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  • Ijaw groups, elders warn against resuming violence in Niger Delta

    Ijaw groups, elders warn against resuming violence in Niger Delta

    Prominent Ijaw groups and elders have asked youths in the Niger Delta to forget any plan to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta region.

    The leaders insisted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had shown some positive signs and must be allowed to implement its vision to develop the region.

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide and the Ijaw National Congress (INC) said instead of resorting to violence, the region had opened a new chapter of constructively engaging the government to ensure it fulfilled all its promises.

    Speaking in separate interviews, the IYC President, Mr. Eric Omare, said since President Buhari had made promises, the best the region could do was to impress it upon his administration to fulfill them.

    He said: “I do not think that it has got to that level where people will resort to threatening to bomb oil facilities again. Government made promises but our duty for now is to remind government of its promises towards the region and insist that government should fulfill its promises.

    “But to threaten attack or resort to a militant approach to force government fulfill its promises, l don’t think is the best approach for now. We have never encouraged militant dimension or use of force in our agitation. We advise those that threatened violence to adopt peaceful means”.

    Also, the Chairman, INC, Central Zone, Chief Kennedy Odiowei, asked the youths to remain calm insisting that Buhari with his track record of integrity, would fulfill his promises to the region.

    He said: “We are not in support of violence because the Federal Government is talking to the region. The Vice-President came and toured the Niger Delta. They have seen the plight of the region and the people.

    “The government is very proactive to look into the issues of the Niger Delta so we are not in support of any threat to renew attacks. We are saying that everybody should keep calm and drop their arms”.

    “The Vice-President made some serious policy statements including asking all the oil companies to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta region. It is a welcome development. So let us wait and see what the government could do”.

    But the immediate past President of IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, observed that the tempo which Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo pursued negotiation with the region dropped immediately Buhari returned from his overseas trip.

    He, however, said it should not be an excuse for anybody to contemplate resuming attacks on oil installations adding that he had been talking to aggrieved youths to forget the idea.

    He said: “I have been traveling up and down trying to talk to the boys because since the President came back from his travel, everything seems to have nosedived. The tempo with which the vice-president was going was commendable by everybody.”

    “The vice-president was using the right words and talking as a leader. But since the President came back, it has been difficult to continue the momentum and keep up the tempo. Nigeria needs peace.

    “We are not expecting Buhari to solve the Niger Delta problems totally because it didn’t start from his time. We are looking forward to the plans that the Vice-President had put in place. It is very commendable.

    “He talked about putting the illegal bunkerers together to form cooperatives so that their activities can be incorporated into government. He talked about modular refineries, the maritime university and a whole lot of issues that were raised”.

  • Ijaw to FG: fish out Admiral Ikoli’s killers

    •‘His death is a big blow to us’

    Ijaw leaders have expressed anger over perceived silence of the Federal Government on the assassination of the Fleet Commander, Western Naval Command, Lagos, Rear Admiral Daniel Ikoli. Ikoli, who was also a member of the Presidential Committee on Audit of Defence Equipment Procurement (CADEP), was found dead in a mysterious circumstance in his apartment at Apapa, Lagos, about two weeks ago.

    The umbrella body of the Ijaw, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), described his death as a big blow and asked the Federal Government to investigate the circumstances surrounding his killing with a view to finding the perpetrators. The Chairman, INC, Central Zone, Chief Kennedy Odiowei, said the government should either set up a commission of inquiry to investigate his death or use its intelligence network to find his killers.

    He said the Ijaw held the slain general in high esteem adding that the killers must be fished out and made to face the wrath of the law. Odiowei said: “It was a big blow to the Ijaw nation because he was one of the sons we we held in very high esteem.

    We are very sad. We want the Federal Government to investigate the immediate cause of the death of General Ikoli. We have heard many controversies surrounding his death. “We were not there and cannot ascertain the actual thing that happened.

    But we don’t want this matter to be swept under the carpet. The INC and the Ijaw Nation want the government to properly investigate this matter and come out with the perpetrators. “The Government should set up a panel of inquiry or investigate through their intelligent network to unmask the identities of persons responsible for this murder.

    The killers must face the wrath of the law. “We don’t have enough people in the military. We have been shortchanged by the state. Even in the quota system, the north always hijack the process and use their names to fill the quotas. So, the few ones we have we don’t want to lose any of them”. Mr. Abiodun, leader of Edo Amnesty phase 3, said Ijaw youths and Niger Delta youths in general are not happy with the murder, adding that report that said he shot himself was to cover up those who committed the heinous crime.

    “For me, there is no way he can kill himself, that is the main reason why most of us are not happy over the drama. Don’t forget he is an Ijaw man and nobody can kill an Ijaw son and go free. On his part, Comrade Victor Ben Tari, President Eye for Niger Delta said his organization is planning to sue the Federal government and the Nigerian Navy over the murder of Rear Admiral Daniel Teikumo Ikoli.

    He said by next week, “We are going to gather on this issue; because our brother is not a mad man, and never exhibited any sign of a man who is abnormal; we are going to issue an ultimatum to that effect. “We are calling on Federal government to expose the killers or attract our anger. “Let me expose some of our agenda, we are going to order the Federal government to investigate the suspicious killing of our Ijaw man. We also want the federal government to involve Niger Delta leaders in the investigation of the death of our brother.

    This is our position, that was why we want to hold meeting by next week.” Comrade Bristol-Alagbariya Emmanuel, former Ijaw Youth leader and National President/CEO Ijaw Young Entrepreneurs and Investors Network Worldwide said nothing has been done to apprehend the murderers of the naval officer. “Till date nothing has been done in that regard.

    We talk about marginalization, consciously by the wisdom of those who designed the constitution; they designed it in such a way that there must be equity and equal participation so that it will create position and patriotism. People will want to commit themselves into Nigerian projects. “But as it stands today it is an unfortunate situation that a military man, an Ijaw son of such a cadre could be murdered in his house.

    And supposedly he should be staying in the barracks or even if he is staying in his house, that house ought to be adequately protected and secured. “He was promoted recently, he is yet to enjoy his privileges and contribute his own quota to Nigerian government before he was murdered.

    And till date there is no statement from the president to condemn the act despite the fact that Nigeria has invested so much money training him. “Despite the fact that he is an Ijaw man, it sends a negative precedents that nothing has been done till now, he is just or been left to his family and kinsmen and probably one or two investigations going on which the public is not aware of.

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) also joined other Ijaw voices to call for a thorough and wide-reaching investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Rear Admiral Teikumo Ikoli. President of the IYC, Eric Omare, in a brief reaction to the development, also demanded that the IYC be allowed to be part of the investigating team, adding that all Ijaw youths are demanding justice in the matter.

    “My demand on behalf of the Ijaw Youth Council is for the federal government to carry out a detail investigation to unravel the cause of the death and bring to justice those responsible for the cause of the death. “We also demand that the family and representatives of the IYC should be part and parcel of the investigation team.

    This death must not be swept under the carpet under any circumstances. Justice must be done”, he said.

  • Ijaw youths set up committee on refineries

    Ijaw youths under the aegis of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide have constituted a technical committee on modular refineries.

    They said the committee would work out modalities of bringing investors to participate in the proposed  refineries in the Niger Delta.

    IYC President Mr. Eric Omare, yesterday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said youths were opposed to  moves by the government to bring investors for the project.

    He said to achieve their aims of developing oil-producing communities, the refineries must be driven by the communities, with investors decided by them.

    Omare said: “The high-powered technical managerial committee comprising distinguished Ijaw people has been mandated to source investors.”

    He said the idea to set up the committee was borne out of requests by people to source investors for the project.

    The IYC president said the Niger Delta people had the capacity to source investors to operate the refineries.

    He said if the government sourced investors, the refineries would toe the line of oil and gas industry dominated by foreigners to the detriment of the Niger Delta people.

    Omare said: “An example that our people have the capacity to source investors is the case of Gbaramatu people. As we speak, the people of Gbaramatu have secured more than $200million investment by foreign people who are ready to invest in the Gbaramatu modular refinery underway.

    “What they did at Gbaramatu was that they agreed with the Delta State Oil Producing Development Commission that no other projects would be executed at Gbaramatu and that the money should be channelled towards the building of modular refineries. They have secured foreign investment to build the refinery.

    “This is the concept IYC believes should be followed in the Niger Delta, not the government sourcing investors because if it sources investors, politicians and people from other parts of the country will hijack the concept to the detriment of the Niger Delta people.

    “Now, closely related to the reason we are advocating that our people should be allowed to source investors is that if you observe well, through the amnesty programme, people that became beneficiaries had never seen guns before.

    “Today, we have people that are called oil thieves and all sorts of names. This programme is targeted at them. The moment you allow the government to source investors, those people will not benefit from the programme.”

  • Ijaw elders intervene to resolve crisis in IYC

    •245 delegates to elect new president

    Ijaw elders in the Niger Delta region have decried crisis in the vibrant Ijaw youth group, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide.

    The youth wing presided over by Mr. Udengs Eradiri, has been enmeshed in transition crisis leading contending forces to hold parallel conventions.

    While Eradiri inaugurated a nine-member electoral committee at one of the conventions in Okirika, Rivers State, another electoral committee, consisting of seven persons, was inaugurated at a separate convention in Toru-Ebeni, Bayelsa State.

    The electoral committee inaugurated by Eradiri to midwife a new executive committee of IYC is chaired by Mr. Oscar Isu.

    But Jeremaiah Owoupele heads the seven-member committee inaugurated by aggrieved members at Toru-Ebeni.

    The Chairman of one of the electoral committees, Mr. Oscar Isu, confirmed yesterday that key Ijaw stakeholders were working to resolve differences in the body.

    Isu said his committee was ready to conduct a free and fair election into the 11 positions in the executive committee.

    He said the process of electing the delegates had started, adding that 245 delegates from various clans would elect a new president.

    He said 18 forms had been collected by aspirants, noting that the submission of forms had been shifted to Tuesday.

    He said all aspirants for various positions would be screened in Port Harcourt, from March 2, adding that the elections would hold on March 11 at Burutu, Delta State.

  • Ijaw communities threaten to shut down oil trunk line

    Ijaw communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, have threatened to shut down the Warri/Escravos trunk line of the Nigerian Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC), following the August 17 oil spill.

    In a letter by Johnbull Demebi, Edward Odudu and Chief Moses Bebenimibo to the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Managing Director of Nigeria Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC), formerly Pipeline Products Management Company (PPMC), the communities issued a seven-day ultimatum to NNPC and NSPC to clean up the communities.

    The 34 communities are: Ikpokpo, Tejubor, Okpelema, Opuede, Opuede-Zion, Opuedebubor, Meka-Ama, Oto-Gbene, New Jerusalem Zion, Mala-Gbene, Atanba, Okerenkoko-Gbene, Oporoza federated communities, Gama-Zion, Azama, Inikorogha, Ibanfa and Igoba.

    Others are: Kunukunuama, Pepeama, Kurutie, Jaghala, Okerenkoko, Egwa, Bikumor, Sarabubowei, Benikrukru, Kokodiagbene, Kantu, Bebebopre Zion, Olukperebu, Oburu, Ogbotu-Gbene and Seitorsububor.

    They urged appropriate authorities to provide materials and compensation for the communities.

    The letter recalled that after a joint investigation visit (JIV) by the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, the Ministry of Environment, NNPC/NPSC, NNPC surveillance contractor (OMS) and the communities affected, it was concluded that the spill was caused by equipment failure.

    But after completing the repair works on the failed trunk line for easy transportation of crude to the Warri Refinery, officials of the NNPC/NPSC have toed a different line.

    The letter said: “It was unanimously agreed by all parties concerned at the conclusion of the JIV that the cause of the massive oil spillage, which lasted two months, was equipment failure at 6 o’clock (beneath the pipeline) at a welding joint. It would be recalled that NNPC’s spokesman Garba Deen Mohammed stated this position on September 8.

  • Ijaw leaders reject Jegede’s running mate

    A mass defection of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) followers in Ese-Odo Local Government is imminent as political leaders from the Ijaw speaking area have rejected the choice of John Ola Mafo as deputy governorship candidate.

    A PDP leader from the local government, Sunday Tundigha, in a statement yesterday on behalf of the aggrieved Ese-Odo PDP Leaders’ Forum, faulted Mafo’s emergence.

    ‘’Our local government is the only Ijaw speaking local government and delivered votes for the PDP in the last presidential and National Assembly elections.

    ‘’We were, however, surprised that the party leadership of the party decided to turn logic on its head by giving the deputy governorship slot to a local government without any voting value for the PDP.

    ‘’This is more so that the Alliance for Democracy candidate, Olusola Oke, is from the same local government. This defies logic and every known political justice.

    ‘’We are, therefore, giving Governor Olusegun Mimiko and leadership of the PDP 48 hours from now, to withdraw Mafo and replace him with an indigene of Ese-Odo.

    “Anything short of this will result in mass defection from the party. It is sad that an individual from Ese-Odo could sell out this golden opportunity for our people just because of his future political ambitions. We will resist this selfish and short-sighted political calculation.”

    According to him, aggrieved leaders of the PDP have resolved to work for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Rotimi Akeredolu.

    ‘’Between now and the expiration of the ultimatum, we have put all our supporters on notice to mobilise for Akeredolu. This is because his running mate, Agboola Ajayi, the ambassadorial nominee, Sola Iji as well as the senior Technical adviser to the minister of state for Agriculture, Donald Ojogo, are distinguished sons of our local government,’’ he said in the statement.

    One of the deputy governorship hopefuls Pere Ganfo also warned that the PDP might face dire electoral consequences for the decision it took against Ese-Odo.

    ‘’Since Mafo’s announcement, I have received several complaints from our people who feel short changed, used and dumped. They are unhappy because the party did not deem it needful to consider our electoral value to the PDP. It means we are not needed in the party.”

  • Ijaw kingdom gets monarch

    Ijaw kingdom gets monarch

    The people of Tubutoru Kingdom in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State are still in expansive mood over the installation of their monarch,   His Royal Majesty, Pere Gbebokedi Ajiri-Oba, the Oguruyeke, Okirimini 1 of Tubutoru Kingdom.

    The four-day ceremony was full of glamour and grandeur. It was hugely attended by political bigwigs, individuals and envoys from different kingdoms in the Ijaw dynasty.

    The monarch thanked God for making him the first King of the Kingdom.

    He told his subjects to see his emergence as the beginning of good things to come , stressing that his Kingdom over the years had suffered deprivation.

    Okirimini said his ultimate desire was to see a united Kingdom. He urged members of his dynasty to have respect for one another because moving forward as a Kingdom was dependent on such harmonious alignment

    The monarch pledged to work with other Ijaw Kingdoms in the Niger Delta to bring lasting peace for the much needed development in the region.

    He implored his people to be happy as the dark and gloomy days were over.

    High Chief Gaius Wariugo, a retired civil servant and a leader of thought in Tubutoru Kingdom, described the ceremony as historic,  adding that it would  usher in development that had eluded them in many years.

    Wariugo said: “I will say that the ceremony is very fantastic, because this has never happened in this kingdom before. I was born more than sixty years ago and I’ve not experienced this before, not even my fathers, because they never told me about such. This is the first remarkable thing that is happening in this kingdom. I give kudos to everyone that contributed to the success of this event.

    “This will facilitate development because even the Nigeria constitution has a place for traditional rulers. The traditional stool in Tubutoru kingdom, which we’ve not gotten before will no doubt bring  development, including infrastructural development, because we know that we now have a King that will draw the government’s attention for the betterment of the entire Tubutoru kingdom.

    “There have been an age long festival we do annually and we call it Koleke festival. We all embrace it when it comes. It lasts almost three days. It is mainly for cleansing. If things are not working fine and we do the festival, things will definitely work well and we have over 20 different communities that make up this Kingdom.”

    Chief Joseph Uduboh, the Tunteriwei of Tubutoru kingdom and double Chief Julius Ogoba, the Miekeremowei of the Kingdom, expressed confidence on the capacity of the new King, adding that the birth of the Kingdom would resuscitate among others the St. Timothy Primary School in Taribo, the traditional headquarters of the Kingdom  founded by the Christ Missionary Society, CMS in 1945.

    The Councilor and Chief whip in Odigbo Local Government legislative chamber representing Ebijoh Ward 6, Hon.(Chief) Ayebi Oteigha, who hails from the Kingdom, said:  “Politically speaking, as a people, we are facing lots of tough time, nevertheless, I think with the golden opportunity given to me to represent the good people of Tubutoru as Ebijoh ward, I believe with our good relationship with the chairman and our contact with the state government, I know we will get lots of developmental strides, within a short period of time. Before you can build a political arena, the people must have permanent voter’s card (PVC), they must be registered properly, the people must be inculcated into the political system. When the people are inculcated and vibrant people are there, I think the government must respond to them. We always orient the people, we have a seminar within the Local Government were we can be orienting them.”

    A leader in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Azaiye Piniki, urged the people of Tubutoru, said: “What is happening here today is something that will open this place, it ought to have happened long before now, even though its happening now, we still have to thank God. Gbaramatu as a Kingdom is closely related to Tubutoru; right from the days of old, we intermarried, most people from Gbaramatu have blood ties to this Kingdom,” Azaiye said.

    Mr. Augustus Powei, an envoy from Arogbo Kingdom, decried the high level of underdevelopment while maintaining that the emergence of the new King would turn such fearful scenario for good.

    “When we came in, we saw that the only primary school in the community is not well built at all, this indicates that the government in the area have long forgotten our people and with the coronation of of the King today is a sign that we want to now bring the attention of the government to our people, which has been culturally disorganised because of the lack of government presence in our community,” Powei noted

    The leader of Odigbo Local Government legislative house in Ondo State, Hon. Akiuro Dayo, pledged to sponsor a bill tailored towards the development of Tubutoru Kingdom. He decried the high level of underdevelopment in  the Kingdom, adding that the feat will be achieved by working with the Chairman of the Council and the Councilor representing Ebijoh Ward on the Council, Hon. Ayebi Oteigha who is also the Chief whip of Odigbo legislative house.

  • Ijaw students seek unity, end to vices

    Ijaw students seek unity, end to vices

    The umbrella body of Ijaw students, the National Union of Izon-Ibe Students (NUIS), Worldwide, is calling for the promotion of unity among the leaders and youths of the Ijaw nation. To achieve common goals, the youths insist that people should bury their differences and work together as an indivisible entity.

    The newly-elected National President of NUIS, Mr. Seifere Saviour, said the union frowned on vices and advised youths to shun violence, political differences and cultism.

    “Despite our differences, if we must thrive in a region as rich as ours, then unity is paramount. Let us shun violence, political differences, cultism and plunge ourselves into the revolution of a united and tranquil rich region”, he said.

    Speaking to Niger Delta Report shortly after the inauguration of NUIS leadership, Saviour called on Ijaw students to embrace unity for speedy liberation of minds and environment.

    He harped on education as a tool for development and said his leadership would carry out a sensitisation and reorientation campaign tagged, “Our Izon Ibe, Our Future”.

    He said the campaign was designed to secure the future of students, Ijaw land and posterity. According to him the campaign would cut across all tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools in the Niger Delta region.

    He said: “We want to sensitize our people that education and unity is key to the many problems of our region. Though demanding, the task is mandatory and as I speak thousands of stickers and many other materials had been printed for dissemination of this message of liberation”.

    He lamented the bitting poverty in the region and said hundreds of brainy students were forced to drop out at various academic stages because they were unable to pay their fees. He said even some ongoing scholarship programmes had been suspended for mediocrity.

    He, however, appealed to spirited individuals and philanthropists to assist indigent Ijaw students by laying their fees. He seized the opportunity to commend Mr. Gabriel Jonah, and Jonah’s assistant on student affairs for his magnanimity towards helpless students.

    He said: “I hereby wish to call on all well-placed Niger Delta leaders to emulate the character of Hon.Gabriel Jonah by supporting students in all ramifications, because students are the bedrock of the society.

    “On a final note, the Izon-Ibe students union is the only students union body in the entire Izon-Ibe that is saddled with the responsibility of guiding and protecting the interest of Izon students both in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

    “I, therefore, call on all Izon-Ibe students to embrace the union.  Let me reiterate my stand that unity is key and all students of Izon-ibe should support this course.

    “I also want to bring to the notice of the Federal Government, Governors of the Niger Delta states, the NDDC, multinationals and others that the Ijaw nation is in dire need of education,” he said.

  • Ijaw oppose today’s Niger Delta Republic declaration

    The Ijaw have dissociated themselves from today’s planned declaration of a Niger Delta Republic by a group, the Adaka Boro Avengers (ABA).

    In a statement yesterday, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) said there was no plan by the Niger Delta to secede from Nigeria.

    The statement signed by its spokesman, Eric Omare, advised the public to disregard ABA’s threat and cautioned the armed forces against using that (the threat) to attack Ijaw communities.

    Last night, there was heavy security at Kaiama, the venue of the planned declaration.

    Soldiers, police and Department of State Service (DSS) operatives took strategic positions in the historic town.

    IYC also warned the Reformed Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) against attacking the Ijaw living in some parts of Lagos and Ogun states because that could lead to violence.

    It implored the security agents to do their jobs and get to the root of the attacks in some Southwest communities.

    The statement reads: “We call on residents of Kaiama town to be calm and go about their normal activities. There is no plan by the Ijaw people to declare a republic and the threat by the Adaka Boro Avengers should be completely disregarded.

    “We wish to warn groups and individuals not to further expose Ijaw and Niger Delta communities to unnecessary tension and danger. The growth in modern means of information technology should not be abused to the detriment of our communities by issuing unnecessary threats and ultimatums.

    “The IYC also call on security agencies to stop forthwith unnecessary threat and attacks on Ijaw and other Niger Delta communities because of threats by faceless groups. The Ijaw nation has a leadership and they should also check with the leadership on issues of security concern instead of threatening or attacking innocent communities and people.

    “On the ultimatum and threat by the Reformed Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), the IYC call OPC members and the leadership of the Yoruba nation to allow security agents do their constitutional duty of apprehending criminals responsible for the Ogun and Lagos attacks.

    “As at this morning, information at the disposal of the IYC indicates that some Ijaw people resident in Lagos and Ogun states for fear of attack are already relocating from their places of residence to the Southsouth.

    “The IYC seriously warn against attack on innocent Ijaw people in the south western part of the country as it would result in unnecessary reprisal attacks in parts of the south-south where Yoruba people are resident as well. An inter-ethnic clash between the Ijaw and Yoruba people is totally unnecessary. The Ogun and Lagos attacks are clear cases of criminality and should be treated as such instead of threatening to attack innocent Ijaw people and their businesses”.

    Last week, ABA threatened to declare a Niger Delta Republic today and asked indigenes of the region to return home for the exercise.

    In a statement by its spokesman, Gen. Edoms Ayayeibo, the group urged former President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Edwin Clark, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, Ankio Briggs, Joseph Eva, Patrick Fufein, past and present military personnel from the region, serving senators and House of Representative members to be present at the meeting.

    The statement reads: “We are also using this medium to call of the Niger Delta famous sons and daughters, the children of the late Pa Isaac Adaka Boro and all sons and daughters of Niger Delta Republic to come to Kaiama for the official declaration of the Niger Delta Republic on August 1.”

  • Why Ijaw leaders are backing Avengers, by Tompolo’s kinsman

    Why Ijaw leaders are backing Avengers, by Tompolo’s kinsman

    An Ijaw leader from Gbaramatu in Warri Southwest Local Government of Delta State, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, has accused the state government of insincerity in handling the dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and other militant groups in the region.

    Mulade, who is among delegates to dialogue with government, noted that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s perceived insincerity to the developmental needs of Delta communities was the cause of Ijaw leaders’ open and discreet support for NDA, the group behind bombings of oil and gas facilities in the region.

    The kinsman of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) former leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo), spoke on phone with our reporter from the venue of yesterday’s stakeholders’ meeting convened by Okowa at the Governor’s Office Annex in Warri.

    Mulade flayed the forum, saying: “He is not interested in developing the areas. The governor is merely seeking to justify security votes and empower those who helped him into power.

    “They (militants) have sympathy from us. Why are we supporting them? It is because they are doing what most of us cannot do and bringing attention to our problem.

    “We can only condemn them for destroying pipelines and other facilities as well as our environment. But they are enjoying support from Ijaw leaders because the governments, including Governor Okowa, have failed to develop our areas.”

    Mulade accused Okowa of carrying out systematic development of his native Ndokwa parts of the state at the expense of the oil bearing communities.

    The Ijaw leader said the major projects and policies of the Okowa administration had been tilted towards Delta North, where the governor hails from.

    He said: “Now, the governor wants to meet with us. But when he inaugurated projects worth billions of naira to mark his one year anniversary, did he inaugurate anyone in the riverside communities? The projects he inaugurated in the upland areas, where did the money for their execution come from?

    “If they don’t address these issues, more militants will emerge. In the days ahead, more intellectual militants are coming. We are angry more than the Avengers. It is because we are more concerned about our environment; that is why we are not doing anything.

    “The governor is only bothered about oil money and his security vote, not about the people and the environment. Now that they (militants) are destroying flow lines, they (government officials) want to meet with us.

    “But this meeting is a jamboree for politicians who are the same beneficiaries of the system. When they are fraternising with the militants on one hand, they want to end militancy on the other. Are they (militants) not the same people who they employed to become governors and get to where they are?”

    On yesterday’s peace meeting, Mulade predicted that it would fail because it was aimed at empowering the governor’s loyalists and supporters.

    He added: “If the governor wants to truly resolve the issues, he should involve critical leaders and not political stakeholders. He is merely doing a jamboree. The fundamental issues are clear: the people requests development; he is engaging the people.”