Prominent Niger Delta human rights activist and environmentalist, Ann-Kio Briggs, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta, describing it as ill-advised and detrimental to the oil-rich region.

Briggs expressed her concerns during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

“The Ministry of Niger Delta was created by the late (President Umaru) Yar’Adua. There was a reason for the creation. So, just removing it because the president was advised. I want to believe that he was advised because if he did it by himself, that would be terribly wrong,” she stated.

President Tinubu, in October, dissolved the Ministry of Niger Delta and replaced it with the Ministry of Regional Development, which is tasked with overseeing all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North-West Development Commission, and North-East Development Commission.

Briggs questioned the rationale behind the restructuring, expressing concerns about its feasibility and implications. “But that’s not going to be the solution because who is going to fund the commissions? Is it the regions because it is called the Regional Development Ministry? Is it the states in the regions? What are the regions because we don’t work with regions right now; we are working with geopolitical zones,” she remarked.

She added, “Are we going back to regionalism? If we are, we have to discuss it. The president can’t decide on his own to restructure Nigeria. If we are restructuring Nigeria, the president alone can’t restructure Nigeria, he has to take my opinion and your opinion into consideration.”

Briggs also decried the longstanding neglect of the Niger Delta despite its significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy since 1958. “The Niger Delta has been developing Nigeria since 1958. We want to use our resources to develop our region; let regions use their resources to develop themselves,” she asserted.

Reflecting on the various bodies established to address the region’s development, Briggs lamented their failure to deliver meaningful progress. She highlighted the Niger Delta Basin Authority, the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), and the NDDC as examples of ineffective interventions.

“NDDC was created by Olusegun Obasanjo…There was OMPADEC before NDDC. OMPADEC was an agency. Before OMPADEC, there was the Basin Authority…These authorities were created to help us. Were we helped by those authorities? No, we were not,” she said.

Briggs further described the NDDC as an “ATM for failed politicians, disgruntled politicians, and politicians that have had their electoral wins taken away from them and given to somebody else.”

Her remarks underscore the deep-seated frustrations in the Niger Delta, where residents continue to advocate for greater control over their resources and improved governance.

Nigerian-British bodybuilder Samson Dauda has claimed the prestigious 2024 Mr Olympia title, making history with a record-breaking $600,000 prize—the largest ever awarded in the sport.

The thrilling finale of the 2024 Olympia competition took place at the Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, United States, where Dauda faced off against 15 of the world’s top bodybuilders.

After an intense contest, Dauda secured the top spot, surpassing runner-up Hadi Choopan and 2023 champion Derek Lunsford, who finished third.

Dauda’s journey to bodybuilding stardom began in Lagos, Nigeria, where he was born, before moving to the United Kingdom during his teenage years. Initially a rugby player, he discovered bodybuilding through the encouragement of his teammates.

In 2017, Dauda earned his IFBB Pro card after winning the overall title at the IFBB Amateur Diamond Cup in Rome, marking a turning point in his career. He made his professional debut the following year at the EVLS Prague Showdown, finishing 5th.

His first major win as an IFBB Pro came in 2021 at the EVLS Prague Pro, which earned him a qualification for the 2022 Mr. Olympia competition, where he placed 6th in his debut.

Now, as the 2024 Mr Olympia champion, Dauda has cemented his place among bodybuilding’s elite, achieving a landmark victory in the sport.

Real Madrid forward, Kylian Mbappe, is set to miss playing for the next three weeks due to a thigh injury, ruling him out of Sunday’s highly anticipated Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid.

The 25-year-old French international sustained the injury during Madrid’s 3-2 La Liga victory over Alaves on Tuesday.

Mbappe, who netted his seventh goal of the season just before half-time, was substituted in the 80th minute, with Arda Guler coming on to replace him.

At the time of his exit, Madrid were leading 3-0, but two late goals from Alaves made for a tense finish.

Following the match, Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reassured fans about Mbappe’s condition, stating, “He’s fine, he’s fine, a little bit (over) loaded. He asked me to change to avoid problems.”

However, a medical assessment on Wednesday revealed that Mbappe has sustained “an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg,” according to a statement from the club.

The forward is now expected to be sidelined until mid-October.

This injury not only rules Mbappe out of the Madrid derby but also puts him in doubt for Real Madrid’s Champions League clash against Lille on October 2.

This would have marked Mbappe’s first return to France at club level since his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain to the Spanish capital.

Real Madrid have faced several injury setbacks this season, with Brahim Diaz and Dani Ceballos still out of action.

However, the club received a boost with the news that Eduardo Camavinga is set to return to first-team training on Thursday and could be available for the match.