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To pacify the people of the Niger-Delta where militants have recently become a thorn in the flesh of government, President Olusegun Obasanjo announced a mouth watering package for the region.

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THE search for enduring solution to the multifarious problems of the Niger Delta region continued about three weeks ago with the convening of a meeting of the stakeholders of the Niger Delta by President Olusegun Obasanjo. The meeting held, April 5 at the banquet hall of the State House Abuja was graced by leaders of the region including governors, traditional rulers, officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), representatives of multinational oil companies, officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources as well as representatives of the youths of the troubled region.

Since 1999, the Niger Delta has become a combustible machine of sort, vaulting violence in a manner that has almost converted the vast oil rich area to a theatre of crises. Of course the restiveness was a product of decades of wanton neglect by successive governments.

 It remains a puzzle why the area and its people are the most backward in all shades of development and growth notwithstanding the fact that the region produces approximately 96 percent of the nation’s wealth. Obviously frustrated by the level of degradation of their region, the youths of the area became combative, demonstrating their mafia-like skills in vandalizing oil pipelines, blowing up facilities belonging to government and oil companies, and engaging in hostage taking. There were fears that the rebellion may grow beyond redemption, following the failure of security operatives of the Federal Government to checkmate the rampaging youths who had in their possession more sophisticated weapons.

The climax was the kidnapping and hostage taking of foreign oil workers by the militant youths. All attempts by the president including threats were rebuffed by the militants, causing international embarrassment to Nigeria. The insecurity became a thorn in the flesh of Obasanjo who in search of solution to the rebellion met, January 17 with the nation’s political, military and security leaders. The meeting was convened following the killing of over 22 people, including 13 soldiers in the Niger Delta with several workers held hostage. Niger Delta youths. The meeting, among other things, resolved to set up a committee to ensure prompt release of the oil workers held hostage by the militant youths. Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Governors Goodluck Jonathan (Bayelsa), James Ibori (Delta), Peter Odili (Rivers) and Olusegun Agagu (Ondo) all attended the security meeting.

Others at the meeting were the national security adviser (NSA), Lt Gen Aliyu Mohammed-Gusau (rtd), minister of defence, Eng. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, minister of state for defence, Dr. Rowland Oritsejafor, minister of police affairs, Alaowei Broderick Bozimo, minister of information and national orientation, Mr. Frank Nweke and the minister of state (petroleum), Dr. Edmound Daukoru.

But the security meeting failed to secure an answer as the youths held their stand. On Monday, January  30, while securing the release of four hostages, all Shell workers, from the militant youths after 19 days in captivity Obasanjo vowed that the Federal Government would never allow a repeat of hostage-taking in Nigeria, dubbing the youths who kidnapped the four oil workers as “criminals”.  Not minding the president’s threat, the youths two weeks later kidnapped  eight foreign oil workers who were released only recently after series and series of negotiations that lasted for several weeks between the kidnappers and government representatives.

Also,  recently, the Federal Government revealed the loss of over 1000 megawatts of electricity supply to youth restiveness in the Niger Delta. Frustrated, the president last month changed strategy taking the option of hosting the first ever Niger Delta stakeholders meeting at the State House Abuja. At the meeting Obasanjo gave a blue print of the intention of the forum and provided an opportunity for the ventilation of the anger of a people seemingly abandoned and neglected over the years in infrastructural development, education, health, environmental development and employment.

Addressing the gathering the president challenged all levels of government, Federal, States and Local government in the Niger Delta, the NDDC, and oil companies to produce their own development plans for the region with specific items that could be subjected to some level of monitoring in implementation. He described the work of the council as “very serious” adding that “Niger Delta needs special attention, by all. Its not federal government alone, its not state governments alone, it needs local government attention, it needs family attention, and even the attention of our development partners”.

He then established the Council on the Socio-Economic Development of the Coastal States of the Niger Delta. Each of the coastal states, specifically, Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States, he said, would contribute their governor and six members each to the council, including a woman and a youth. Ondo and Akwa Ibom states are to contribute their governors and three members each to the council. The President would contribute five people to the membership of the council. Representatives of the NDDC, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC, Ministry of Works, Power and Steel, are also members. The council chaired by the president was among other things saddled with the responsibility of finding short, medium and long term solutions to the problems in the Niger Delta.

Development initiatives

And so onApril 18, the president inaugurated the council and came out with what could be regarded as a charter of development initiatives for the coastal states of the Niger Delta, encapsulated in a nine-point agenda. The agenda covers employment generation, transportation, education, health, telecommunications, environment, agriculture, power and water resources.

Under employment Obasanjo revealed plans by his administration to, on the part of the Federal government, provide, 20,000 jobs for the indigenes of the Niger Delta region. The points of recruitment include the army and the police. Giving a breakdown of the recruitment pattern from each state into the Army, he said that Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States are to be given 100 slots each, Ondo, 50 while Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Edo States are to get 25 slots each besides another 50 recruits categorized as “tactical reserve”.

Similarly, the President announced that both the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy are to recruit 250 persons each with Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States contributing 50 slots each, Ondo and Akwa Ibom States 30 while Cross Rivers and Edo States each will get 20 slots. On police recruitment Obasanjo, announced immediate lifting of embargo directing that 10,000 new recruits be engaged with 1,500 positions each allotted to Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States. Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Abia States each has 1,000 slots.

Further on employment the president mandated the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), to create 1000 new positions to be filled by qualified applicants from seven of the nine states of the Niger Delta region in addition to the recruitment of 7,300 National Certificate of Education (NCE) and university graduate teachers before the end of the year.

Announcing the establishment of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency to eliminate water pollution, in the Niger Delta, he explained that short term measures would be implemented within two- year time frame, medium term within two and five years, long term measures within five years. Government, he said, was conscious of ensuring the total implementation of the programme and again disclosed plans by his administration to commence the dredging of the River Niger so as to facilitate easy transportation of people and goods in the area. Under this initiative he tasked the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) and state governments to collaborate on the opening of creeks and water channels to create more routes for inland water transportation. On education, he said the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State would be upgraded to a degree- awarding institution with officers already appointed to actualize the plan.

In the areas of Health and Education, Obasanjo announced the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic, Bayelsa State by September this year and directed the Education Tax Fund (ETF) to assess what needed to be done to the community school in Okerenku, Delta State. Health, he said, was part of the priority measures saying primary health centres would be established in each of the local government areas even as he added that the Rivers State government had agreed to complete the abandoned Auto Destruct Syringes factory to create more jobs and boost healthcare delivery.

He said that government was going to meet with the global system of mobile (GSM) telecommunications providers to extend coverage to major towns and communities. The President then warned the youths of the region to cease fire, warning that socio-economic development programmes cannot flow along side violence. He then asked the governors to take the responsibility of  “talking to those guys” (militant youths). You cannot carry a gun and expect a warm handshake”. He said that the council meeting would hold quarterly and reassured on coordinating the development programmes.

On the demand for filling stations in the Niger Delta, Obasanjo  who announced plans to provide 12  mega petrol stations in the region. At the meeting which witnessed presentations by the governors of Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, the minister of transport, the minister of state, petroleum resources, the group Managing Director of NNPC and the group managing director of Shell, Obasanjo openly confronted  Victor Attah of Akwa Ibom State on approach to the implementation of the new Niger Delta development initiative.

Governor Attah provoked the president when he talked on what NDDC should do to speed up the development of the region. An angry president openly disagreed with the governor challenging him to leave NDDC alone but come out with his own development package for his own state in line with the new initiative. Similarly, he took on the governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion to come out with concrete proposals on what he intends to do for the people of Edo State. Governor of Delta State, James Ibori had in his presentation praised the President for approving the construction of the East West road and urged him to support Delta State government in its plan to construct a bridge running to Escravos from Bomade bridge. But Obasanjo insisted that the state government take charge of its own responsibility.

The minister of state for petroleum resources, Dr. Edmond Dakoro in his presentation spoke on the NNPC interventions, saying that the ministry intends to spend N12 billion in the region under the new initiative. In the short term, N8.4 billion, he said, would be expended with 12 floating stations to be provided by the ministry. The group managing director of the NNPC, Funsho Kupolokun revealed the package of the NNPC and the oil companies for the region, putting the total expenditure between now and 2010 to N20 trillion, a figure which the president considered as over generalized.

Minister of transport, Chief Sekibo in his presentation gave a clearer picture of those to benefit from the dredging of the River Niger, saying “We have 57 communities between Lokoja and Escravos bifurcation. We would ensure that every community has shore protection and jetties. It is a major project.”  The governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili, also spoke but was grateful to  the president  who he said had by his words and actions demonstrated an appreciable commitment to the development of the region.

The managing director of Shell, Basil Omiyi in his speech was not specific  in what Shell intends to do for the people. Although he revealed plans by the company to invest N1 billion in cassava production in the Niger Delta, buy as many services as possible from the indigenes, create 30,000 jobs, and execute jointly a $14 million project with UNDP in the communities, Obasanjo could not hide his anger. “We have said that we don’t want too much generalization. We don’t want it any more.

With due respect any body no matter who comes out here and fails to tell us specifically, with facts and figures and when he would accomplish those things I will shout him down. We don’t want it any more,” he said. He cited an example of an oil company that said it would spend millions of dollars on rice farming “but lots of that money was spent in America”.

Even against expectation some of the youth leaders that attended the meeting were full of praises for Obasanjo. Chief Kestine Okoro (Delta State), national president of the Niger Delta Youth Leadership Council, in an interview, said that the decisions reached at the inaugural meeting were what the people of the Niger had long been crying for.