The 16-point demand
- Relocation of International Oil Companies’ (IOCs’) administrative and operational headquarters to the Niger Delta region
- Clean-up of Ogoni land and other communities affected by spill.
- Review of the amnesty programme’s core mandate
- Implementation of the Brass LNG and fertiliser plant project
- Prompt takeoff of Maritime University
- Industrialisation of the Niger Delta region
- Inclusive participation in oil industry and ownership of oil blocs
- Fast track of key critical infrastructural projects in the region, including the East-West road
- Full implementation of the rail project running through Niger Delta states
- Immediate demilitarisation of the Niger Delta
- Contracts for the security surveillance and protection of oil and gas infrastructure by communities
- Restructuring/funding of NDDC
- Strengthening of the Niger Delta Ministry
AGITATED Niger Delta militants got attention from various quarters yesterday. They were urged to shelve their planned return to the creeks to cripple operations in the oil and gas sector.
They were told that the promised development of the region can only take please in an atmosphere of peace.
An agreement between the Federal Government and leaders of the region under the auspices of the Pan Niger Delta Development Forum (PANDEF) returned peace to the restive oil bearing region in November, last year.
The PANDEF gave the Federal Government a 16-point demand as condition for sustainable peace. Prior to the ceasefire, oil production was at its lowest of 800 barrels per day. It has risen to 2.2 million barrels per day, a development that has helped to boost national revenue toward getting the economy out of recession.
It was believed that the perceived delay in the implementation of the 16-point agenda by the Federal Government forced the militants to serve a notice of fresh hostilities.
But the Federal Government, the Presidential Amnesty Office and the PANDEF, chaired by a former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark, moved yesterday to avert another round of crises.
The move came on a day the Nigerian Navy warned that the creeks of Niger Delta will no longer be a safe haven for criminals.
The government’s stand
Appealing to the militants to give it more time to address the issues in the region, the Federal Government through its Niger Delta Affairs Minister Usani Uguru Usani, renewed President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to develop the region.
He spoke with reporters after meeting with the President at the State House in Abuja.
Responding to a question on the fresh threats by militants, the minister said: “Well, we haven’t discussed the Avengers per se. But it is of essence as the President has always shown indication that whatever we need to and can do to sustain peace in the region, we would continue to do.
“And, of course, the benefit of that, you are aware that the Vice President (Prof Yemi Osinbajo) has been chairing the committee that handles the issues they are raising. While that goes on operationally under the vice president’s position in the committee, the President needs to be briefed on our efforts, though we know that the vice president is briefing him from time to time. But per se, the Niger Delta Avengers’ issues were not discussed.
“On a general note, it is understood that we have to be engaged to be able to sustain the peace that prevailed for a while. We have been appealing to them to just be patient with us, because, most of the time, the issues that are brought up are those that tend to portray the quest for development of the region.
“And that is all we have been telling to be patient with us; that these issues raised genuinely to the benefits of people of the region, are being attended to. For instance, you are aware that the vice president has directed the takeoff of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta State.
“He also directed that a minimum of N5 billion be budgeted as a takeoff grant. So, it’s a matter of patience, knowing that some of these things have a procedure. It will not be because it did not happen the way they wanted, so it will not happen. Everything has a phase of planning and a phase of execution.”
Usani expressed gladness that all the parties, including the government, militants, elders’ forum and other stakeholders have listened to one another in the past few months.
“We wish that this continues. So, we advise all to remain calm. The things that we agitated for are coming little by little”, he said.
On some claims by militants that the government has not kept its promises, the minister said: “The allegation that all the promises made have not been implemented is incorrect. I just talked about the university. The other issue is the communities being part of surveillance of the petroleum infrastructure in the region.
“Of course, you know that by the modular refineries which they also talked about how they can be engaged, instead of what is called illegal refineries, they are also on. The process of building a refinery or even getting the necessary procedures to establish such is not just a one-day business.
“Advertisements have been made, people have indicated interests and of course, to make it sustainable, the Federal government is involving the states, but it is private sector-driven. This is to ensure that all concerned are on a common page and be sure that whenever it takes off, there will be no frustration or sabotage.
“Then your second question of meeting with the Avengers… for us as a government, there hasn’t been any group from the region that intended to meet with any arm of government that has been rebuffed. So, if any people make such overtures, we are happy to receive them. We have been receiving different groups. We are not limiting our dialogue or discussions to any particular group. So, anybody that says he is relevant in the process and comes forth, we will engage them.”
Speaking on the East-West Road, Usani said: “That is the unfortunate circumstance of our situation.
“Yes! It’s true that I met with the contractors and appealed to them to go back to site. We have also been very conscientious in releasing funds as they are cashed-backed to enable them to continue work. Nonetheless, we are thinking of alternatives of completing that projects amidst the many issues that tend to be the undercurrent that are drawing back the execution. And such issues are technical and we tackling them. In due course, you will know the outcomes.”
Giving further insight into his mission at the Presidential Villa, the minister explained: “For a while, he (President) has not been around and there are things he needed to know from me. So, I had to brief him on issues pertaining to the ministry; the on-going projects and other anthropocentric issues that have to do with the general matters concerning the Niger Delta region, especially, as they throw up concerns bothering on who is right to speak for and who is not right to speak for; and then issues of the NDDC. All these dominated my discussion with the President today (yesterday).”
Amnesty Office
preaches peace
The Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) has urged members of the the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to maintain the existing peace in the region.
Its Coordinator Gen. Paul Boroh said the planned resumption of hostilities would be devastating to the nation’s economy.
Gen. Boroh, who doubles as Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Matters, said the appeal by Chief Clark, an Ijaw leader and PANDEF chieftain, to the NDA to maintain peace was in the interest of the region.
According to him, the elder statesman’s appeal followed a crucial meeting with government delegation, reminding NDA members that violence sometimes may have cleared away obstructions quickly, but it never had proved to be creative.
The PAP coordinator urged the avengers to be desirous of a peaceful society; adding that peace remained paramount for national development.
He said: “If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society.
“If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end. So let’s all give peace a chance to enable us enjoy democracy.”
The presidential aide said that peace could only be achieved by understanding and not by force.
He said: “Peace comes from being able to contribute the best we could to create a region that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute and that’s what President Buhari’s administration is doing.
“The new vision for the Niger Delta will provide mass job opportunities for the youths and help fasten the development of the region.”
He, however, advised the group to make a difference and forget about the planned hostilities that would devastate the nation’s economy.
Appealing to the group to adopt dialogue instead of violence, Boroh lauded NDA for the ceasefire five months ago and stressed the need sustain it no matter the grievances.
He urged the group not to blow up pipelines and oil installations in the region; adding that it would be an economic sabotage against the nation.
The militant group, which halted attacks on oil installations, last year, following various appeals from the Niger Delta leaders, has renounced the ceasefire.
In a statement by its self-styled Maj.-Gen. Murdoch Agbinibo spokesman, the group disowned the PANDEF, whose members have acted as intermediaries between it and the government.
Concern over Boroh’s
parley with with Clark
Some youths, under the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, faulted the parley between the Federal Government and the PANDEF chair. They insist on the implementation of the 16-point agenda and not dialogue
Faulting the outcome of the parley between Brig.-Gen. Boroh and Clark, the youth’s council described as unacceptable a statement issued by the amnesty office after the November 5 meeting suggesting that the government would immediately start fresh dialogue with the Niger Delta people.
The Eric Omare-led IYC said in a statement that the region was no longer interested in “endless dialogue but could only accept implementation of promises made so far by the Federal Government.”
According to Omare, the government needed no further dialogue to release funds for the take-off of the Maritime University and to clean-up Ogoni and other parts of the Niger Delta region massively polluted by oil exploration
He said the government needed no consultations to fulfill its promise of relocating headquarters of multinational oil companies to the Niger Delta region and to complete the East-West road and other key developmental projects
The IYC He asked the government to give a stake to Niger Delta people in the oil and gas industry and restructure Nigeria along the line of federalism to guarantee resource control
The statement reads: “The demands of the Niger Delta people are well-documented and do not require further dialogue.
“The IYC is of the strong view that the only issue that requires dialogue with government is that of restructuring of the country and the issue of restructuring is not peculiar to the Niger Delta region, but affects the whole of Nigeria
“We vehemently oppose endless dialogue with Niger Delta people, which are tactics by the Federal Government to divert attention from the issues that needs to be addressed.
“What the Niger Delta people want is the implementation of previous promises made by government and not further dialogue to divert attention and deceive Niger Deltans.
“We strongly advise Niger Delta leaders not to be deceived by the antics of federal government to dialogue without implementation of promises. What we need now is action and not talks.”
‘Exclusion’ of Edo in
PANDEF worrisome
The Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM) has accused the PANDEF of sidelining Edo State in its activities. It alleged that the forum has been using strange names as representatives of the state.
The group said it was mischievous of PANDEF leaders to deal with unknown personalities as representatives of the group from Edo State.
BSM President Curtis Ugbo who stated this in a press statement said Edo, as an oil producing state, deserved a strong voice in PANDEF.
Ugbo appealed to elders and leaders of the state to call for a meeting where representatives of the state could be selected into the body.
The statement reads: “Edo State deserves to have a strong voice in the PANDEF and that is why our leaders need to meet and decide who our representatives are.
“As it is today, PANDEF is the mouth of the people of the Niger Delta so it is not an organisation in which Edo State will have representatives who are not even known to the people.
“The leadership of the group should consult with leaders across the Niger Delta states so that they will have their representatives in PANDEF.
“As a group that is concerned about the progress of our state and the Niger Delta region, we are calling for a leadership meeting so that we can have true representatives in the PANDEF.”
|The Nation