The once-bustling ports of Warri and Port Harcourt now stand as rusting relics—monuments to abandonment and decades of broken promises. But Earl Osaro Onaiwu is refusing to stay silent.
The former Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has issued a blistering statement, calling out key figures from the South-South who currently hold powerful offices in President Tinubu’s administration for failing to revive the critical infrastructure in their own backyard.
Targeting Senate President Godswill Akpabio, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, Niger Delta Minister Abubakar Momoh, Petroleum Minister of State Heineken Lokpobiri, and First Lady Oluremi Tinubu—a native of Delta State—Onaiwu demanded immediate action.
“You hold power in your hands. The region that raised you is calling. What are you doing about the rotting ports in Warri and Port Harcourt?”
“These ports are not just physical structures. They are the lifeblood of our economy, our pride, and our future. Every day they sit idle is a day we lose jobs, investments, and dignity.”
Onaiwu painted a picture of opportunity lost—ports that once welcomed global trade now lie still, choked by neglect, while youth unemployment and regional frustration boil over.
“The Niger Delta is not a museum. It doesn’t need more speeches or sympathy. It needs roads, rail, shipping, and industry. And it needs it now.”
He didn’t stop at criticism—he issued a call to action: “Use your offices. Use your access. If you cannot fight for your own region while in power, when will you ever?”
Onaiwu urged the Tinubu administration to place the Warri and Port Harcourt ports at the center of its national infrastructure plan, and challenged South-South leaders to leave behind legacies rooted in development, not rhetoric.
“History is being written every day. You can either be remembered as those who brought change—or those who watched the lights go out on their own people.”
He concluded with a pointed reminder: “This is your moment. Don’t waste it. The people are watching. The Niger Delta is watching. And history never forgets.”