The Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Omotayo Alasoadura, said on Monday that the discovery of oil and gas in Nigeria, though a blessing, came with biting pains and enormous challenges.

Addressing stakeholders at a peace, security enlightenment and sensitisation programme in Abia State, Alasoadura highlighted the challenges to include “environmental degradation, pollution, loss of lives, militancy, conflicts, agitations, destruction of valuable government facilities, private properties” and many more in the host communities across the Niger Delta Region, hence the need to continuously engaging communities and stakeholders at the grassroots across the region.

He said the interactions “is one of the strategies deployed by the ministry to fulfill its mandate aimed at fostering the desired peace and security necessary for the sustained development of the region”.

Earlier in his address, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu stressed the need for the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the National Assembly to present budget and appropriate such a number of projects the ministry can successfully execute within a given period of time.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Ude Oko Chukwu, said a situation where many projects were earmarked and appropriated for without execution is not encouraging.

He called on the ministry to give proper attention to the various ongoing projects in the state.