‘FG’s failure to develop N’Delta responsible for militancy’ – Activist

Posted by admin Headlines, Niger Delta Tuesday, May 10th, 2016

Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Foremost activist and environmentalist, Mr. Alagoa Morris, has said the failure of the Federal Government to abide by the recommendations of the 2008 technical committee on Niger Delta development is responsible for the new wave of militancy.

A new militant group in the oil-rich region, the Niger Delta Avengers, has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on the Shell platform at Forcados, the Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, and the pipelines transporting crude oil to the Warri and the Kaduna refineries.

President Muhammadu Buhari had recently ordered the security agencies to uncover those behind the recent bombings of oil installations in the region as well as an express directive to the military to halt the return of militancy in the region.

Morris noted in an interview on Tuesday that the Federal Government had enough committees and conference reports on the Niger Delta development plan but sadly the political will to implement them had been lacking.

He said of all the recommendations of the technical committee inaugurated by former President Goodluck Jonathan, when he was the Vice-President in 2008, only the Amnesty programme was implemented.

He lamented that other recommendations bordering on clean up of the Niger Delta oil spill sites, development of the communities, tackling environmental challenges and establishment of schools were not attended to.

He averred that it was only the uninformed that would be surprised by both what the new militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, had been doing and the reaction from President Muhammadu Buhari.

Morris, who is the Bayelsa State Coordinator, Environmental Right Action, stated, “First, let me make it clear that the Federal Government has continued to shoot itself in the foot and often taken to reactionary disposition.

“Even though it was the former President Goodluck Jonathan that inaugurated the technical committee on the Niger Delta when he was the Vice-President on September 8, 2008, and did promise that the government would not treat recommendations/suggestions of the committee with levity, it was sad to note that only the Amnesty programme was implemented out of all the recommendations.

“Other recommendations bordering on clean up of the Niger Delta oil spill sites, development of communities and other environmental challenges were not attended to. Even the establishment of schools, we can see what the Federal Governmment is doing with the Maritime University.

“So, with all these gaps, some of us were warning that the root causes of militancy were still staring us in the face and that they might be used easily as reason for another round of militancy.”

On Buhari’s directive to the military to unmask the militants, the activist advised the military to avoid the repeat of Odi invasion scenario in carrying out that order, saying it was genocidal in scale resulting in criminalising the whole community and its people.

He appealed to the military to respect the human rights of law-abiding citizens by upholding a very high standard of professionalism.

He added, “It is only approaching this matter in a professional manner, identifying targets properly and going after them that would regain the confidence of the people in our military and make us proud of them.

“On the parts of the militants, they should leave our communities and not endanger lives and property of fellow citizens.”

-Sun

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