President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday got fresh demands to restore peace in Niger Delta.
The President, a fortnight ago, got a 16-point demand from Niger Delta stakeholders, under the aegis of Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), led by the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass in Bayelsa State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Ijaw leader Chief Edwin Clarke.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo got the demands, on behalf of the President, from Niger Delta Peoples Congress (NDPC) at the State House in Abuja.
The group was led by King Diete-Spiff.
From the excerpts of the presentation, signed by Congress Secretary, Prof Benjamin Okaba, the group said it was in the Villa to reaffirm earlier submissions and to prioritise the concerns and place them in clearer perspectives.
It reads: “This is premised on our objective assessment of the anxieties, sentiments and myriad of reactions from the key drivers and players in the crises across and outside the region that immediately trailed the meetings.
“We are very confident that our modest contributions, as articulated below, would constitute the panacea to the age-long crises in Niger Delta.
Among its demands, NDPC said:
•“The fundamental concern is political reconstruction and fiscal federalism. We are persuaded to uphold that the nation practises true federalism with legitimate and acceptable division of power among the constituents (the centre and regions) and the principle and practice of ownership and management of resources by the constituents. The derivation principal should allow the different unit annex and control its resources and pay appropriate and agreed tax to the centre.
•“Demilitarisation and peace/confidence building: We are persuaded to request the Federal Government to stop further invasion of the region under any guise; release unconditionally all freedom fighters from detention and deploy political solution to the issues surrounding the leadership of the agitators/freedom fighters; cause multinational corporations not only to relocate their operational bases to the region but more significantly create a minimum of 6,000 jobs for the teeming population of unemployed and restive youths of the region; cause the resumption of academic activities at the Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkokom in Delta State and establish similar institutions in other parts of the region.
•“Funding interventionist agencies: Cause the release of over N800 billion outstanding allocations yet to be paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). We request the building of more refineries (modular type), petrochemicals and other petroleum-related industries to add value to the crude oil and gas produced in the region.
•“Environmental and human right protection: To drastically reduce the current state of environmental degradation and threat to life occasioned by the activities of the multi-national corporations in the region, we recommend that the Federal Government should urgently cause the appropriate agencies and co-operations to begin the comprehensive remediation (clean-up, etc) of the Niger Delta environment affected by oil spill; provide medical facilities and attention to people suffering from ailments associated with oil and gas activities; prompt the legislative process for the review of the nation’s laws on Environmental impact and give stiffer penalties to defaulters; cause the immediate implementation of all laws stopping Gas flaring in the region; cause the establishment of Internally Displaced Persons camps for the re-settlement of displaced persons at Bakassi, Gbaramatu, etc.”
Addressing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, two members of the delegation, Mike Oloyebo and Hendricks Okpokeme, shed light on the fresh demands.
Oloyebo said: “This is Niger Delta Peoples Congress. King Diete-Spiff and other leaders, a 38 member-delegation, came again to represent the aggrieved people because you can’t be finding peace without taking about the problem of the boys in the creeks.
“That is what we have come to inform the Presidency. I am very sure the aggrieved people were represented in this meeting. We don’t have any political affiliation to any other group. We have come genuinely concerned to solve this problem once and for all.”
Militancy: Buhari gets fresh demands from new group
