By Alltimepost.com
Benin City, Nigeria – Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that the Niger Delta is not reduced to a state of anarchy and turmoil that might lead to unmitigated disaster for the rest of Nigeria.
The call was made in a press statement on Wednesday by ANEEJ Executive Director, Rev David Ugolor on the heels of Buhari’s scheduled visit to Rivers State in the Niger Delta to flag off the clean-up of Ogoniland, an area which has been severely affected by oil spills.
In recent times, the Niger Delta has witnessed a spate of violent demonstrations, especially from the militant activities of the Niger Delta Avengers who have demanded a clean-up of Ogoni land, the restructuring of the allocation of oil blocks and the autonomy of the region.
“ANEEJ uses the opportunity to commend Mr. President for taking the bold step to kick-start and accomplish this long-awaited role. The Niger Delta region is currently witnessing an invasion by the Nigerian military. These attacks have reduced Nigeria’s daily oil production and worsened the tension aggravated by global crash in the price of crude oil. The impact on this military invasion could result in life-threatening situations and dislocate the innards of the economy thereby impoverishing an already sidelined population,” Ugolor said.
Rev Ugolor noted that the Nigerian economy has suffered enough from the slump in global oil prices, adversely affecting power generation which he said was at an all-time low, with food prices sky-rocketed.
Rev Ugolor said that deploying the military to pummel an already traumatized people will not solve the problems of militancy in the Niger Delta or elsewhere in Nigeria.
Rather, Ugolor advised, Mr. President should pay attention to the extension of clean-up exercise to other parts of the region like the Isoko, Olomoro and communities in Bayelsa and Cross River which have equally been polluted by crude oil spill.
He also advocated exploration of dialogue rather that a military approach, innovative and scientific ways of protecting crude oil pipelines and other oil and gas facilities to check the obnoxious trend of pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
He Ugolor advised the Federal government to pay special attention to completing critical infrastructural projects in the Niger Delta, such as the East-West road, embark on new ones which will have significant impact on the lives of the majority of Niger Delta people.
He also called for an increased funding for the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Niger Delta Development Commission to enable them play this role.
‘Instead of winding down the amnesty programme, we urge the Federal government to rejig the programme to ensure that it is concluded in such as way and such a time that it will not further deepen the crisis in the region’, the ANEEJ Chief said.
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