A presidential aspirant of the All progressives Congress and former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Friday, revealed that the master plan for the development of the Niger Delta region was his brain-child and decried its improper implementation by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua-led administration.
The former vice president, who said he came up with the master plan prior to losing the 2007 presidential election, added that the late Yar’Adua, who won the poll, adopted the concept and started implementing it without having some other salient details.
Mr. Abubakar spoke in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, while addressing delegates of the APC from the state, who will take part in the presidential primary of the party next month.
The Turakin Adamawa said part of the component of the master plan included the amnesty programme, the coast guard and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
He said, “I initiated the master plan for the Niger Delta but the late President Yar’Adua who tried to implement it started with the amnesty programme. The PDP government has not been able to implement the master plan because the party did not initiate it. I was not consulted so the party made some mistakes.
“The reason the policy on development of the Niger Delta is not working is that the people implementing it are not the originators. If I become President, I will be in a better position to implement it.
“You need a candidate who knows and understands your environment and will help you develop it. I will ensure that the master plan is implemented to the latter. I stand out because of my political experience. I have made more contributions than any of my contemporaries running for the position of the President”.
Mr. Abubakar, therefore, appealed to delegates to give him a chance, maintaining that he was de-tribalised and would work for the common good of the country.
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