The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger-Delta

  • Oil spills keep devastating Niger Delta

    Oil spills keep devastating Niger Delta

    It’s David versus Goliath in the oil-rich Niger Delta. On one side are Royal Dutch Shell – the fourth largest company in the world – and ENI, Italy’s biggest industrial enterprise. On the other side are the local people: 40 different ethnic groups, with 70 percent of the population living below the poverty line.

    The companies have been conducting large-scale oil extraction in the Niger Delta for many years. Amnesty International has leveled heavy criticism: A recent analysis has come to the conclusion that the companies are responsible for more than 550 oil spills within just one year.

    “Last year Shell reported 204 separate oil spills, while ENI – which operates in a smaller area – reported 394 spills,” says Mark Dummett, a researcher on the business and human rights team of Amnesty International. “The number of oil spills occurring in the Niger Delta is really disturbing.”

    According to the companies, 5 million liters (1.3 million gallons) of oil were spilled during that time. But Dummett doubts those figures are correct: “According to past research, companies underestimate the amount of oil that is spilled.”

    Such spills can be caused by accidents, corrosion, or poor maintenance. Also sabotage plays a role – as oil is a valuable good, people sometimes tap the pipes to siphon it away – and then leave the holes without plugging them back up. While Shell in its statistics for 2014 lists the majority of spills as “sabotage/theft,” voices of local communities claim there are other reasons behind the spills.

    Green to black

    The Niger Delta makes up more than 7 percent of Nigeria’s total land mass, covering an area of 20,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles). It is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, comprising four ecological zones: coastal barrier islands, mangrove swamps, freshwater swamps and lowland rainforests.

    Drilling here began in the 1950s. By now, 2.5 million barrels of oils are produced every day. The delta makes Nigeria the most oil-rich country in Africa. But corruption and weak governance translate into little environmental oversight or regulation.

    The impacts of oil spills on the Niger Delta are devastating: Mangrove forests are being obliterated, fish and shellfish are dying off, and whole ecosystems are collapsing.

    This also affects local inhabitants, says Amnesty Internationals Dummett, who traveled to the delta mid-March: “I met people who were forced to take their children out of school because they couldn’t catch the fish that they needed to earn a living,” he told DW. “The amount of harm that’s been done to both the environment, and the people who rely on the environment, is really enormous.”

    Environmental groups are calling for the companies to properly clean up these spills when they occur. But activists say that time and time again, this isn’t happening. And the effects of oil spills – especially since they are not remediated – last for a very long time.

    Past success stories

    Besides demanding that companies clean up, communities are also seeking compensation. And one recent case has a documented legacy: After major spills in 2008 and 2009, Shell agreed in early 2015 to pay the residents of the town of Bodo in the Niger Delta 76 million euros ($81 million) as compensation for environmental pollution.

    This represents the largest payout to any African community following environmental damage. The amount that the individuals will receive is equivalent to several years of wages.

    “Hopefully this will serve as a precedent, and other communities will come forward and bring similar suits,” says Drummet. However, whether the spills of Shell and ENI in 2014 will lead to similar successful claims by local residents is uncertain: The Bodo case was handled by a court in the United Kingdom.

    According to Amnesty International, hundreds of cases have been brought against Shell and the other companies in Nigeria – but the legal system is very slow.

    Upcoming elections

    This March 28, elections will take place in Nigeria. Drummet hopes that pollution in the Niger Delta will be among the topics the new president will work on. “Both the major candidates – President Jonathan and the main challenger Buhari – have talked about cleanup of the Niger Delta,” he said. “It is a major national issue, because it affects so many people.”

    Amnesty International has now also asked the Italian Government to investigate what’s happening in ENI’s Nigerian operations. There is general agreement that a long-term solution to environmental problems in the Niger Delta can only be solved on the political level.

    •Culled from  www.dw.de

     

  • Jonathan took Niger Delta for granted, says Dokubo-Asari

    Leader of Niger Delta People Salvation Front (NDPSF) and one of President Goodluck Jonathan’s strong supporters, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari yesterday accused him of taking the Niger Delta for granted. He spoke at a rally in Warri on Monday evening.

    Dokubo-Asari  said the President had been betrayed by those to whom he gave his time at the expense of the region.

    Dokubo-Asari, who spoke at the programme themed “March for Goodluck Jonathan and Stand up for Great Ogboru’’ , which was organised by the NDPSF, also urged the people of Delta State to  vote for the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP), Chief Great Ogboru.

    The former militant leader warned those he described as ‘fanning the embers of violence’ to have a rethink as any act of violence would be met with equal action.

    “Jonathan took the people of Niger Delta for granted. He favoured others like Dangote, Otedola at our own expense and they have betrayed him. The people of Niger Delta, Northcentral, Northeast, Northwest,  Southeast and the Yoruba masses have become the corner stone for him. We are celebrating Jonathan’s victory, the support in Delta is overwhelming,” he said.

    He described Ogboru as a man with great vision who had contributed to the freedom and emancipation of the Niger Delta people, saying “voting for Ogboru is voting for ourselves. So, we should vote for him on April 11 at the governorship poll.”

    Ogboru thanked the organisers and said he believed in the freedom for all Nigerians, adding “Jonathan means well for this country, his opponent cannot be a better alternative”.

     

     

  • JTF vows to deal with oil thieves in Niger Delta

    The Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, has warned oil thieves, sea robbers, kidnappers, and other crime perpetrators in the region and its environs to stay clear or risk being crushed.

    Atewe told The Nation that the agency is committed to its mandate of checking illegal activities on the waterways and oil installations and checkpoints in the area, adding that anybody caught would face the law. He said the body has arrested one of the biggest bunkerers, adding that efforts are ongoing to nip in the bud activities of people that pose as threat to – the  socio-economic wellbeing of the country.

    He said over 100 vessels that were being used for nefarious activities, have been arrested in line with the goals of the JTF to rid the region of criminals. According to him, the communities have been supportive as evident by the ways they participate in issues that would help reduce crimes.

    “The communities are on our side. They are supporting our activities. The JTF has so far  intercepted  and arrested several illegal oil bunkering vessels and suspects and handed them over to prosecuting agencies for prosecutions,” he said.

    The JTF commander urged stakeholders to join hands in fighting crude oil theft and other criminal activities in the region.

    On his zero-tolerance campaign against oil-theft and illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta, Atewe reiterated his commitment to total eradication of oil-related crimes.

    The Federal Government established the JTF few years ago to curb activities such as kidnapping, oil theft and others that have brought huge loss to the economy. The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) said the nation has lost  over 1.38million barrels of crude oil estimated at $10.9billion through pilfering and sabotage from 2009 to 2013. It added that the figure of losses in crude theft represents about 7.7 per cent of the total revenue  that accrued to the federation account within the period.

  • Henry Okah – Niger Delta agitation won’t stop just because Jonathan’s president

    Henry Okah – Niger Delta agitation won’t stop just because Jonathan’s president

    Henry Emomotimi Okah, leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is currently languishing in solitary confinement in a South African jail  on account of his conviction on terrorism charges. A 24-year imprisonment was imposed on him. He maintains his innocence and insists he was framed. His brother, Charles Okah, is currently being held at the Kuje prison in Abuja. In the concluding part of his interview with DR. SABELLA OGBOBODE ABIDDE, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Alabama State University, Montgomery, United States of America, he addresses the future of the Niger Delta agitation and war threats by ex-militants backing President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection bid. He also speaks on the prospects of future reconciliation with the president.  Abidde has been a friend of Okah’s since 2009 when he, along with the late Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe, Professor Wole Soyinka, Major General Luke Kakadu Aprezi (rtd) and Mr. Amagbe Kentebe was asked to be part of the Aaron Team set up by MEND to negotiate with the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration. He conducted this exclusive interview through contacts within South Africa’s prison system.

    WHAT do you think is the problem with Nigeria and do you think it can be resolved once and for all? From childhood, I have repeatedly heard competent Nigerian intellectuals tell us the problem with Nigeria. Everyone knows that the problem with Nigeria is a problem unique with African countries. Leadership or better put, an absence of good leadership is the sole problem. Nigeria is in a mess as we are being held hostage by a corrupt political class who are puppets to capitalist Western nations.

    Today, these politicians are given a sense of invisibility and unprofessional military generals are more or less businessmen and women under their thumb. The problem in Nigeria lies in the docility of Nigerians when faced with situations such as we are now. Incompetent and corrupt government continues to remain in power by manipulating the electoral processes and controlling military officers through bribes and other inducements.

    It should be noted that Nigeria is not ruled by monarchy. Democracy by definition places entire power in the hands of the people. The true place of the military in a democracy is to act as protector of the nation from enemies within, ranging from criminals, corrupt politicians and governance and also from external aggression as well.

    Why then are Nigerians so powerless to replace incompetent leaders? The answer not only lies in ignorance but mostly in docility and a nonchalant attitude. Our citizens should wake up and smell the coffee. There are those who remain unperturbed as long as their jobs, business and families are not affected, and they are willing to put up with anything.

    Some Nigerians remain confused about what exactly militants in the Niger Delta are fighting for and ask why Niger Delta militants should be differentiated from Boko Haram militants…

    Boko Ham attacks are indiscriminate and senseless. They kill Muslims and Christians alike in a jihad to convert Nigeria into an Islamic state. This is absurd as they cannot even convert the large population of Northern Christians. These people are misguided criminals that fit the true profile of terrorism running rampart in Nigeria and should not be mistaken as Muslims.

    Great Muslim generals responsible for the spread of Islam in Europe, Asia and Africa from the Middle East such as Mehmet the Great and Saladin never acted with such callousness. Boko Haram revels in the shedding of unnecessary and innocent blood.

    Niger Delta militants are careful not to shed civilian blood except by accident. This is a well-known fact. Boko Haram slaughters pregnant women and children. I don’t support the shedding of any blood because we are all supposed to be brothers. I view Nigerian soldiers and policemen as being misguided. They and their families are also victims of the same injustice militants in the Delta are fighting against. These soldiers can barely survive while their generals live in luxury yet they have been sufficiently indoctrinated to the point where they are comfortable with killing other oppressed Nigerians.

    And in the Niger Delta?

    In the Delta, we are fighting a great injustice where people’s ancestral lands have been taken without paying them a fair compensation. Their land has been given to oil companies which add insult to injury by destroying the leftover farm lands and poisoning the rivers. Such irresponsible conduct will never be tolerated in their home countries. Some of these companies even had the temerity to request that their home government provide military protection for oil installations on our land. If this ever happens, then, they will realise that they have been handled with “kids’ gloves” all along.

    In Zimbabwe, Mugabe is facing sanctions for recovering stolen land for his people. The earliest British expeditionists to Zimbabwe described the Shona people as friendly and welcoming. In spite of this, the Shonas were robbed of their land by the British by the force of arms. Descendants of these expeditionists expect to be compensated in today’s value for land stolen by their ancestors. That is absurd as it is not acceptable anywhere in the world.

    Land has always belonged to indigenes and foreigners who become citizens, live in harmony with the rest by the rules of that land. They can acquire land like all other citizens alike rather than displace the indigenes in that country. Anything otherwise done has always backfired with devastating results.

    In as much as I admire America for its democracy and fair electoral process that helped produce a black President, I would advise that Africans be allowed to advance in their own right without covert interests from the Western world. African leaders must not fall into the trap of divide and rule tactics that hinder our inherent ability and uniqueness. It is sad that in spite of the abundance of intellectuals in Africa, we end up being ruled by village idiots. This situation is not peculiar to Nigeria. Looking around you will find most African countries are in the same dilemma.

    Why do you think the Nigerian military has so far been unable to contain the menace of Boko Haram and what do you think can be done?

    I am not a military expert and like every Nigerian I am astonished at the state we are in considering that the Nigerian government has been getting support from Israel and virtually every Western government. And I will also tell you this: involving the African Union will enlarge a controllable conflict. The AU cannot provide anything more than competent leadership and courageous soldiers.

    This is what we need among our military. From a layman’s point of view, there are 20 steps I would have taken. Bear in mind that I am making all these assumptions from prison and not on the spot. Also as I said earlier, I am not a military expert. Even so, the first step that the Nigerian military should consider taking is to redesign the battlefield. And you also want to eliminate the orderly entry and retreat of Boko Haram fighters.

    It is disappointing to hear with all the intelligence available to the Nigerian military, talk of Boko Haram weapons coming from Libya. This is not the case. Regardless of what they have succeeded in capturing, it should be noted that Boko Haram are also losing weapons; so it is imperative that their supply lines be cut off. This is well within the capacity of the Nigerian military and security forces, especially with exhaustibles such as ammunition. I believe, however, with all my heart that Boko Haram can be effectively eradicated within four months This is as much as my time now within this interview can permit.

    The National Security Adviser was 100% correct when he said Nigeria does not need the assistance of the AU or ECOWAS in this easily winnable conflict with Boko Haram. Boko Haram acts in stark stupidity with actions displaying lack of self-control and character. These two traits are very important. Their plan may be more or less “invasion” and random thoughts that come in place as they move from place to place.  Their leaders show no military training. What’s the point kidnapping those girls for the purpose of sex-slavery? Boko Haram is no more than a well-armed religious fanatical mob without a clear military purpose in mind.

    Some argue that the oil wealth of the Delta belongs to the entire nation. What is your take on this?

    The wealth of any part of a country is, in a sense, the wealth of the nation. How is this wealth collected and distributed? By taxation and proper use of such taxes? Time will not permit me to go deeper into this. Where are the roads? Same old ones, some maintained, some not. How many new ones? Where are the schools? The same old ones…only the private sector help in constructing new schools. Where are the airports? Same old ones; some are maintained and some are not, dilapidated and falling apart.

    Where are the high speed train links when all we have are old train lines that were resuscitated, but are below the standard of developed countries and our weight of the national oil value? Where is the electricity? Only functioning better on half strength in Abuja – deceiving the average foreigner or tourists who happen to visit… All major factories and infrastructure use generators. Where is clean drinking water? Never seen from taps and pipes that are nonexistent in most states… Abuja once again is the limelight where this “show” is seen.  Where is the security all Nigerians deserve from the wealth of the Delta realised in more than half a century?

    This wealth has brought misery and chiefly laziness to Nigeria as a whole. It has widened the gap between the rich and poor. States, including the Niger Delta states, sit back each month waiting for “pocket money” and alms from the central government, which is promptly squandered. The wealth of the Delta is not the doing of the indigenes of this region and Delta states do nothing to enhance this wealth.

    Enugu State for instance could have sold electricity to the national grind with its massive coal reserves. They could have sold tar and filled the countless potholes in the country. They could have had nationally acclaimed huge brick industries using the abundant clay deposits in the state. But this state, like every other in Nigeria, is dead without “alms” money from Abuja. This is the same story in every single state, as they have one kind of natural resource or the other while the poor people in the Niger Delta suffer the direct consequences of this very toxic industry.  All these are stark realities as several Nigerians appear on Forbes list of Africa’s richest people; many of these derive their wealth from the same oil. This is a pathetic situation.

    Nigerians appear to have been blinded by oil. There should be an inland port in Onitsha and another far away in Lokoja. The port in Lokoja with train links to Niger and Chad would have ensured that besides servicing the North, all imports to neighboring land locked countries would pass through Nigeria.  The revenue to Anambra and Kogi states from this single investment would by far surpass whatever “alms” they are getting from oil money. This is another effect of not only corrupt leadership – but an incompetent one. Instead of raising revenue, they place thugs, armed with spike sticks from high ways to harass and extort money from motorists as they amass wealth through the narrowed revenue of oil.

    You were sentenced to an additional 10 years for threatening the South African Government and South African companies in Nigeria. Did you make such threats?

    I could not have made the alleged threats because I had no idea until the trial commenced that these companies had a presence in Nigeria. Of the list of companies I was only aware of was MTN and Standard Bank. I had a friendly conversation with the investigating officer and I was astonished that he had the audacity to charge me considering his contribution to this conversation.

    The investigating officer initiated the conversation with disparaging remarks about President Zuma’s person to the effect that he and some of his colleagues still cannot believe that they remained in the South African Police with someone of the caliber of Jacob Zuma as president of South Africa. He informed me that besides my case there were one or two others he wanted to finish with before resigning. I only spoke after he mentioned that it was obvious even to a blind man that was “Zuma’s deal.” At this, I laughed and asked him to advise Zuma to compensate me and set me free promising to forget everything. I forgot about this until it emerged in court as a terror threat supported by a “MEND” letter forged by the South African Government.

    I suspect they added this charge because they were conscious of the possibility that at appeal, all their charges against me would fall on this questionable issue of jurisdiction and the constitutionality of my “Kangaroo trial.” Everyone I spoke to in Nigeria after my trial expressed shock, saying they were not previously aware that South African courts could be very easily manipulated as in Nigeria.

    At a time when Nigeria is in so much turmoil and the situation in the Niger Delta is still tense and unresolved, what would be your advice to militants as well as restless young indigenes of the region?

    I would advise that everyone waits and watches for the outcome of the March 28 presidential election. Perhaps the demands of the people of the region can still be met by a responsible government should there be a change in administration.

    I will also advise fighters in the Delta to desist from committing war crime against captured military and security personnel. I view military and security officers as misguided brothers and sisters. In the same vein, however, these officers and others should act in a professional manner and cease their extrajudicial execution of captured fighters. The undisciplined actions of Nigerian soldiers and policemen towards captured fighters and suspected fighters are responsible for reprisals by Niger Delta fighters.

    The Jonathan government currently has in custody your brother, Charles Okah, as well as several militants from the Niger Delta. There is no foreseeable possibility of another amnesty, so what’s the likely fate of all these people held by the government?

    I am confident they will all be released by the courts. My brother is a hostage of the Jonathan administration. Their plan was to sentence him to death and have people flock to Jonathan, “begging” him to commute the sentence to life imprisonment. Unlike Boko Haram, the Niger Delta militants were to hold the Nigerian government responsible. At the appropriate time the government will release all these hostages.

    Killing or kidnapping Nigerians never bothers the government. Unlike in the case of Boko Haram, the Nigerian government will readily trade Niger Delta militants knowing those released will not cause indiscriminate mass murder, rape or terrorize civil society. By the grace of God my brother will regain his freedom. I also pray for those militants and innocent indigenes of the region incarcerated without just cause.

    Many people are in prison on suspicion of communicating with me by phone. Several others informed me that they received phone calls from senior SSS officials accusing them of speaking with me and warning them to desist or face arrest.

    Surely you have friends in South Africa. How did they react to your conviction and sentencing?

    Everyone has been supportive to me and my family; I mean my South Africa friends. I was touched by the attitude of most of the policemen who escorted me to court during my trial. When they escorted me to prison after sentencing, many expressed disgust at everything that happened in court. They told me that I was a million times better than some of their leaders, shook hands and wished me well before leaving me behind in prison. The South Africa government can try to delay my appeal but for sure, I will be free.

    There were media reports of the presence in Nigeria of 105 South African ex-soldiers who are expected to train the Nigerian military in its fight against Boko Haram…

    On January 27 or thereabout, the South African Foreign Affairs Minister expressed dismay at these reports with the South African Defense Ministry claiming ignorance of this incident. In any case, you ought to know that in South Africa it is a criminal offence for ex-South African soldiers to offer mercenary services in other countries without government approval. The minister may have been dismayed that this transaction leaked to the media. If indeed they are in Nigeria, it is with the approval of their government and sadly so.

    Again, if indeed these ex-soldiers are in Nigeria, then, the South African government is putting at risk the lives of its citizens. Let us see where this will end. This is yet another desperate and hastily thought of experiment by a confused Goodluck Jonathan.

    Such actions attract Jihadists from foreign countries. It also attracts sympathizers who will view this as another Western assault on Islam as South Africa is a puppet of the West. Besides all these considerations, the presence on Nigerian soil of foreign mercenaries is an insult to the entire country and will worsen the problem.

    If we had a credible military and a credible political leadership, this is a sufficient reason for Goodluck Jonatan to be impeached (on grounds that he clearly has lost the ability to think rationally). The presence of a foreign mercenary force in northern Nigeria now legitimizes Boko Haram’s war against the Nigerian state.

    After all you have been through you still have die-hard supporters in the Delta and remains regarded to this day, as the leader of all militant factions…

    You may be correct and it does seem logical considering that they do not understand the workings of my mind. I have been fighting for justice, fairness, equity and inclusiveness since President Obasanjo was in government through the late President Yar’Adua’s tenure up till today. None of the previous presidents took it personal. None of them sent people to the media to spread lies against me or attempted to assassinate my character in political rallies (as Jonathan is doing). They all acted like leaders and men.

    But with Jonathan, it is an entirely different story. He thinks the people of the Niger Delta should stop agitating for justice because he is president even though he has not been able to resolve one of the demands of the people of the Niger Delta in the last five years. This is nothing personal. This is about my people, fellow Nigerians. This is about justice and fairness.

    What is your view on the utterances of some ex-militants and people from the region who insist that there won’t be peace in the Delta if Goodluck Jonathan does not win and return to power?

    It is immoral for any indigene of the Niger Delta to make demands of a president from outside the region that they were unable to obtain from Jonathan who is from the Niger Delta. What has Jonathan done for the Delta in five years besides enriching a band of sycophants and charlatans? These people are paid by Jonathan to make these comments. They are powerless in the Delta. I assure you that whoever takes over from Jonathan will govern in peace. These ex-militants will not let out as much as a cough.

    And finally, is there any hope of your reconciling with President Jonathan now or in the future?

    As I have maintained, I do not have any serious personal problems with President Jonathan. He believes we must suspend our agitation for as long as he is the president. That is ludicrous. The minor issues I have with him as a person are confined to his immaturity, lack of integrity and leadership qualities. When by some miracle, he starts acting like a president, leader and man, then, anything becomes possible.

    Sabella Ogbobode Abidde

    Montgomery, Alabama 36104

    Sabidde@yahoo.com

  • Six Amazons of the Niger Delta

    Six Amazons of the Niger Delta

    March 8 was observed worldwide as International Women’s Day (IWD). To show its support for gender equality, women’s empowerment and participation in peace-building, the Foundation for Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) highlighted the work of eight women, including six from the Southsouth. SHOLA O’NEIL reports on these women who through their works, created a peaceful environment that led to more economic opportunities  in their local communities

    In commemoration of 2015 International Women’s Day, the Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) had #MakeItHappen: Women as Peace Agents in the Niger Delta as sub-theme. It said the sub-theme was critical in view of the fact that the 2015 IWD came barely weeks before the 2015 Presidential election on March 28, remarking that the election is predicted to have its own share of violent outcomes in flashpoint locations throughout Nigeria.

    In celebrating the women, PIND remarked that the foundation recognizes that women are well positioned to prevent the start and spread of violent conflicts, as they are more likely to notice early warning signs.

    It was against this backdrop that the foundation spotlighted 55-year old Mrs Biobara Makalabh (aka Mama Rose), a lawyer; Ms Emem Okon; Mrs Mercy Akpowowo; Hon Fanty Wareya; Mrs Blessing Orijos and Mrs Mfong Edidiong Esua for advocating peace and preventing conflicts in their communities.

    Mama Rose:  Averted election violence in Bayelsa

    This former police officer, who rose to the rank of a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), is a peace advocate from Otuabagi Community in Bayelsa State, the founder of ‘The Makalabh’, a development foundation and she uses her artwork to propagate her message of peace.

    She says although Otuabagi is host to over 22 oil wells, “the community has nothing to show for it. My people are not happy, my women are not happy. My people are suffering, no water, there is erosion. I have been busy calming my people down. “

    Makalabh and PIND are particularly proud of her role in nipping a crisis that would have torn her community in pieces during the 2011 election.

    She said: “The generality favoured a candidate, while the Government and political elite favoured another. So everybody was ready for a show down – youths guarded the community to see how anybody would hijack the polls, while women threatened to go naked.

    “When I saw the political tension, I had to call everybody to a round table. They all agreed to give-and-take, the candidate favoured by the Youth and Women agreed to step down. The election went peacefully, every party was later absorbed in the political leadership and Community is the better for it.”

    Mrs. Mfon Edidiong Esua – Nipped leaders/youths conflict in A’Ibom

    The 35-year-old native of Akai Atti Udesi community in Mbo LGA of Akwa-Ibom State is the Executive Director of an NGO – Dynamic Youth Development Organization. She is a social worker who has been involved in several peace building efforts and conflict resolution, including midwifing peace during conflict between the youths and leaders of Ikot Ambon community in Ibesikpo Asutan LGA of the state.

    The crisis was sparked off when construction company offered to provide income generation opportunities for members of Ambon as part of its social responsibility. Disagreements arose over selection of beneficiaries. The youth accused the community leaders of displaying nepotism/favouritism in selecting beneficiaries thereby excluding most vulnerable. Thus, the youth were pitched against the community leaders.”

    At the time the conflict was brewing, DYDO had concluded plans to carry out community entry events in Ikot Ambon.  The initial sensitization event was marred by protests by the youth. Mrs Esua led the team to hold consultations and make enquiries to unravel the cause of the brewing conflict.

    Her findings revealed: “The men wanted to allocate slots to who they knew especially family members who were not qualified for the slots, and to those who offered them bribe and to the children of their peers and party members. The youths disagreed vehemently to such ideas and kept on saying the slots were for less privileged and the vulnerable. This led to a misunderstanding between the community leaders and youth who protested in the community and at the local government council.”

    Underneath the tension was also high poverty level occasioned by unemployment as well as allegations of corruption among leaders and discrimination against the poor and most vulnerable. All the warning signs of conflict were imminent in Ikot Ambon and it was only a matter of time before it blew open.

    Mrs Esua and her team picked up the warning signs; sensitised the women and youths on the need for dialogue to resolve their differences. Traditional and religious leaders were also encouraged to use democratic and transparent means for beneficiaries’ selection.

    Consequently, conflict was averted and “community leaders and youth embraced dialogue and transparently selected trainees; “the names of those selected were read to the hearing of all at a community forum and all agreed”.

    “I am proud that I have been able to mitigate a conflict which would have resulted in war between families and heads of the community and that I have been listened to by men not regarding the fact that I am a woman,” Mrs Esua told PIND.

    Mrs Mercy Akpowowo: Helped Edo community farmers

    The 64-year old founder of the Progressive Women Cassava Farmers Cooperative Society in Evbuwa Village of Orhionmwon LGA of Edo State was recognised for her role in organizing women into the coop society and for mitigating conflict within various groups in the area.

    PIND said, “The women of Evbuwa are reputed for their hard work. Many of them cultivate cassava, among other crops. In the past, they used to market their produce direct from the farm individually. Conflict often arose over non-payment by debtors leaving many women stranded.”

    Mrs Akpowowo said, “One conflict I helped mitigate is that between a couple and a certain woman. The couple sold 3 acres of cassava farm to the woman for a given amount. She defaulted in the agreement terms and this led to serious fighting between the two families. The matter was reported to me by (seller) (a member of my Cooperative) and I immediately invited some opinion leaders and influential people in the community including the Community Head (Odionwere) to intervene.”

    In the course of her peace initiative and dialogue, Mrs Akpowowo said she found out that the debtor refused to complete payment because the quality of produce from the farm was below her expectation.

    Beyond being a peace builder, Mrs Akpowowo’s Cooperative has attracted 2 grants so far – the World Bank Fadama III facility and another from the TY Danjuma Foundation and helped to prevent exploitation as members now jointly own a Garri processing mill.

    “We now process our cassava and fry it to Garri then send to the cities for sale unlike before that we just sell our cassava farm away without making profit,” she enthused

    Mrs Blessing Orijos – Prayed Peace into warring Rivers community

    In 2005,  Rumuekpe, an oil producing community in Rivers State, was engulf in by violence resulting from internal leadership tussle and bickering over the sharing of largess from an oil company operating in the area. The conflict led to random killing and sacking of the community.

    Mrs Orijos, who founded the Rumuekpe Women Prayer Warriors, was one of those who lost loved ones: “People were dying every day. Many people were killed and the community was deserted… They even came to Port Harcourt and killed some people in their houses. My brother was also killed.”

    Her personal pain and the need to stem the tide led her to form the prayer group, which she described as “a rescue mission.” The group staged protests, with half-clad women at the LGA secretariat and State Government House in Port Harcourt.

    On 14th November 2010, the women’s group entered the community. The peaceful protests touched the conscience of some of the perpetrators of violence and they dropped their weapons and joined the peace movement.

    She said: “When we entered, the boys came out from their hideouts confessing and surrendering.”

    Despite the return of peace, Mrs Orijos said community members especially women remain impoverished in Rumuekpe. She calls for support (economic empowerment) for the women of Rumuekpe and for capacity building of her women’s group (now a community-based organisation) for sustained action.

    Hon Fanty Wareya: Fed IDPs in Delta

    Warri ‘Girl’, Hon Fanty Goodness Wareya, earned PIND’s accolade for her role in feeding hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons during the May 2009 clash between militant and troops of the Joint Task Force in Gbaramatu area of Warri, Delta State. As the Community Development Committee Chairperson, she led a mission that provided succor for thousands of the displaced women, youths and aged.

    “I had over 30 persons in my house in Warri who managed to find their way through Sapele River and other routes. I had to take care of them. Then came the duties at the IDP camp. I had to be at the camp every day. I drove from Okumagba (Avenue in Warri) to Ogbe Ijoh daily to make sure that the women and children were catered for.

     

    “For two full months, I was waking up and resuming at the IDP Camp until peace was restored. At this time, we still had to make sure relief materials were sent to those who hid in the bushes and were now back in the burnt down communities. We got word that people were dying of hunger and the government set up a committee. I was in one of the committees. We had to go back and forth again with relief materials and lots of food items. Those two months were the most traumatic time of my life.

    ”Wareya’s work attracted the support of other women and they were able to build a united front. My group and I got recognition. We were even taken to Brazil for training on peace and conflict resolution.”

    Some of the challenges she faced included not being taken seriously because of her gender. She recalled even being told by some men to “go home and take of your children and husband, leave these matters for us”.

    Ms Emem Okon: A wager of peace

    Apart from working closely with Mrs Orijos’ Women Prayer Warrior to bring peace to Rumuekpe Community of Rivers State after five years of conflict, Ms Okon, who is the founder of Kebetkache Women Development & Resource Centre in Port Harcourt Rivers State, led the historic ‘Mothers for Peace´ marches held in Tere-ama, Emuoha and Ogoni land to denounce militancy, cultism and other violent practices in the state.

    She trained the women on conflict transformation and peace building. In collaboration with the Conflict Mitigation and Management Regional Council (CMMRC), she initiated and sustained dialogue between men, women and youth on how to restore peace, supported women to take mass action and held a peaceful protest march at the Government House and Rivers State House of Assembly calling on the leaders to desist from fueling violence.

    She said: “High poverty rate among the women whose means of livelihood were destroyed during the years the conflict is an issues. I am making efforts to ensure that the women benefit from the N220b loan facility handled by the Quintessential Business Women Associations.”

    Ms Okon urged the Federal Government to provide grants for women in conflict affected communities in the Niger Delta, extend the amnesty program to women affected by militancy, cultist activities, particularly women that were affected by the military invasion in Gbaramatu clan in Delta state in 2009 and implementation of the UNSCR 1325.

    Mrs Ajih Florence and Ngwamma Onuoha

    The two other women highlighted by PIND were Mrs Ajih Florence, the Exectuvie Director of Women Advancement and Development Initiative and first female State Coordinator of Civil Society Organisation on HIV/AIDs in Nigeria and Ngwamma Onuoha, Assistant Secretary, P4P Central Working Committee from Ondo and Abia states.

     

     

     

  • Protesters block Eastwest Road over $16b compensation

    Protesters block Eastwest Road over $16b compensation

    Aggrieved indigenes of coastal communities in the Niger Delta region on Tuesday blocked the Mbiama axis of the East-West Road to protest $16bn compensation for oil spill allegedly owed them by Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (now Exxon Mobil).

    The angry victims of the spill that occurred 16 years ago between January 12 and 17, 1998, took over the road at about 9am.

    The placard-carrying protesters caused heavy traffic gridlock on the busy road that links all the states in the South-South.

    Drivers and travelers were held hostage for over three hours by the protesters who called for the intervention of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Some of the placards read: “Chief James Jephta we want our money”, “Exxon Mobil, you are playing games with us”, “Niger Delta people want 1998 oil spill compensation”, “Barrister Wills, Niger Delta youths want their money”.

    The demonstration which was largely peaceful was coordinated by clan heads of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Ijaw National Congress (INC), Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationalities (MOSEND) and the Ijaw Survival Movement of the Niger Delta (ISMOND).

    Elderly men, women, youths and chiefs from various communities of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers states participated in the protest.

    In a statement signed by leaders of the protesting communities and groups, the victims lamented that coastal communities in Lagos State which suffered the same 1998 spill had since received their compensation.

    Reading the statement on behalf of the victims, Mr. Jonathan Robert, said despite being the main victims of the spill, they had been left to languish in pains and penury twelve years after the incident.

    He said in pursuit of their compensation, the affected various communities instituted various cases in different Federal High Courts against the oil company.

    He, however, said after about eight years of litigation, the communities opted for an out-of-court settlement at the instance of Exxon Mobil.

    He said the victims of the spill later employed the services of Octopus Clan Nigeria Limited owned by Mr. James Jephta as their principal attorneys to handle matters of the compensation on their behalf.

    He said after waiting in vain for over six years to get the compensation promised them by the company, they decided to confront the company to know the reason for the delay.

  • March 28… Niger Delta, Jonathan and sentiment

    By President  Goodluck Jonathan’s admission, Niger Delta has not benefitted anything special on the basis of his being the region of his birth. To the president and his handlers, it means he has been a leader for Nigerians and not the people of the Niger Delta. But not many in the region agree with him. Those who disagree with him feel that even on the scale of fairness, the region has not gained equally when compared with other geo-political zone. To this set of people, the president has been wicked to his people.

    In Otuoke, the sleepy Baylesa community where he hails from and spent the early parts of his life, his multistory mansion, which he built for himself and close family while in office, is the most impressive building there. The house is not far from the street where he grew up. The street remains a haven of rusting iron-roofed shacks.

    The school where he had part of his primary education was in a state of disrepair until The Nation did a number of reports on it, pointing attention to its terrible state. Now, it looks better, but not ‘presidential’.

    The community has Jonathan to thank for the Federal University Otuoke, which was completed in 2011. It has about 1,000 students. The teaching and non-teaching staff outnumbers the students. There community does not have light, neither does it have potable water. Not a few of the people of the community are disappointed that their status as kinsmen of the president has brought them neither water nor light. For sentiment sake, they will, however, still cast their votes for the president on March 28.

    The Amnesty Programme, which was started when Jonathan was Vice-president, may be another thing the region can point at as its benefits from Jonathan. He was not the country’s number one when it started but he has sustained it and many believe he had a hand in its design.

    Ex- militants, such as Ateke Tom, Mujahhid Asari-Dokubo and Government Ekpumopolo, have become multi-milionaires under Jonathan. They get lucrative pipeline surveillance contracts and got paid handsomely despite the fact that oil theft has gone up.

    Jonathan can also claim to have made sure  the highway the Bayelsa State capital, Yenagoa, connecting to the Rivers Sate capital, Port Harcourt, is now smooth.

    The region will, however, not forget in a hurry that Jonathan policies in power and farming have not benefited its people. The power sector privatisation has not led to more electricity supply for the people; neither has the people gained from the fertiliser scheme. Whatever gains have been recorded in the agric sector, Niger Delta cannot stand to be counted.

    The East-West Road is a project which the Jonathan administration has been unable to complete. Goal posts have been shifted many a time and no one is in doubt that the project will not be delivered during his first term in office. The incomplete status of this road means that people will continue to go through hell using it, especially during the rainy season.

    Dokubo-Asari, in an interview with Reuters, said whatever Jonathan’s faults are, he deserves to complete the region’s slot by being given a second term.

    His words: “He who pays the piper must dictate the tune, and the delta has been paying the piper for so very long. If they make war, we can make war. We have the capacity to take what’s ours.”

    Since blood is thicker than water, many in the region will still go with their man. Like Happiness Ebi, an indigene of Otuoke, told Reuters, despite their disappointment, “he’s our brother” and they will of course still vote for him.

    Ebi said: “We haven’t really seen much benefit since our brother became president, except the university… There’s no light, no water here. We’re disappointed.”

    Ex-militant leader Reuben Wilson  believes that “we have been oppressed, we have been sidelined, and we are the people feeding this country”. For this reason, he is ready to do battle to see their man back.

     

     

  • Niger Delta empowerment body floats Lagos chapter

    Niger Delta empowerment body floats Lagos chapter

    The Lagos State chapter of the Niger Delta Empowerment Association of Nigeria has been inaugurated .

    The event held at the Pillar of Truth Faith Mission, Ilaje Ojo in Lagos.

    The association, according to Pastor Emmanuel Ohenrin, is long overdue. The association, Ohenrin said, comprises the six  states in the Southsouth.

    He said: “Oil is not our only trademark. Our different style of dressing also gives us out.

    “God recognises governance. If we sit here idle and do nothing, any government could take advantage of us.

    “Our kinsmen are in Lagos contributing their quota and helping the state to develop. We should also use this platform to start demanding our own fair share from Lagos government. Niger Deltans are not common people. We can go to Abuja and challenge government. Let our kinsmen in other states also do same.”

    The association’s chairman, Udoghoreyon Lawyer Edema, said the lack of a unifying language has created a setback for the region.

    “Niger Delta has been a victim of a unified language. In the West, Yoruba is the Lingua Franca. In the East, we have the Igbo and Hausa in the North. But in Niger Delta, we have no acceptable language; hence we all adopted pidgin English. This affects our socio-cultural life.

    “Those of us outside our state are never recognised by our host state.  This is as a result of non-cooperation or what I will describe as the babel tongue. We have the Hausa as Arewa, the Igbo as Ndigbo and Yoruba as Oduduwa or Afeniferere. The Niger Delta has no socio-cultural group that fully represents them.”

    Edema said their children can hardly communicate in their mother tongue.

    “Also our traditional fashion is a taboo to the youths. We borrow anything that comes our way because we are not united,” Edema said.

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO), Solomon Toro, said  the organisation would have a website to promote its activities. He described the association as non political but an avenue for the Niger Deltans to “assist members financially and otherwise and redeem our cultural stance within other communities”.

    The high point of the event was the inauguration of executive members.

     

  • Activist seeks probe on N5b surveillance contract in Niger Delta

    A Niger Delta activist, Comrade Omolubi Newuwumi, has urged anti-corruption agencies to probe the alleged embezzlement of the multibillion naira pipeline surveillance contract awarded to some former militants and tribal groups in the Niger Delta region.

    Newuwumi’s call came on the heels of revelations that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, was planning to renew the contract, which was awarded between 2010 and 2011.

    Newuwumi, who is the President of Iwere (Itsekiri) Development Association (IDA), told reporters yesterday that the Itsekiri slots were hijacked by a popular Itsekiri leader and House of Assembly candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election.

    He said: “This open letter has become necessary because of recent attempt to re-award the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline surveillance contract in Delta State to a surveillance company, where he (a former militant leader) represents the Itsekiri interest again.

    “I know the first phase of the contract, which was also awarded to him, was meant to employ more than 1,500 Itsekiri. But to my dismay, this lofty dream by the government for the people did not materialise because of the greed of one person. He did not only embezzle the money meant for the contract, he also failed to employ a single youth among the Itsekiri.”

    The activist said a similar contract by the state government was also hijacked by the same clique, which he accused of desperation to cage the ethnic group.

    The IDA President noted that contrary to the terms of the contract, the Itsekiri front for the contract failed to pay the agreed salary of N120,000 monthly to the 1,500 workers and also failed to provide tools needed to do the job.

  • Niger Delta students root for Jonathan

    Niger Delta students root for Jonathan

    Students of Niger Delta origin have held a rally and seminar in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to drum support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. EMMANUEL AHANONU (Corps member, NYSC Enugu) reports.

    The leadership of the Niger Delta Students’ Union Government (NIDSUG) has urged students from the oil-producing region to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid. The NIDSUG held a seminar and a rally, where the students adopted the president as their candidate in the February 14 election.

    Obada Akpomiemie, the NIDSUG president, led about 1,000 Niger Delta students from some higher institutions in a three-hour rally in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, last weekend. The students moved from Arium Hall to Azumini Ezimgbu and to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) office on Aba Road.

    They were clad in a white T-shirt with the inscription: “The role of students in consolidating the Transformation Agenda”. Riot policemen trailed the students’ procession to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

    After several minutes of pro-Jonathan songs at the NDDC office, the students were addressed by an official, who did not mention his name. He said: “The support for the president’s re-election, which you have taken as a cause is good. But, our principal is not on seat to speak to you.”

    The rally was preceded by a seminar, where Obada urged the students to vote for their kinsman. Speaking on the theme: The role of students in consolidating the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, Obada said the leadership of the union supports Jonathan because he stands for peace and development.

    On why Jonathan should be re-elected, the pioneer president of the NIDSUG, Genesis Idikibiebuma, said the country has been transformed under the present administration. He said despite the problems inherited by Jonathan, the nation is waxing stronger.

    He said the president had given voice to ordinary Nigerians and is fighting their cause. Genesis urged all Niger Delta students to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to enable them exercise their right at the polls.

    Tonbara Yalah, immediate past president of NIDSUG, who spoke on Welfare of Niger Deltans, said no administration achieved what Jonathan had achieved in six years, stressing that the youth must support leaders who care about their welfare.

    “I charge you all not to cast your vote for any political party or individual because of what you will get immediately but because the person has something to offer to the entire nation and generations unborn,” he said.

    A member of the union, Edward Odum, dismissed the notion that  youths of Niger Delta would foment trouble should the election outcome did not favour the president. He said Niger Delta students are not violent but added that the students would ask questions if the exercise is rigged against anyone.

    He said: “Niger Delta comprises merely nine states while Nigeria has 36 states. So, the possibility of Jonathan’s re-lection lies on our ability to convince our colleagues in other states to see reason why the president should be re-elected. If we cannot convince people to buy into this idea, we may have failed,” he said.

    Obada said the event was not sponsored or financed by any politician. He said the union embarked on the project to enlighten students. He also expressed dissatisfaction with what he called “anti-student policies” of Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, calling for change of programmes and promotion of Niger Delta students’ welfare.