The 16 points presented, according to
the Niger Delta representatives at the meeting, are quick wins that
could be achieved and would restore hope and confidence in a region that
has grown sceptical of dialogue and engagements that have hardly
produced tangible results.
They are:
•The Presidential Amnesty Programme: The
Niger Delta decried that of the five components of the disarmament and
retrieval of weapons from the ex-militants, only the disarmament and
demobilisation component was being implemented. Tension over the fate of
the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme is as a result of the absence of a
genuine exit strategy. The region wants 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 wean
them off dependency on stipends, so that their new-found skills would be
of benefit to themselves and the larger community.
•Law and Justice: In view of the
insecurity 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 abuses. The region wants government to
halt the escalation of tension in the region.
•Plight of internally displaced persons:
They want the relevant government agencies to take urgent measures to
meet the immediate needs of those displaced by the upsurge of insecurity
in the region.
•The Ogoni clean-up and environmental
remediation: They
want government to speed up the exercise. They want
government to enforce the 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 the federal government to commission a region-wide credible
assessment of the impact of crude oil pollution on the environment in
the region and undertake to enforce environmental laws.
•The Maritime University: The region wants the prompt take-off of the Niger Delta University.
•Key regional critical infrastructure:
They want the completion of the East-West Road and 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 to individuals in a manner that is
of some benefits to their responsibility. Communities would then see
their responsibility over the pipelines as protection of what belongs to
them.
•Relocation of the administrative and
operational headquarters of the IOCs: The headquarters of most oil
companies are not located in the Niger Delta region. As a result the
region is denied of 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.
This move would create a mutually beneficial relationship with the host
communities.
•Power Supply: The region advocated a
power plan that strongly ties power supply in the region to gas supply,
thereby giving all sides a stake in proved stability.
•Economic development and empowerment:
The Niger Delta wants Brass LNG and a fertiliser plant, including the
Train 7 of Nigeria LNG implemented; a review and update of the national
gas master plan to integrate the economic interests and
industrialisation of the region; the creation of a Niger Delta
industrial corridor that would process some portions of the hydrocarbon
natural resources; expedited work on the export processing zones; and
the harnessing of the huge rain-fed agricultural potential of the area
through the development of farm estates, fishery development projects
and agro-allied industrial clusters, etc.
•Inclusive participation in oil industry
and ownership of oil blocs: The region wants the federal government to
enunciate policies and actions that will address the lack of
participation, as well as the imbalance in the ownership of oil and gas
assets.
•Restructuring and funding of the NDDC:
The restructuring will ensure it is refocused 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:
It said the era of abysmal funding should end. The ministry should be
adequately funded and strengthened to fulfill the purpose for which it
was created.
•The Bakassi Question: The Niger Delta
recommend a comprehensive resettlement plan, including development for
the host communities and displaced population to reduce the risk of
making them into stateless persons.
•Fiscal Federalism: The region supports
the call for true federalism and urged that federal government treats
the matter expeditiously.
The meeting had in attendance
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel and
his Bayelsa State counterpart, Seriake Dickson.
Also present were all the Niger Delta
ministers in the federal cabinet, the service chiefs, the Inspector
General of Police (IG), several traditional rulers and members of the
civil society groups from the region.
However, militant groups from the region or their representatives were conspicuously absent.
Responding, the president said that he welcomed the 16-point request presented to him by the Niger Delta leaders.
A statement by his media aide, Mr Garba
Shehu, said Buhari told the elders he was still expecting reports from
government officials he had instructed to review the implementation of
the Amnesty Programme to determine where government had fallen short so
that amends could be made.
“The president, who did not read from a
prepared speech, pitched a vision of unity and progress for the country
in which peace reigns. He said peace, security, investment and
prosperity are linked together, adding that ‘if we give peace a chance,
investors will come here to invest. Nobody will invest in an insecure
environment’.
“In a speech dripping with nationalist
fervor, President Buhari said the problems his administration found on
the ground were many, as illustrated in the collapse of oil prices,
inability of 27 of the 36 states of the federation to pay salaries,
absence of savings to fall back on, and having to deal with an elite
that didn’t seem to care.
“All these, he said, made his government to conclude that ‘life as usual is no longer affordable’,” it said.
The statement said the president told
the Niger Delta leaders that the service chiefs were putting together
their own assessment of the militancy situation, saying: “When I have
these reports, including this one (just presented), we will revisit the
situation (in the region) to ensure that we succeed this time.”
Buhari however cautioned the leaders of
the Niger Delta that they had more to do than anyone else to bring peace
to the region, given the influence they have on the militant groups.
He expressed the determination of his
administration to stay focused on its key campaign promises of securing
the country, fighting corruption and creating jobs through the
improvement of the economy.
“We are determined to make life
comfortable and affordable for all Nigerians. If anybody has a country
to go to, let him go, we will stay here and salvage our country,” he
said to his guests.
The president, who delivered his report
card on the war against corruption and the efforts to secure the
country, repeated his call to the Niger Delta leaders to join the
administration in bringing peace to the troubled region.
The Niger Delta leaders reaffirmed their
support for the federal government under the president and expressed
total commitment to the unity, peace and stability of the country.
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