Emma Amaize
28 August 2008
FORMER Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, declared yesterday that the current socio-political situation in the Niger Delta was "a major national crisis with potentially perilous implications that will go beyond our national economy if not properly resolved."
"The response to this national crisis must begin from a clear understanding that the situation which now exists in the Niger Delta region cannot be resolved through force of arms," he said in a speech at the First Information Summit on Media, Finance and Developments organised by the Delta State government in Asaba.
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan on his part warned that his administration would not welcome any investor wishing to exploit gas in the state without giving equity shares to the host communities.
Chief Anyaoku in his prepared speech entitled: "Niger Delta: A major national crisis and admirable vision and objectives of Delta State Government's economic strategy," said: "The country must recognise that we now have in the Niger Delta region a major national crisis with potentially perilous implications that will go beyond our national economy if not properly resolved.
The crisis is the culmination of long years of neglect of the interests of the people of the region, and indifference to the ecological consequences of the exploitation of the region's oil and gas resources.
"The primary responsibility for this neglect and indifference lies with our national administrations which have, over the years, not only controlled the proceeds from the main resource of the region, but also have allowed the multinational oil companies to operate in the area in a manner that would not be tolerated in more environment conscious countries.
"The response to this national crisis must begin from a clear understanding that the situation which now exists in the Niger Delta region cannot be resolved through force of arms. There should be no confusing of the activists who are seeking to give vent to their people's legitimate grievances with those elements who are criminally exploiting the situation.
The former should be induced to resile from armed militancy through speedy undertaking of a comprehensive development programme in the region; while the latter elements should be dealt with by the enforcers of law and order in the society.
And here, I would urge that consideration should be given to the setting up of two special squads to be equipped with the state of the art facilities: one, a special anti-oil bunkering squad; the other, a special anti-kidnapping squad as was done two weeks ago by the Government of Mexico in combatting the menace of kidnapping for ransom and other reasons.
Crisis should be treated as National emergency
"The crisis in the Niger Delta region should be treated as a national emergency by the Federal Government. It is to be welcomed that President Yar'Adua acknowledged the seriousness of the situation right from the beginning of his administration and accordingly decided to convene a major dialogue of the stakeholders on the Niger Delta.
This initiative on which the Vice President has already begun to work should be supported by the nation especially by all the people of the Niger Delta region.
"Fortunately, there is no lack of evidence of what needs to be done to address the clearly justified grievances of the people of the region.
Recommendations for action, including most particularly the provision of infrastructure and social amenities, abound in the reports of the many Commissions and study groups that have deliberated since 1958 on the so-called minorities and peoples of the Niger Delta region.
Only a little over two weeks ago, many leaders from the region at the end of the two-day Legislative Retreat on Constitution Review sponsored by the Vanguard Newspapers Ltd, issued a communique that outlined what they considered should be the answers to the situation in the Niger Delta region.
"For the dialogue to be meaningful, there should be immediate distillation of the ideas and proposals contained in that communique and the earlier reports to which I have referred together with effective consultations with the stakeholders with a view to updating and determining the order of their implementation.
And while these steps are being taken, appropriate national dialogue should be conducted in which the constitutional aspects of the proposals should be considered.
"In all this, the emphasis must be to move from rhetoric to action.
"Let me now return to our conference. Peace and development are two desirable symbiotic conditions in every nation, especially a developing nation. As experience in Africa and the rest of the world has shown, without peace and its corollary of stability, there can be no successful pursuit of national development. And if peace is to endure in any State, the citizens must be given the chance to improve their quality of life and to pursue their self-fulfilment which are the true essence of development.
"In the pursuit of both peace and development, the media as a collective has a seminal role. Apart from its role in promoting peace and stability in individual nations, the media through dissemination of information on government policies and activities mobilises the citizens for efforts in national development; it sensitises the government on the needs of its citizens; it contributes to good governance through exposures and constructive criticisms of deficiencies and mismanagement on the part of government; and in these days of the growing importance of foreign investment and partnership, particularly in industrial and mining development, the media is indispensable in showcasing available investment opportunities.
Hence the importance of this conference and of the Ministry of Information in the hierarchy of the State Government's establishments.
"In its development strategy, I believe that this Delta State Government is demonstrating admirable vision and objectives.
"In addition to the impressive progress being made in pursuance of his three point agenda, by channelling 50% of its oil derivation fund to the development of the oil producing areas in the State through the Delta State Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and by stressing diversification in its development agenda, Governor Uduaghan's administration has acknowledged that neither the oil and gas reserves nor the current high price of oil in the world market will last for ever.
"Because oil and gas are finite resources, and because there are widespread continuing global efforts to find alternative sources of energy both for ecological and high cost of oil reasons, many oil producing countries are investing their current high revenue in long term infrastructural and national assets.
For instance, Norway and Russia have set up Sovereign Wealth Funds which the former is using to increase its spending on kindergarten education from $2.75 to $3.3 billion in 2008, and the latter for financing its priority national projects including health care delivery, access to education and affordable housing. And nearer home in Africa, the Angolan Government is using its current high oil revenue in building impressive miles of roads, refurbishing and standardising its airports and laying several miles of new rail tracks.
"We must therefore ask the question: How are we in Nigeria spending our current high revenue from our oil exports?"
Uduaghan wants 50% derivation fund
At the same forum, Governor Uduaghan said government would not welcome any investor wishing to exploit gas in the state under the new National Gas Master Plan of the Federal Government without giving equity shares to the host communities.
He also challenged the National Assembly to confirm its autonomy by increasing derivation to producing states from 13 per cent to 50 per cent, as it was in the 1960 and 1963 Constitutions of the country, saying the increase does not require an amendment of the Constitution, as the law simply says not less than 13 per cent should be paid as derivation, and not necessarily that derivation is fixed 13 per cent.
He said there was need for the lawmakers to be properly informed and understand that increasing derivation from 13 per cent to 50 per cent was not any stretch of imagination, a Herculean task, and should be enhanced, as a way of finding a long-term solution to the Niger Delta crisis.
His words: "For every company that is coming to be involved in the national gas master plan in Delta State, some equity must go to the host communities. If you are coming to be involved in exploration, as part of the gas master plan, laying of pipelines or construction of the Central Process Unit or whatever company that will come out of it, some equity must go to the community and I stand here as Governor to say that when that happens, the state government is going to be involved on behalf of the communities in getting such equity."
He said part of the reasons for the Niger Delta crisis was that the communities lack equity participation in the companies exploring oil and gas in their areas, saying that if the situation on ground is that whatever profit the companies declare, the communities are entitled to some percentage, they would, no doubt, help in checking the activities of criminals vandalizing the oil facilities.
"I don't think we are asking for too much. I am only suggesting a long term measure to solve the problem. Currently, the Federal Government holds 60 per cent equity and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) hold 40 per cent, if you take five per cent from the Federal Government and five percent from the IOCs and give it to the host communities, what is that?" he said.
He said some people were against equity shares for the communities on the grounds that the people would fight among themselves, adding, it was better to give the communities equity shares and let them sort out the other aspects themselves than to deny them such equity.
"I have been called a militant and sponsor of militants but I believe and I insist that military force will not solve the Niger Delta problem. The military may win the fight but the military will not win the war.
And that simply means that if you order the military into the creeks today, you can destroy militant camps and villages but at the end of the day, it does not require too many people to do the damage to oil facilities.
Destroy the camps, destroy the villages, just three of these boys will enter into Warri and start doing damage to Warri, which you cannot control," he said adding: "Our current Constitution is not friendly to the people of the Niger Delta. The Constitution removed our land from us and everything in that land, one of these laws is the Petroleum Act, they have to be reviewed.
"Let me say it, you don't need to amend the Constitution of the country to deal with the issue of derivation, the constitution simply says not less than 13 per cent, all the National Assembly has to do is to say 50 per cent, it does not require constitutional amendment. All these issues have to be looked at; our laws have to be looked at," he said.
He said the state government inaugurated the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and was funding it with 50 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation and so, there was nothing wrong for the National Assembly to increase derivation to the oil producing states to 50 per cent, as the question of not managing the funds well has no bearing in Delta State.
According to him, leaders and members of the host communities were the ones managing the 50 per cent of the 13 per cent derivation to the DESOPADEC and it is only the project that the people ask for in their areas that the commission is authorized to execute for them.
The governor said the oil companies did not help matters with their attitude but singled out the Chevron Oil Company for some improvements so far in the state, though, he observed that "there is still a long way to go".
Why True face of Delta - Djebah
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Oma Djebah who welcomed the participants to the summit said the government opted to tell the world about the true face of Delta State because if it failed to do so, people would continue to manipulate and give it a name that is not what it is.
He said a little over two weeks ago, many leaders of the region attended a two-day Legislative Retreat, sponsored by the Vanguard Newspapers Limited, they issued a communiqué that outlined what they thought should be the solution to the problems in the Niger-Delta region in addition to other recommendations on the way forward for the region.
The Asagba of Asaba, Obi (Prof) Chike Edozien; the Orodje of Okpe, His Royal Majesty, Major General Felix Mujakperuo (rtd.); Brigadier-General Dominic Oneya (rtd.); Itsekiri leader, Chief Gabriel Mabiaku; Senator Francis Okpozo; and other eminent Deltans who featured in the special documentary on the "True face of Delta" scored Uduaghan.
Those who attended the ceremony included Governor Uduaghan, one time military administrator of the state, Air. Commodore Ibrahim Kefas (rtd.); former deputy governor of the state, Sir. Benjamin Elue; Senator James Manager; chairman of The Punch Newspapers, Chief Ajibola Ogunsola; Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr Martin Okonta; and traditional rulers from across the state.
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If Yar's adminstration is sincere about resolving the Niger Delta crises peaceably, I can't think of a better candidate to chair the effort than Chief Anyaoku, as a well regarded sons of the soil. Not only did he serve his country creditably as the Commonwealth SG, his diplomatic brilliance is renowned worldwide, unlike Gambari's failed diplomacy in Burma as reported in yesterday's Washington Post editorial. but then, do yar ever had a vision talk less of attaining the 20/20 vision of OBJ. Besides, Gov Uduaghan is right to demand 50% derivation not only for the Niger Delta states but for all 36 states of the country so each state can set aside a portion of their revenue on R&D to find and develop untapped resources for each state's comparative advantage so each region or state grow at its own pace without one region or state holding the rest back