PANDEF Overall Interest Is For The Niger Delta Region --- Dr. Ekiyor
Following the criticism that has greeted the meeting and the subsequent presentation of 16 point demands to President Mohammadu Buhari by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), led by Ijaw foremost leader, Chief Edwin K. Clark, a former President of the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide (IYC), Dr. Chris Ekiyor has sued for calm in the region.
Dr. Ekiyor, who is also a former Patani local government chairman and Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration argued that due to the vast nature of the ijaw land, only a few could be taken to represent the Ijaw Nation, assuring that the moment the issues are resolved, “everybody will be carried along. There is nothing hidden in this movement and nobody will be left out”.
He stated this Saturday when the executives and members of the Indigenous Newspapers/Magazine Chapel (INMC), an arm of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) paid him a courtesy visit in Asaba.
The former Commissioner who is the Secretary to the Advocacy Committee set up by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to tour the Niger Delta creeks to ensure peace was restored to the region, said, “PANDEF has a common voice for the Niger Delta people. And we also met in Asaba on Friday to brainstorm on the way forward for the region”.
He regretted the situation where the oil companies have moved out of the oil rich city (Warri) to Lagos and Rivers States for their operations whereas these companies still drill oil from the abandoned region, “the movement of oil companies from Warri to Lagos State and River State are a calculated attempt by the federal government. If the region is not good enough to stay, then it shouldn’t be good enough to take their oil”.
He also expressed the worrisome situation where Buhari has also refused to make strong political statements on the 16 point demands but quoted the president to have said, “we will look into your demands”, advocating for the practice of true federalism where the states are allowed to control their resources.
On the Advocacy Committee, the environmental activist said, “We spent 21 days in the creeks moving from one community to another. The first 7-days and the two weeks which culminated into the final round of one month saw the militant’s ceasefire. Although, Delta State is the centre of all these bombardments”, pointing out that if Okowa must succeed as a government, there must be availability of oil money.
He also lamented the situation where states have no control over their oil monies, police and even the military as is in developed countries just as he noted that the monies taken from the state especially the Niger Delta Region are not been used to develop the region.
He called on government to downsize their work force, more importantly at the local government councils, cut down bogus programmes as monies going to the third tiers of government could be used to develop the state.
The trained Medical Doctor who runs Rahi Medical Outreach, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) that provides medical care for communities that have hospitals spoke on the Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja crisis.
His words: “government by law has the right to own the land. Government could acquire the land by going to the two communities separately to pay for the land in dispute and build school, hospital university, market or whatever that both communities could benefit from”, he suggested.
It would be recall that an Itsekiri Leaders of Thought (ILOT), has condemned calls by Chief Edwin Clark and allies for withdrawal of military from the Niger Delta, saying the continued menace of militants destroying oil assets makes military’s stay indispensable
Also, Muhammadu Buhari, also described as a “disgraceful outing,” the recent Abuja meeting where Chief Clark’s Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), presented a 16-point demand to the president.
ILOT’s letter, signed by Pa J.O.S. Ayomike, its Chairman, Edward Ekpoko, Secretary and others, said: “Apart from the damage to our economy, our environment today is in ruins due to the senseless and criminal activities of some misguided youths, aided and abetted by some elders and politicians.
“The presence of security force is to enforce law and order. To, therefore, ask for its withdrawal is an invitation to anarchy. Acts of criminality must be separated from genuine efforts to develop the region. We maintain that unless the full force of the law is brought on the criminals vandalizing oil and gas installations, there will be no end to it”.
He advised government against eye services, “I have always call peace and sincerity with ourselves and avoid sycophants who are in government”.