South South, South East Lawmakers Demand 65 Percent Oil Wells, Advise FG on security

To facilitate development in the Niger Delta region, South-South and South

East lawmakers have urged the Federal Government to review the ownership

structure of oil wells in the country.
“The people of the Niger Delta region should possess at least 65 percent

of the oil wells contrary to the present ownership structure where less

than 10 percent of the oil blocks belong to our people”

They noted that the region's development is being hindered by the present

payment mode of derivative oil funds.
“There is an urgent need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to put in

place adequate machinery that would ensure direct payment of derivative

oil funds into the hands of Niger Delta Benefiting communities” the

principal officers and members of the Houses of Assembly in the region

said.
Rising from the first parliamentary session of the South-South and

South-East Houses of Assembly in Owerri, Imo State weekend, the lawmakers

condemned the criminal and nefarious activities of the so called herdsmen.

“Legislators of the Houses of Assembly in the South-South and South East

can no longer watch helplessly as our region drifts aimlessly while our

people walk the razor edge under the strain of impoverishment,

environmental degradation, insecurity and uncertainty on the one hand and

the destruction of oil/gas installations and the attendant consequences

including their impact on the ecosystem and the economy on the other hand”

They urged the youth to shun confrontation, violence and militancy in

pressing for the redress of the zone.
“They must embrace dialogue and diplomacy and channel their grievances

through various constituted platforms”
The joint session of legislators from the South -East and South –South

geo-political zones not only condemned the evil acts of kidnapping,

hostage taking and bursting of oil pipelines but stressed that militants

from the zones should be constituted into an officially recognized brigade

for the protection of oil installations
“They should among other things be charged with the responsibility to halt

the rise of other offensive militant groups who may from time to time

threaten to spring up”
The lawmakers advised the Presidency to direct the security agencies in

the country to brace up and be alive to their constitutional

responsibility of protecting lives and property.
“They must save the people of the geo-political zones from the hands of

the marauding herdsmen. Governments of the South-East and South-South

geo-political zones should set up a high powered joint judicial panel of

inquiry to unravel the facts and circumstances surrounding the incessant

attacks by the herdsmen and determine the best way to prevent its

recurrence in the zones. They should also establish special task force

drawn from the various security agencies and neighborhood watch in each

local government to checkmate the excesses of herdsmen and prosecute them”

The legislators, who called for more proactive measures to address the

activities of herdsmen, restated their commitments to pass bills

restricting cattle rearing, prohibiting grazing of cattle from one

location to another through farmlands thereby causing damages to farm

lands, health hazards and obstruction of vehicular and human traffic.

The lawmakers while attributing the defective and harsh socio-economic

environment, lack of employment opportunities, lack of empowerment for the

youth, environmental degradation, lack of infrastructure, general

underdevelopment and inadequate benefit of the resources from the region,

despite being the major source of the economic resources of the nation to

the causes of upsurge in militancy activities in the region, rejected the

proposed bill to establish and control grazing routes and reserves before

the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.

They urged the Federal Government to revisit the performance of the

amnesty programme, the United Nations Environment Programme Report and the

Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project with a view to strengthening

grey areas.
They also urged the National Assembly to ensure the accelerated passage of

the Petroleum Industry Bill
“The Federal Government should enter into peaceful dialogue with the

critical stakeholders in the South-South and South- East in resolving the

dispute and operate within the rule of engagement without incurring

collateral damage”
Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Rivers,

Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu and Imo states were in attendance.

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