Interesting! I wonder if they had any words of wisdom for the people of Kano and Kaduna states the youth militancy in those states which has terrorized many non-indigenes for over two decades now and scared away untold numbers of local and foreign investors.

When discrimnatory laws like quota system, catchment areas and the much publicised educationally disadvantaged areas are in our law books, what has the north got to say about the national interest of fairness, socio-economic justice and for unity of the country. When successive Presidents are ministers or petroleum and appoint people from their states irrespective of whether they produce oil or not as group managers of NNPC where lies the talk about fairness. How many ministers of Abuja have emerged from the South South or the South East. We are sick of the hypocrisy of the ACF. If they are seroius they should first settle Kaduna and Kano where northern youths are murdering non notherners for no justifiable reasons.

When discrimnatory laws like quota system, catchment areas and the much publicised educationally disadvantaged areas are in our law books, what has the north got to say about the national interest of fairness, socio-economic justice and for unity of the country. When successive Presidents are ministers or petroleum and appoint people from their states irrespective of whether they produce oil or not as group managers of NNPC where lies the talk about fairness. How many ministers of Abuja have emerged from the South South or the South East. We are sick of the hypocrisy of the ACF. If they are seroius they should first settle Kaduna and Kano where northern youths are murdering non notherners for no justifiable reasons.

THE ISSUE OF MILITANCY IN THE NIGER DELTA IS VERY UNFORTUNATE INDEED. LETS US NOT RESORT TO ACCUSATIONS AND BLAMES RATHER FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS. SINCE THE PRESIDENT IS SERIOUS TO RESOLVE THIS CRISIS, WRITE UPS ON BLAMES WILL NOT HELP THE MATTER. AREWA PEOPLE ARE CORRECT IN THEIR OBSERVATIONS. IF SO MUCH MONEY WAS RELEASED TO THESE REGIONS, WHERE IS THE ACCOUTABILITY FOR THE USAGE OF THESE MONEY. COSTANT AGITATION FOR MORE MONEY WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY CAN NEVER SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. NIGER DELTA SHOULD PUT THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER AND SEPERATE CRIMINAL ELEMENTS FROM REAL AGITATORS. THE PROBLEMS IN THE WATER LOGGED AREAS OF THE NIGER DELTA IS VERY SERIOUS AND NEED TO BE ADDRESSED PROPERLY. LET US NOT PLAY WITH THIS MATTER BY WRITE UPS THAT WILL NOT HELP THE CONFERENCE. THE FORTH COMING CONFERENCE ON THE NIGER DELTA SHOULD NOT BE THE LAST STRAW THAT WILL BRAKE THE CARMEL'S BACK. WITH AN OPEN MIND, LETS PRAYER THAT IT OPEN A ROAD TO A LASTING SOLUTIONS IN THE AREA AND ENTIRE COUNTRY. OUR PAST ADMINSTRATIONS FAILED US I BELIVE OUR PRESENT ADMINSTRATION WILL NOT. NIGER DELTA PEOPLE CO-OPERATE IN THE INTEREST OF OUR COUNTRY NIGERIA.

Yes it's true the past and present laeders of the Niger Delta set up and equipped these militants at the expence of the Niger Delta people to cover-up all their mis-rule and electoral malpractices. The federal goverment should do all it came with all its present resources to stop these miltants as they are not representing the interest of the region but to feed their habits. Those leaders SHOULD be BROUGHT to book while i recommend that the other regions should stop depending on the Niger Delta. Nigeria should develope all her resources and all takings for regional resources should remain in the region while those who has put the nation into this should BE BROUGHT to book and not left to stay in ABUJA. Those present selected leaders should also be de-ropped and brought. TO AREWA: You should think about your droughts,poverty etc and STOP medling in other peoples affairs when you have enough in your plate.

The entire sectors of the Nigerian government are corrupt and dysfunctional. We have waited ages for changes. From the beginning of Obasanjo's regime to almost half way through Yaradua's regime. It is quite unfortunate that we still sit back and expect anything good from these government. It has lost its credibility and trustworthiness to both Nigerians and the entire Africpan community. I believe we should focus more on the environment and economy. Nigeria constitutes about .25 percent of the entire black Africa. The earlier we all stood up and said 'enough is enough', the better for us. Unfortunately it is impossible to run a viable economy without a solipd political standing. The Nigerian government and Nigerians should know that they are not the only people looking forward to a positive change in the country. The entire Africa is looking up to them. Until we all accept this our responsibilities and live up to expectation, we would continue to be regarded as a stodge in the world. You may not like it but that is reality for us. We are a great people and nobody can take that away from us. Afrpica is a great continent. We have to stand up for ourselves in unity and fairness. No other people would do it for us, not Washington, not London, not Paris, but we in Abuja, Nairobi, Capetown etc. Peace be unto all.

Let us put the issues where they belong, the issue here is that the North is exploiting the South specifically the oil producing areas. Take a moment and think about it, if the oil deposits were located in the North does anyone think that the north would still be part of Nigeria? Hell No!

For AREWA Consultative Forum to suggest that the Niger Delta should be held responsible for festering militancy in the region is preposterous and insensitive to need of the people. First of all the people are living in abject poverty whereas the oil money from their backward has been used to replicate Aso Rock in Mina, Billion of dollars stashed away by the Abacha's, and all the former Military leaders mostly from the North are today multi-Millionaires at the back of the oil producing areas. The Northern and Western regions all look different from the rest of Nigeria.

The blame equally goes to the Niger Delta areas, the people were naive and believed that the Biafran issue was an Igbo issue alone and took side with the enemies to defeat Biafra. Well the question today, Is Niger Delta better off today or 40 years ago? You decide. Some of your leaders sleeping in the same bed with North would let you believe that the Igbo are your problem but today though the chicken has come home to roost.

Unless the fed. Govt always headed by the North cedes a good portion of the oil money for the development of the entire oil producing areas and stop robbing Peter to pay Paul that whole area will never see peace. Or the South wakes up and works together to reclaim what belongs to them they will remain in perpetual slavery of the Hausa/Fulani hegemony.