Akeem Oguntayo
26 November 2009
Benin — The 39th founders' day lecture of the University of Benin held was x Monday marred with protests from students of the institution over the imposition of N5000 on students who paid their school fees late and the poor state of hostel facilities in the school.
However, some students protested over the choice of the former Delta State governor Chief James Ibori as guest lecturer with the claim that he lack the moral to give the lecture because of the cases of corruption hanging on his neck.
The students who were led by the president of the Students Union Government (SUG), Harrison Ehimien, barricaded the entrance to the venue of the lecture Akin Otudeko Hall with placards denouncing the introduction of the penalty fees by the management of the school and the choice of Ibori as guest lecturer.
Chief Ibori in his lecture advocated for massive reconstruction work in housing and roads to bring needed development to the Niger Delta region.
He advised the federal government to be carefull in the handling of post amnesty problems in order not to result to a situation were any of the former militants would consider going back to the creeks which he said would be counter-productive arguing that increase in oil production output did not mean total peace in the region.
He said ,"The question however that still nags the minds of the people of the Niger Delta is that of equating peace in the region to the free flow of oil and gas. An increase in oil exploration activities does not necessarily mean the resolution of the fundamental question of the Niger Delta".
"Federal Government should reduce the bureaucratic bottlenecks believed to be slowing down post-amnesty programmes as the former militants were becoming impatient as expressed during a recent meeting between them and Delta state governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan.
" True fiscal federalism is the way out of the country's numerous crisis" while complaining that revenue allocation which started from 50 per cent to the regions had become a paltry 13 per cent as provided in the 1999 constition but lamented that the states still hade to go court to get the implementation of the 13 per cent.
.Chief Ibori suggested the need for former militants to be given political appointments as they will be in a better position to deal directly with their people just as he advocated that the contracts and human resource departments of the multi-national oil companies be relocated to region so that they could recruit those with needed skills and qualification from the area.
He added, " federal government and the Nigerian Ports Authority should make importers bring in their goods through the seaports in the Niger Delta. This he said would also create more jobs for the people. ".
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