Neglet of The Niger Delta Region: Group Ready for a Show Down With IOC's As They Give 15 Days Ultimatum to FG, to Meet their Demands

By Storm Mbarka

Barely one week after the length and breadth of  our country  has been traversed and  Nigerians  traumatised  by the popular endsars  nationwide protest , which consumed human lives  and huge collateral damage  ,with uncertainty over what organised labour intend to do after the expiration of the two weeks of grace, before the commencement of their earlier planed but  shelved  industrial action against the FG over  fuel hike , the  leadership of Peace, Development Security and Humanitarian Rights Association of Niger Deltans is ready and poised for a show down with the federal government by shutting down the Operation of Oil Companies Operating in the Niger Delta  if their  long outstanding , overdue  demands and agitations  are not looked into by President Muhammadu Buhari. 

The high wired and tersely worded  message by the Niger Delta Humanitarian Group   contained in an open letter of Save Our Souls , addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari  and made available to Daily Independent  Newspaper Correspondent,  during a press conference held at the Conference Centre of the Petroleum Training Institute PTI, Effurun Delta State , which  was  signed by Comrade Mike JK Tiemo ,  President , Comrade Lucky Ovigue Ohwahwa ,  Secretary and  seven other executives   stated amongst other things  their request from the FG which they called  our relevant and  crucial  points demands  reads  in part.

The Group which spoke through their President,   Comrade Mike JK Tiemo   ,while  addressing  the press stated that they will mobilize about twenty five thousand members of their Group's   numerical strength on or before 30th of October 2020   to carry out a massive  protest rally in   the whole   of the Niger Delta region  to shut down the operation of Oil Companies  in the Niger Delta if their  demands  severally sent to the FG and the Oil Companies  are not met  or looked into within the time band. 

Comrade Mike Tiemo ,the  Humanitarian Activist who was visibly irked,  insisted as he  declared that the   list of their outlined  demands in order of priority is  the establishment of 79  Community based Modular Refineries ,  the immediate  relocation of the operational headquarters of  Oil Companies Operating in the Niger Delta as pronounced and  directed by  His Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo ,during his visit to the Niger Delta region sometimes  in 2016  in his capacity as Acting President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , the immediate compensation of  Victims  and  communities  

of the  2011   Bonga Field Oil Spillage , which has been Politicized  for too long by Shell Nigeria Exploration and  Petroduction Company  Nigeria Limited SNEPCO.

The Group also demanded for the immediate commencement of the construction of the Niger Delta Coastal Road Master Plan starting from Akwa lbom    connecting the coastal Communities to each other and  the region to the West through Escravoss  /Lagos route , the establishment or Provision of Gas Turbines to all riverine Oil and Gas Producing Communities in the Niger Delta Region, the establishment of more  Gas Processing   Companies in the nine Niger Delta States that are  Comercially viable to be sited 

preferably  in  Gbaran, Bayelsa State , Bile in Rivers State,  Eket in Akwa Ibom , Ayetoro in Ondo State, Ogoja in Cross River State , Ajakoroama in Edo State, ,Egbema Oguta Orlu in Imo State and Tsekelewu Community  in Delta State, the immediate  commencement and completion of the  EPZ , Gas Revolution and Industrial Park Project , at Ogidigben, and the Gbaramatu Deep Seaport in Warri South West LGA in Delta State and the Construction of Udo -Ufunama road project in Edo State and the  Constrction of Ogbudugbu bridge in Delta.

The Group President pointed  out that  another important item  on the list  of their demand is for  the FG under the watch of PMB to use the instruments of  his good office via the power of  executive fiat to  allocate or apportion 90  oil blocs/Marginal Fields to the nine Niger Delta States to enable the people of the region to  participate equitably in the production process since they are  critical stakeholders as host communities. 

Comrade Mike Tiemo stated further that the Group is also demanding that the FG should 

channel sixty percent( 60%) of the  N500 billion   captured  in the 2020 budget for  subsidy and  ,the  N1.5 trillion targeted  realisable money   from the suspended and terminated subsidy regime and other acruable allocations to  the States and communities  for the establishment of  Community based Modular Refineries in the Niger Delta to mitigate the perennial problems of deficiency  in  local refining capacity, fuel shortage and persistent hike, while forty percent (40%) of the subsidy fall out should be used to build factories and industries  across the   six  geopolitical zones  for the massive engagement of the Nigerian youths for the overall growth and development of  Nigeria our great nation.

 Comrade Mike Tiemo, the well known Niger Delta Human Rights Defender,  emphasized strongly during  the press briefing , as he    urged   the   Nigerian  Liquefied Natural Gas NLNG ,Saipem Nig Ltd, Chiyoda Nig. Ltd and Daewoo Nig. Ltd , the  Companies handling the Train -7 Project in Bonny Rivers State, and other Companies Operating in the Niger Delta  to  create adequate offer of employment , Contract and empowerment opportunities for Niger Deltans in the spirit and letter of the local content Act of  2004,2007 and 2010 respectively. 

Tiemo the Group President asserted  :  "We  are demanding for   Niger Delta Polythetic/ NNPC Operational Office  to be sited at Ofunama, Egbema Kingdom in  Ovia South West LGA  Edo State, the  Opening and the Expansion of  Warri Seaport, Sapele Seaport, Port Harcourt Seaport, the establishment of Ondo Seaport, Gelegele Seaport, Edo State, the establishment of fishing depots and Companies in the following areas, Awoye town ,Ondo State, Brass in Bayelsa State, Oyorokotor,  Andoni LGA, Rivers State, Burutu, Ogulagha, Koko and Ogheye towns in Delta State, Ogoja in Cross Rivers  and Uyo in Akwa -Ibom  for youths  employment, engagement and empowerment. "

Comrade Tiemo the Group President maintained as he red out the demands  that  the construction  of the Omadino , Escravos , Oporoza and Ogbe -ljoh road Project that has been abandoned for years should commence immediately if the government genuinely believe that  the neglected Niger Delta people  are equal stake holders in project Nigeria.  

Speaking further he said: "We demand for the decentralization of the Nigeria  Defence Academy (NDA) as it is done in the case of the Nigeria Law School to accommodate a Campus in Effurun Delta State for the South South,   one Campus  at Enugu for the East and one at Ibadan for the South West , we demand for the establishment of N21 billion NNPC Sponsored medical facility in Warri Delta State, Gbokoda in Ondo State  as proposed in  Kaduna and Akwa lbom State. 

He added: " We demand for the  abolishment/termination of NIPIMS requirement certificate for Niger Deltans Oil and Gas Indigenous Contractors , and the immediate relocation  of the Dry Dock Project meant for the Maritime University students  from Lagos to Okerenkoko to enable the students have absolute actualization  of their practical objectives with first hand experience  of the lndustry they are being trained to live with for life. "

Continuing , Tiemo the Group President noted: " We demand that  the Oil Companies Operating in the Niger Delta must recognise the Nigeria Welders and Fitters Union( NIWELFU )under the leadership of Comrade Chief Joseph Awala Inone as National  Professional should be given special consideration as competent and certified labour force that have proven their mettle in the construction of various projects across the nation 

Bishop Godwin S  Pinawei the Group Vice President who also lend his voice, vowed that unless the FG listen to them and implement the 2014 Confab Report which to a reasonable extent  can address some salient  issues   concerning restructuring that have  bedevilled  Nigeria as a nation,        

 there is bound to be a show down in the Niger Delta because  we have ran out of patience in the endless game of delay tactics embarked upon by the government and the International Oil Companies. 

According to Bishop Godwin Pinawei ,  except  the governing authorities intends to divide  Nigeria,  the  federal  government refusal to listen to vital   suggestions that can lift our country from the albatross of economic woes is nothing but a complete  invitation to anarchy. 

Bishop Godwin Pinawei the Group Vice President  added that only conscious and deliberate efforts as spelt out in their demand is an  acceptable measure to the Niger Delta People if we Must stay together as one indivisible country as equal stakeholders with one great destiny. 

Comrade Lucky Ovigue Ohwahwa the General Secretary of the Group in his hot message remarked that the FG should invite relevant stakeholders , the vice President,  Minister of  State for Petroleum,  Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Minister of Labour and Employment,  NLC, CNPP CUPP, and others for a   positive talk in round table  to resolve the current umpass before it will become a comfragration. 

Comrade Lucky Ohwahwa observed that the best thing for PMB to do is to listen to the voice of reason because his  refusal to listen will be interpreted  correctly to  mean that,  the APC led FG actually preferred to be

seen as a purveyors of hardship to Nigeria, which is a scenario every responsible government would want to avoid. 

Comrade Durojaiye Ogunsemore the Group PRO and Comrade Sunny Anirato the Asst Publicity Secretary who also addressed the press in their separate remarks  lambasted the IOC'S and  the FG as they  contended that there is no going back on the Group demands. 

Speaking further the  duo submitted that the two options are clear,  one for the government to do the right thing they need to do or be ready for a show down which will definitely lead  Nigeria  through the chaotic  path where we will count our losses. 

Continuing with a  vivid example , Comrades Ogunsemore and Anireto affirmed  that, what   the Chairman Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges  and public Petitions Senator Ayo Akinyelure PDP Ondo Central said;   "that,  it  is cheaper and by far  more productive for  the FG and Oil Companies  to be on the same page with the Niger Delta people instead of always thinking of how to cow them by hiring Senior Advocates to bulldoze their way through in the courts with grammar  is true. 

They lamented that, after such victories  that a judicially orchestrated,  the Niger Deltans go back home and  wait for them in the creeks to continue a fresh cycle of agitation, in the process  as  our economy bear the brunt and  the whole of   Nigeria suffer the set backs which  is not a good road  to take in our quest for a true  egalitarian nationhood."  

  The duo of Ogunsemore and Anireto said:  "Just like Senator Akinyelure  said,  we  urge president Buhari to do the needful to be on the same page with the Niger Delta People by listening to our  cogent demands as clearly stated  which are capable of changing the narratives of our nation for better. "

In summation the Group emphasised that the PMB led FG  refusal to listen to the yearning and request of the people of the Niger Deltans   denotes polarisation of the unity of Nigeria and paying of lip service to his commitment to Nigeria as one indivisible Nation.