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Tag: Niger Delta leaders

  • Niger Delta leaders to Buhari: remove troops from creeks 

    Niger Delta leaders to Buhari: remove troops from creeks 

    Niger Delta leaders have requested the Federal Government to withdraw troops from the creeks as part of a 16-point demand. They told President Muhammadu Buhari their position at an exploratory meeting of political, business and traditional rulers of the restive region with the Federal Government at the Aso Villa in Abuja.  ”We presented a 16-point request to the President, which includes the withdrawal of the military in oil producing communities in the region,” the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass, Bayelsa State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, said after meeting. “We don’t want the communities militarised,” he added.

    The stakeholders met with the government under the aegis of Pan Niger Delta Forum.

    The demands include:

    “.The presidential amnesty Programme: they decry that out of the five components of the disarmament and retrieval of weapons from the ex-militants, only the disarmament and demobilisation component is being implemented.

    .Tensions over the fate of the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme is as a result of lack of genuine exit strategy. They want the programme reviewed to reappraise its core mandate to provide a robust exit strategy, in order to transit recipients into jobs, effectively integrate them and free them of dependency on stipends, so that their new-found skills would be of benefit to themselves and larger community.

    “. Law and Justice issues: in view of the insecurity situation in the Niger Delta, a number of pending law and justice issues regarding some aggrieved groups and individuals are yet to be resolved. It is important to address these issues urgently as a step towards lasting peace.

    “.The effect of increased military presence in the Niger Delta: the increase in military presence has resulted in invasion of communities, displacement of persons, harassment and other forms of human rights abuse. They want government to halt the escalation of tension in the region.

    “.Plight of internally displaced persons: they want government agencies to meet the immediate needs of those displaced by upsurge of insecurity in the region.

    “.The Ogoni clean-up and environmental remediation: they want government to speed up the exercise. They want the government to enforce zero gas flare deadline. They want the devastating effects of coastal erosion and lack of an effective shoreline protection for the coastal communities tackled urgently. They ask federal government to commission a region-wide credible assessment of the impacts of crude oil pollution of the environment in the region and undertake to enforce environmental laws.

    “.The Maritime University Issue: want prompt take-off of the Niger Delta university

    “.Key regional critical infrastructure: they want completion of of East-West road, full implementation of the rail project that is designated to run through the Niger Delta region to Lagos.

    “.Security surveillance and protection of oil and gas infrastructure. They want pipeline surveillance contracts given to the communities rather than individuals some benefits to their responsibility. Communities would the see their responsibility over the pipelines as protection of what belongs to them.

    “.Relocation of Administrative and Operational headquarters of IOCs: the headquarters of most oil companies are not located in the Niger Delta Region. As a result the region is denies all the developmental and associated benefits that would have accrued to the region from their presence. It has therefore become imperative for the IOCs to relocate to their areas of operation.

    “.Power supply: they advocate a power plan that strongly ties power supply in the region to gas supplies, thereby giving all sides a stake in proved stability.

    “.Economic development and empowerment: they want Brass LNG and fertiliser plant project, including the Train 7, implemented, reviewing and updating the national gas master plan to integrate the economic interests and industrialization of the region, creating a Niger Dekta industrial corridor that would process some portions of the bat hydrocarbon natural resources, expediting work on the export processing zones, harnessing the huge rain-fed agricultural potentials of the area through the development of farms estates, fishery development projects and Agro-Allied industrial clusters etc.

    “.Inclusive participation in oil industry and ownership of oil blocs. They want the federal government to enunciate policies and actions that will address the lack of participation as well as imbalance in the ownership of oil and gas assets.

    “.Restructuring and funding of the NDDC: The restructuring will ensure it refocuses as a true interventionist agency to respond swiftly to the yearnings of the grassroots of the Niger Delta. Communities must be able to have a say in what projects come to them and also want full implementation of the funding provisions of the NDDC Act.

    “.Strengthening the Niger Delta Ministry: they say the era of abysmal funding should end.

    “.The Bakassi Question. A comprehensive resettlement plan, including development for the host communities and displaced population to reduce the risk of making them into a stateless people.

    “.Fiscal federalism. The region supports the call for true federalism and urges that the Federal Government should treat the matter expeditiously.”

    The Niger Delta leaders and others at the meeting are Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), traditional rulers and ministers from the Niger Delta,  among others.

    Also present were some former governors including Obong Victor Attah, civil rights activists; Service Chiefs and Inspector-General of Police; National Security Adviser and Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Minister of State (Petroleum Resources) Ibe Kachikwu told reporters after the meeting that it was largely a courtesy call to bring to the front burner the issues of the Niger Delta and the concerns from the leaders and what they believed the federal government should do to bring down pressure, stress and militancy to the barest minimum, if not eliminated.

    According to him, it was the beginning of a process.

    He said: “We had over a hundred representatives. So, it was a very well- attended function. Opinions given were very honest, very frank to the point. But I think at the end of the day, we exchanged enough thought processes to go back to the drawing board to begin a process of work.

    The minister said that a lot of behind-the-scene talks had been going on, which had boosted oil production to 2.1 million barrels.

    “The reality is that as of today and this morning, we are at 2.1 million barrels production. That’s substantial. That would not have happened without efforts that went behind through the royal fathers and leaders, through the militant leaders. A lot of behind-the-scene engagements had taken place and will continue to take place.

    “If you look at 7 Big Wins that we set up last week, part of the expectations by 2017 is to target a zero shut as a result of militancy. What that means is that it is going to be an ongoing engagement. It will never finish. Different from what teams were setting up to do negotiations after the President had looked at this and given a strata, will also be the fact that on a roll on basis, the Ministry of Petroleum is continuing a quarterly meeting involving the oil companies who fairly beaten up a little bit today amd the governors and the stakeholders which will happen once every three months.

    “The first one is going to happen in Uyo in December and we are going to rotate that between the states so that we will have a platform, irrespective of the negotiation that’s going on to deal with the issues and continue.”

    Chief Edwin Clark said the meeting was arranged by Kachikwu and all interest groups were represented.

    He said: “We also accepted and agreed that we should meet. There were many factions. Some had their own built-up base, hotels and so on. But it was agreed that we should meet to galvanize, collapse all the agitations, all the interest groups into one and this is what we did. So, we formed a central body known as Pan Niger Delta Forum with me as the leader and HRM Diette Spiff, and former Governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah as some chairmen of the Central Working Committee.

    “Mr. President received us very well. Today is November 1. A remarkable day.

    “We have 16 points. We mentioned them in our address. Then we will appoint a very capable team of experts to negotiate on our behalf.

    “But let me say this. You mention about the Niger Delta Avengers. They were not supposed to be here. They gave us authority as their fathers to negotiate on their behalf on the 19th of August when we met at the PTI, Warri. There is no doubt many groups will spring up.

    “We cannot continue to destroy the assets of this country and at the same time destroying the ecosystem of our own region. So, we are appealing to the youth and they are listening.

    “One thing that gladdens our minds today when the minister was addressing the audience, he mentioned that the issue of maritime university has been settled. We now have it, first goodwill from the government and we have a duty to react.”

    Okowa said there was no issue with the Niger Delta Avengers in the past two and half months.

    “I know that after the meeting in August, that was a stakeholders meeting led by E.K. Clark and since then

     

  • Okowa, Clark, others to Avengers: Cease hostilities now

    Okowa, Clark, others to Avengers: Cease hostilities now

     

    ……Niger Delta Elders agree on raising unified regional negotiation platform

     

    Niger Delta leaders rose Friday against the current spate of sabotage of oil and gas facilities by militants in the region and threat by them to pull the region out of the rest of Nigeria.

    The leaders including Chief Edwin Clark, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, former Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe, Niger Delta activist, Tony Uranta, publisher of the Thisday newspaper, Chief Nduka Obaigbena,and  royal fathers, warned the militants to respect calls by traditional rulers, elders and leaders of the region for cessation of hostilities  forthwith.

    The leaders convened an emergency meeting in Warri, Delta State against the backdrop of the secession threat by the militants on Thursday.

    They asked agitators and aggrieved groups to “hearken to the appeal of the traditional rulers, elders and leaders of thought to stop further attack on oil and gas facilities and give room for dialogue.”

    But the meeting, hosted by Chief Clark, also urged the Federal Government to “stop further deployment of military hardware and resources in the region,” to ensure the confidence of the people and enhance opportunity for peace and order.

    In a communiqué at the end of the deliberation, the Niger Delta leaders charged the federal government to stop the deployment of the military to solve the crisis in the region, noting that it has so far inflicted untold hardship and dislocation on life and living of innocent people.

    Government, they added, should take calls for the restructuring of the nation as the first step in healing the country.

    They resolved to establish a pan-Niger Delta Platform to “speak for and negotiate on behalf of the region. The meeting further resolved to set up the said platform with effect from Friday 19th August, 2016.

    “Any platform for dialogue and negotiation should be all-embracing, involving all the ethnic nationalities and interest groups in the region to holistically address the problems.

    “The meeting also resolved to support the popular demand for the restructuring of the Nation’s political system as recommended by the 2014 National Conference. The practice of equitable fiscal federalism is a precondition for sustainable peace and development of our Country.

    “Without prejudice to efforts made so far, the Federal Government should demonstrate seriousness by reaching out to the authentic representatives of the region to discuss peace and the way forward.”

    Addressing participants earlier, Governor Okowa charged leaders of the Niger Delta to take up the challenge of stopping the degradation of the region’s environment by prevailing on their angry sons to desist from attacks on oil and gas facilities.

    Okowa, who was the only state governor to attend the meeting in person, noted that though expressing grievances over perceived injustice was not out of place, doing more damage than what causes the anger is absurd.

    The governor, who also charged the leaders of the region to ensure that the region has a credible face to represent it when approaching the federal government to register the discontent of their people, said violent protest, would only rob the people of the region the desired development.

    “Agitation is very important, yes you may be making a point, and we have been crying that the oil companies have been destroying our land over time.  They have harmed our land, harmed our water and things are getting very bad but unfortunately we are even taking actions that destroy the land and destroy our water far more than what the oil companies are doing. These are things that the people may not understand that in anger we have done more than what the oil companies have done.

    “Our traditional rulers and our leaders should let the youths know that they should stop violence, with a firm assurance that the elders will speak for us; we know that fiscal federalism, restructuring of the country are important but, we should look at what we can benefit from President Buhari’s administration as a people.

    “We should be peaceful, please let us give peace a chance, we need to create the enabling environment, we need to be ready to accommodate investors because, the gas revolution project will cost in excess of 15 billion dollars and the process of dredging the Escravos bar is part of the bargain”, he said.

    Also speaking, Chief Clark, said the answer to most of the crisis rocking the country from different parts of the country is in the report of the 2014 National Conference, adding that restructuring of the Nigerian system has become an issue in the face of all myriad of issues facing the country.

    “I posit that the answers to many if not all, of these issues are contained in the Report of the 2014 National Conference. I salute well-meaning persons who have supported the call for restructuring the country.

    “We must find a permanent solution to the various problems we are facing in this country including the youth revolt in the Niger Delta, Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, Biafra agitation, kidnapping and recently, the inability of the various states to pay their workers’ salaries and pension.

    “My strong belief is that only a genuine restructuring of the political administration of the country will remove most of these problems in the country. With such, the issues that lead some of us to take up arms will be resolved,” he said.

    While commending the President Buhari for indicating the willingness to open line of dialogue with the aggrieved Niger Delta youths, Chief Clark stated such discussion should be channel through genuine leaders from the region.

     

  • Avengers: Buhari set for talks with Niger Delta leaders

    Avengers: Buhari set for talks with Niger Delta leaders

    •Militants demand referendum, want president to visit region

    President Muhammadu Buhari has offered to personally meet with governors, elders and other stakeholders from the Niger Delta as part of his efforts to seek peace in the region following renewed sabotage of oil and gas pipelines by militants.

    The President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC),UdensEradiri, said yesterday that the presidency had contacted elders and stakeholders to inform them of Buhari’s intention to talk peace.

    Eradiri did not say when the meeting might take place but stated stakeholders would meet shortly on the crisis and the way forward.

    Oil production in the country now hovers around 1.8million barrels per day from 2.5mpd on account of the attacks.

    Eradiri spoke24 hours after the President pleaded with the militants to cease hostilities “in the name of God ?Almighty.”

    Buhari told APC leaders at a breaking fast dinner on Friday the activities of the militants were hampering Nigeria’s development.

    “No insurance company will want to insure installations that will end up being blown up and no banks will want to finance such installations,” he said.

    “Those of you who have friends among the leadership or even the militants themselves should plead with them in the name of God ?Almighty to take it easy.”

    Eradiri yesterday commended President Buhari for heeding the advice of the IYC to use dialogue in resolving crisis in the region.

    His words: “We want to commend the President because I heard from the grapevine, from one of our foremost governors and leader of Ijaw land this morning (yesterday) when he said they had been invited by the President for an engagement with respect to the Niger Delta crises.

    “So, I want to commend the President for hearing our cries and for taking the right approach because there is no other approach than what the President has decided to do.

    “Mr. President is a very meticulous man who keeps a lot of things to his chest and Nigerian and people who are always around take advantage of his silence and misinterpret the body language of Mr. President in various ways.

    “That body language that has been misinterpreted has created a lot of confusion that has further worsened the situation in Niger Delta.

    “Therefore we thank God Mr. President will be coming out boldly to address the issues and body language will no longer be misrepresented.

    “We want to thank the president for that bold step and look forward to the right leaders going to sit down with the President to properly articulate the position of Niger Delta”.

    But he said the Ijaw would continue to advocate for true federalism and restructuring as the permanent solutions to issues affecting different parts of the country.

    Eradiri maintained that restructuring would solve the problems of Fulani herdsmen, constant attacks on pipelines, agitation for Biafria and other matters arising from the lopsidedness of the Nigerian state.

    He said: “We are of the opinion that Nigeria needs to be restructured so that we can solve problems of tomato price, dollar prices, insecurity, herdsmen crisesand insecurity in the middle belt, armed robbery cases and others.

    “The only solution to Nigeria’s problems not just Niger Delta problem is that we restructure this country to the point where people sit down and agree that we should go forward as a nation.

    “It is only in that spirit that we will solve Avengers’ (Niger Delta Avengers) problems once and for all.

    “We want a holistic approach to the problem so that tomorrow an avenger will not arise or a destroyer will not arise or another pseudo group will not come and be destabilising the region.

    “We have said this because the same issue the Willink’s Commission talked about was the same issue Isaac Boro came out to declare the Niger Delta Republic and eventually fought for Nigeria and died for it; the same issue Ken SaroWiwa was killed for.

    “It is the same issue that led to the formation of IYC to non-violently address issues of underdevelopment and marginalisation in the Nigeria state and the same issues that led to MEND and the same issue that led to avengers.

    “So, if we want to move forward its only common sense that we address those issues and we think that those issues are holistically embedded in a restructured Nigeria.”