Chief Favour Ogbeyirene Izoukumor is the Fieowei (Information Minister) of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom and the Ijaw Commissioner on the board of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC). In this interview with SHOLA O’NEIL, he speaks on the recent attacks on oil and gas pipelines in Delta State, Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi’s ‘closure’ of NIMASA University, peace in Warri and sundry issues.
Attacks on the gas and crude pipelines, is it a resurrection of militancy in the Niger Delta?
As a community leader and representative of the Ijaws in DESOPADEC, we unequivocally condemn the criminal act; it is unacceptable. Although I do not think the phrase ‘resurrection of insurgency’, is correct because this is purely a criminal act. It has being happening quarterly every year or up to three, four or five times yearly. There have been pipeline vandalisms caused by criminal elements. I don’t know those behind it, but one thing that is very certain is that they are criminals and people with diverse interests. The reason why I say diverse interests is that these vandalisms, most especially on the gas pipeline in question, is a recurring decimal. I think people are benefiting from it, particularly some business interests and some unscrupulous elements within in the NNPC and its subsidiaries. It is a criminal act; it is not even violence that is resurfacing.
That’s a very weighty allegation on NNPC officials…
Yes, they could be beneficiaries, they and some others in the industry because this gas line is vandalised annually. My surprise this time is that since all these vandalisms these years, it has not drawn this kind of national attention, and I don’t know the reason behind it. It the past when it is vandalized, the NNPC repairs it quietly without any fuss. So, why is it different this time?
Is it safe to assume that it is because of the time this recent attack occurred, when Tompolo, one of your kinsmen, is at loggerheads with the Federal Government?
I think these are some of the unnecessary, frivolous claims to create unnecessary tension in the Niger Delta. I am telling you that the vandalisations of the gas pipeline are by business interests and criminals. The business interests engaged criminals to do the act and they get the contract for the repairs. This is something that had been recurrent these past years. It is not new and how can you link this to Tompolo? I am not speaking for Tompolo, but I think all of us and you journalists know Tompolo as someone that is not afraid to accept responsibility for his action; in this case he has no basis to do this.
I want the Federal Government to investigate all the past frequent acts of vandalisms: Who were behind it? I feel some persons are trying to instigate confusion between the Federal Government and Tompolo; to tag him with a bad name to hang him. I am shocked about linking this to Tompolo because it is an open secret in Delta State, particularly Warri South West and within NNPC. I think people are instigating the Federal Government against Tompolo and trying to frustrate him into giving negative reactions.
In all these, what is the role of the security agencies in the area?
I will not just apportion blame to security agents because I am a man from the riverine area. If I just conclude that they are not fulfilling their obligations I may not be fair to them because the terrain in the riverine area is complex. If criminals are coming, you may not know. It will be impossible to shift blame to the security. They are doing their best but it is just like terrorist attacks, the way these guys operate, they plan and carry out most of these atrocities at night.
There are some security reports also linking the latest attack to militants?
If you say it is militants, what is the basis? When the militants in Niger Delta were in the struggle for their people’s fair share in Nigeria, whatever action they intend to embark; they don’t deny it, but on this particular issue all the militants said they were not involved. I ask again, the past years that this pipelines was attacked and repaired, was it by militants? I feel this, like the past, was done by criminal people in collaboration with interest groups and maybe some unrepentant workers in the system of NNPC. If we continue to ascribe these acts to militants we give cover for the business interests who benefit from it to continue. This is what they want, blame it on militant, focus on militancy and their businesses continue.
What is your take on the FG threat to hold community leaders responsible for further acts of vandalism and call for them to handover suspects?
I think what has happened is pathetic to the whole nation because anything that will crumble the economy of Nigeria is not in the country’s interest. I and my followers will never support it, that’s why I condemned it in its entirety. But don’t extend the punishment to innocent people; it is uncalled for.
I have said you don’t need to blame the JTF that are there because of the terrain, there is no way that the community people will know what is happening. Most of these communities are distanced from the attacked facilities.
Two, these persons operate like terrorists; they are fully armed and most times they do these criminal activities in the night when innocent people are in bed. The communities’ leadership are not even saddled with protection of the pipelines and you want to hold them responsible? That’s unfair. Even asking the community leaders to fish out these persons is unjust.
The Federal Government needs to synergise with communities leaders, the stakeholders on the way forward. Such statement credited to The Presidency is capable of alienating them because credible leaders who have information will be scared away. It is only ignorance of the terrain that will make one to blame community leaders.
The assumption is that these people that carried out these attacks are from the communities and they know when they are planning attacks?
Those are the deliberate erroneous assumptions made to incite the Federal Government against innocent communities; they are unsubstantiated rumours. I am a leader from Warri South West and Chairman of Ajuju community, are you saying that I am also aware? It is not the case. It took everybody by surprise and when we got wind of it we swung into action. If not the proactive measures taken by the state government, the governor and Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro and community leaders, maybe these criminals would have done more damage.
The JTF knows that the success in halting the attacks was due to these collaborative efforts. They get their intelligence information from the community and even creeks. It is the people that are leading them. Whatever peace that we see is through efforts of the state government and these leaders. The acts were done about a day and in the night as I was told. The next day all the communities were on alert and as we are talking most of the communities leaders have mandated their youths to assist the security agents and they are on security surveillance on the oil facilities.
What do you think the FG can do to help the communities to help the nation?
The FG needs to douse the tension created when they said communities’ leaders should be held responsible and today they have asked the communities leaders to fish out criminals. The fear is that if they fail to do this, the FG plans to take some action. As we are talking most areas are deserted due to fear. The FG should douse the tension by making further clarifications and engage communities’ leaders and stakeholders to avoid re-occurrence. They should use this medium to investigate why that gas pipeline is being tampered with annually. The Federal Government should avoid jumping into conclusion and taking hasty decisions that will not yield fruitful results. This is a case of pure economic sabotage; the investigation should be thorough and all those found culpable should be brought to book, no matter how highly placed or their political and social statuses.
How do you react to the proposed cancellation of the NIMASA University in Okerenkoko and this feeling of siege mentality by the Ijaw under the present adminsitration?
The statement was credited to the Minister of Transport, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and if true, it is unacceptable. I condemned it in its entirety; it is very provocative, inciting to say that a region that has been laying the golden eggs, feeding the whole nation, does not deserve to have a university! This is the only riverine university that the Federal Government has ever established. It was established not only for the Ijaws, but Niger Delta and Nigeria, yet you now say it should be cancelled?
I also read in that statement credited to him that no parents will send their children to that university. This is quite unfortunate because there is Escravos (oil) Terminal where thousands of workers from different regions of Nigeria are working; contractors are fetching billions from there, multinational companies transformed where they are living to paradise and the university in question is just a stone throw from the terminal and that is the place you are saying no parents could send their children to! I am deeply disappointed in the statement credited to Amaechi. He should know that despite political differences, we are all from this region. Amaechi is in a better position to know the suffering of the people of this region, but I was shocked he made such statement.
My sincere advice to the Niger Deltans, particularly the Ijaws, is that these are provocative statements, maybe made to see our reactions, but let’s be peaceful and whatever grievance we may have as a result of that, we should express it peacefully. I want to believe that it is the personal view of Amaechi’s and not the position of the Federal Government. Let’s await the Federal Government’s position and whatever it is, let’s use peaceful means to seek redress.
The perception of the Ijaws towards President Muhammadu Buhari is that they are targets of his probes and anti-corruption drive. For now, I don’t want to believe that. The President has a track record as a man of integrity and a nationalist. I don’t think he will reduce himself to target an ethnic nationality, I don’t want to believe so until it is proven otherwise.
What do you think the President can also do to disabuse the minds of people who have seen him in this light?
I think this impression that the President may not mean well for the region is due to a statement he made immediately after the elections, in an interview with some journalists in the U.S. I didn’t see the interview but there were remarks he made that are making this region wary. He reportedly said that areas that did not give him much vote should not expect to get more in terms of distribution of political benefits.
There are also concerns about the anti-corruption crusade and I think the Ijaws’ leadership has unequivocally supported the crusade. The President has also said it is not targeting any nationality. I want to say that the President needs to douse the tension by engaging the Ijaw leadership to correct this wrong impression being created about him. He should assure all that he means well and that he is a President of the whole country, not president of one region or some other regions at the detriment of the Niger Delta.
I think he really needs to engage the Niger Delta leaders because when you don’t address a rumour, it will generate tensions. If he timely intervenes and engage stakeholders, it would disabuse the minds of some persons who may have taken those statements to heart. I am one of the younger leaders in the region, I don’t have that perception. I still believe that the Federal Government led by our amiable President will do the right thing. Until I am proven otherwise, I don’t have any cause to say that it is targeting the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
In view of the recent history of Warri, what is your advice to stakeholders?
We need to be peaceful and law abiding despite whatever is happening. Whether we are provoked or feel aggrieved in any form, we have resolved for long that we will resolve disagreements in peaceful manners. We will address and resolve issues in a non-violent approach. I think the Warri crisis taught all the leaders a lesson. Yes, there may be some skeletal restiveness but I think it is always being timely nipped in the bud.
I advise all the oil producing communities to be vigilant and those vigilante groups that the various oil producing communities have put in place, they should sincerely do the work, collaborating with the security agents, avail them any information that can help protect oil facilities. They should contact the law enforcement agencies; work with them to see that the peace is consolidated.
We are stakeholders and today I am Commissioner representing Ijaw ethnic nationality in the DESOPADEC, the only way the commission and state government will have enough money to embark on massive infrastructural, human capital developments is when there is steady oil production. If we are not vigilant, we will allow criminal elements, self-centered persons to destroy oil facilities, it will have a long term negative impact not only degradation of our environment, but also decrease the state’s revenue.
So, it is on this premise that I am pleading: let us continuously give peace a chance; we cannot compromise peace.
