil again, and presently, diversification is taking place. You have seen Lake Rice flooding the market in December that means tending towards food security and agriculture also as a foreign income earner.

“The change we promised is to see a government functionary being probed and probably prosecuted which hitherto was not the case. The change we promised is, as Nigerians are experiencing hardship, people are also refunding to government what was derived from corrupt practices and you have heard the government say that the budget will be funded in part by these funds that are being refunded.

“Also, when the President was campaigning as a candidate then, he said the economy, anti-corruption and security were going to be his focus. If it doesn’t mean change, to experience that today you can hold league matches in Maiduguri and people will enter the stadium and watch, then, what else can change be?

“That, 14 local governments were taken as a territory of a sect and now recovered as a sovereign part of a country, is not change? Even if it is only one of the Chibok girls that was rescued, it means an attempt has been made and is yielding results.”

Usani said the ministers are leaving exemplary lives and have sacrificed their comfortability for the growth of the economy.

He said: “As ministers, find out how we fare. A lot of us do not have official cars; a lot of us are managing to pay our rents. A lot of us make official trips from our meager private earnings and so what else can change be when we are being exemplary in what we have preached? Nigeria I repeat is being exhumed from its economic grave and it can be nothing better in our present circumstance.”

“Nigerians should just be patient, wait and see, I can assure you that before 2019, things will begin to improve. In the petroleum sector, in the past, you have heard percentage increases in fuel and after a while scarcity will necessitate another increase because deregulation was being done in selective manner, but today, proper deregulation has taken place.

“In December, did you hear about any fuel scarcity? No. This is genuineness in policy and the outcome is price stability.”

The minister however expressed his fear that corruption might not be totally eradicated from the country. Usani said corruption is already in the blood of Nigerians and it might be difficult to end it.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has flagged an operation to tackle maritime criminality like sea robbery, piracy and others in the Niger Delta region.

The operation called tagged “Operation Tsare Teku” was flagged off by the Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas in Warri, Delta state on Wednesday, February 8 in readiness of the Navy to rid the waterways of criminal activities.

Vice Admiral Ibas, who was represented by Rear Adm. Adeniyi Osinowo, the chief of training and operation at Naval Headquarters, Abuja, said the operation became necessary because the effects of the activities of illegal refiners were becoming worrisome.