As fresh threats of renewed hostilities surge in the Niger Delta region following reported pronouncements by militant groups in the Oil-rich region under the auspices of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) to resume militant agitations in the creeks, an elder-statesman and one- time chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission(DESPADEC), Chief Wellington Okrika has been tipped by the Niger Delta militants to lead negotiations talks with the presidency in a resolute move to nip the brewing tension in the bud.
Chief Wellington Okrika who is the Bolowei ( traditional Prime Minister) of Gbaramatu Kingdom where mysterious ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo hails from was reportedly nominated by the Niger Delta militants to head its negotiations with the Presidency on account of the wide respect he enjoys among the militants.
The New Diplomat checks reveal that the RNDA opted for the choice of Okrika as team lead while rejecting a purported move by the federal government to designate a negotiation team comprising some serving political appointees from the Niger Delta region including ministers, to negotiate on behalf of the militants with Presidency officials.
Some accounts report that the militants insisted that “they don’t want to have anything to do with some specific appointees from the Niger Delta region as they are detrimental to peace, progress and development of the Niger Delta region because of massive allegations of corruption hanging over their heads.”
According to RNDA ” the federal government has come up with an emergency stakeholders list to be submitted to the presidency that will interface with the federal government and dialogue on behalf of the RNDA Militant group and on behalf of the people of the region in other to address the immediate challenging issues raised by the RNDA Militant group to enable us withdraw the ultimatum given so far after the outcome of the nominated stakeholders meeting with the presidency
“And that we are warning that the Presidency should not enter into discussion with any form of group of persons emanated from any place or concocted by any ministers from the region and that such group of persons should not be taken seriously because any stakeholders group of list that does not have the blessing of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers will cause a breakdown of negotiation and provoke hostilities. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has met with a delegation of stakeholders including representatives of the dreaded RNDA Militant group in Abuja.
“The delegation which was headed by chief Wallington Okrika, a highly respected Chief from Gbaramatu kingdom and one- time Chairman of Delta State oil producing Development Commission(DESOPADEC) and a front- liner in the agitation for the development of the Niger Delta region who is also one of the pioneer leaders that fought hard for the establishment of the 13 percent derivation Act, from former head of state late Gen Sani Abach era to former president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasonjo era,
“And also among the delegation, the national chairman of HOSTCON, Dr. Prince Mike Emuh and Hon. prince Jude Tabai, the son of a retired Supreme Court judge in the country who also sacrificed his life to come down to the creeks in 2016 in company of former minister of Sports, Barr Solomon Darling with the former GGM Security at the NNPC , Bar Sam Otobueze which led to the pronouncement of the ceasefire agreement entered with the federal government that led to the prevailing peace that is existing today…And the Deputy Senate President has kick started the dialogue process on behalf of the federal government already…
”To this end the RNDA Militant group want to encourage the Deputy Senate President to use his exalted office as the number fifth citizen of the country and as the political leader of the Niger Delta region to prevail on the federal government and the presidency to speedily implement the demands laid out by the RNDA and come out with a blue print that will better the fortune and the lives of the people in the Niger Delta region in order to enable the emancipated and neglected oil producing communities and peoples of the region build trust and confidence in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
“And the Deputy Senate president promised to convey our grievances and demands to President Muhammadu Buhari who is ready and willing to address the immediate demands and assured us of the readiness of the present administration to address the under developmental challenges confronting the people of the region and will come up with speedy implementation for the purpose of peace and order in the creeks and.. in the region.”
Recall that the RNDA had recently in a statement by John-mark Ezon Ebi better known as Obama, threatened renewed hostilities over 13% Derivations, neglect of the Niger Delta region, among others.
Recall also that the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege had pleaded with members of the host Oil and Gas Communities of Nigeria (HOSCON) who visited him in his office in Abuja to maintain peace in the Niger Delta region and ensure that their reported plan to attack host oil facilities in the region is nipped in the bud in the overall interest of all.
While pleading passionately with the youths, militants and elders under the auspices of HOSCON, Omo-Agege who represents Delta Central Senatorial district, had urged the representatives of the HOSCON to forgo their reported threats, urging them to come to the realization that such an action would further create economic setback for the country and occasion crisis to the socio-economic lives of the very people of the Niger Delta region.
The Deputy Senate President had further implored the delegation of HOSCON led by a one -time chairman of DESOPADEC and elder-statesman, Chief Okrika to work productively with the federal government in order to advance the development of the Niger Delta oil host communities.
Recall also that the RNDA had threatened to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta region unless its demands, including greater attention to HOSCON’s call for direct payment of the %13 derivation fund to host communities are implemented by the federal government.
The militant group had also expressed umbrage over what it described as an unacceptable injustice being perpetrated against some HOSTCOM communities in the Niger Delta region over alleged inappropriate award of over $40million pipeline security contracts to one Captain Hosa Wells Okunbor, who is the managing director of Ocean Marine Solutions Company (OMS).
The RNDA said it is intolerable, grossly unbearable and highly unacceptable to continue to award over $40million pipeline security contracts to “one single individual named Captain Hosa Okunbor to the disadvantage of HOSTCOM” and other critical stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.
The group canvassed a revisit of a variety of subject matters including the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) crisis, payments to host community over gas flaring funds, provision of world-class infrastructure in the Niger Delta region, review of the current revenue allocation formula, among other things.
The RNDA had also made a strong case for a review of the 13% derivation formula, stressing that henceforth derivation funds to host communities should be paid to host communities directly under a new revenue sharing formula that should be put in place.
The statement added in parts: “We also called for a review of the four-point agreement with the Host Communities of Nigeria, HOSTCOM, which was submitted to the federal government by the national chairman, Prince Mike Emuh, and has not been approved up till date. The provisions of the agreement which include 10,000 pipeline surveillance jobs to the oil producing communities through the leadership of HOSTCOM has not been approved…”
