- President Says Threat Unnecessary After His Meeting With N’Delta Leaders
- Avengers Appoint First Female Field Commander To lead “Operation Humble Economy”
- Threaten Clampdown on Politicians colluding With FG to Undermine Region
- Akpabio’s Submission Of Forensic Report Remains Uncertain — Leaders
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday responded to the threat by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), an ex-agitator group, who had vowed to return to the creeks to wreak havoc on the region over claims that the federal government has continued to sustain efforts targeted at undermining the development of the region.
The President expressed suprise that the threats to resume bombing of critical energy assets in the oil-rich region is coming less than 48 hours after President Buhari met with the leadership of the Niger Delta and Ijaw National Congress in the Aso Villa, where he issued promisory note on some of the major issues raised.
The NDA, which crippled the oil industry between 2016 and 2018, had in a statement issued on Saturday, threatened a resumption of hostility in the creeks if the federal government fails to meet their demands.
In the statement, the NDA said it has appointed a female Field Commander who will lead the mission codenamed ‘Operation Humble’, which is aimed at crippling the economy of the country that has been at the mercy of the sustained fragile peace prevailing among the oil and gas producing states in the country.
But in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, titled, ’Demands by Niger Delta Avengers: President Buhari’s response’, Buhari said his recent meeting with Niger Delta leaders has rendered the threat by the ex-agitator group “unnecessary.”
Adesina’s statement which includes Buhari’s speech at the meeting with the leaders on Friday, read, “The media was Sunday awash with threats and demands by a group, Niger Delta Avengers, to embark on economic sabotage through bombing of critical oil and gas installations unless certain demands, including development of the Niger Delta, and restructuring of the Federation, were met.
“It is, however, curious that the threat was coming less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the leadership of the Niger Delta and Ijaw National Congress, at the Presidential Villa, and the germane issues had been responded to, especially call for restructuring of the Federation, and the inauguration of a Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“For clarity and record purposes, below is full text of the speech by President Buhari on Friday, June 25, 2021, which renders any sabre-rattling rather unnecessary.
“I warmly welcome all the Elders of the Niger Delta and particularly the National Executive of the Ijaw National Congress, under the leadership of Professor Benjamin Okaba. I thank you for paying this courtesy visit not too long after your election in April, and swearing-in last May.
“I also want to congratulate you all for your election and to add that a lot of responsibility is placed on your shoulders, especially coming from the fact that the Ijaw National Congress was almost without leadership for some time.
“As the symbol of the collective voice of the Ijaw people, which is one of Nigeria’s main ethnic groups, the existence of a focused and people oriented leadership would go a long way in articulating the demands of the Ijaw people and making sure these demands are made part of the national discourse.
“I particularly note your ten point demand to the Federal Government in your inaugural speech and assure you that this administration is frontally addressing them.
“I am equally concerned about the rate of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and as you are aware the HydroCarbon Pollution Remediation Project has started work with remediation efforts in Ogoni land and I have directed the Minister of Environment to ensure that the projects are implemented with a high percentage of local content and inclusion of the surrounding communities.
“Similarly, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, under the same ministry of Environment is working to make sure that oil spills are reduced and new ones prevented. As you are also aware, all the responsible agencies of government have been directed to ensure that they enforce compliance by the International Oil Companies to international best practices,” the President had said:
The statement continued: “On the issue of fair and balanced appointments to reflect federal character principles, I re-affirm that this has always been my focus and would continue to be because I have always seen Nigeria as a country where everyone should be given equal opportunities.
“A contentious issue that has been a subject of discourse amongst the Ijaw people of recent has been the need for the Niger Delta Development Commission to live up to its billing by delivering the required succour to the people of the region. Based on the mismanagement that had previously be-devilled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021.
“I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board would be inaugurated. However, I would like to implore you that the Ijaw National Congress should play a more active role in making sure that the mismanagement that occurred in the past is not repeated.”
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Avengers had on Saturday said: “It is disheartening that despite being the economic backbone and having resolved to maintain the peaceful environment for the smooth operations of the oil multinationals whose proceeds the country cling unto for economic survival, the Niger Delta and the South-South remain the most underdeveloped, with our needs and interests undermined by the failed Nigerian State.
“The Nigerian government has continued to pay deaf ears to our demands and the rising challenges in the country”, the statement said.
The group ordered its “ground troops” to begin to mobilize into the creeks, adding that it had appointed a female Field Commander whom it referred to as “Tu-ere (aka Queen of the Creeks), to lead the ‘Operation Humble’, noting that it would “spare no single oil installation within our range of strategic targets marked for destruction in the coming days.”
According to the group, it has decided to break its three years silence and return to the trenches, following the federal government’s failure to meet the demands of the people of the Niger Delta and also, failure to dialogue with it.
“We are back with Operation Humble”, the group revealed, adding that the Commander in charge of the operation, Tu-ere has just been promoted to the rank of Brigadier General to prosecute the mission.
“The high command of the NDA has promoted and appointed one of our finest operatives, Field Commander Tu-ere aka Queen of the Creeks to the rank of Brigadier General. She is an experienced field agent who before now and was the head of the counter intelligence unit of the NDA, using her connections with top government and security officials to deliver on her assignment.
“She was part of our elite Strike Teams that attacked and took down the Chevron Valve platform on the 4th of May, 2016; the Shell Forcados 48-inch Export line on the 3rd of June, 2016; and the Exxon Mobil Qua Iboe 48 Crude Oil Pipeline on the 11th of July, 2016.”
“Brig. Gen. Tu-ere is the first female to ever attain this level and it is solely out of merit, and is placed in charge by the High Command of the NDA to execute operation humble to the later”, the statement added.
The New Diplomat’s investigation however identified, among other things, the vexatious issue of continuous delay in the inauguration of the substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) as one of the demands by the people of the region as inferred by the NDA.
The NDDC, established in 2000 by the Obasanjo administration was designed to fast-tract the development of the neglected region. Towards the end of 2019, President Buhari had ordered a forensic audit to look at the financial records of the Commission from inception. Although, the National Assembly had screened and confirmed the names of 13 persons to be on the board of the NDDC, the federal government has continued to postpone the inauguration until now.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, whose ministry supervises the NDDC, in response to the one-week ultimatum that ended in May, given by the MEND leader, Government Ekpemupolo, (aka Tompolo), had visited the ex-militant leader in his Oprozoa country home in Warri South West, to explain and request for one month’s extension of time, ending in June for him to inaugurate the board of the Commission.
Although, end of June is just three days away from now, there are indications that the board of the Commission may not be inaugurated any time soon as Akpabio continues to give more excuses on why the board cannot be constituted to allow it perform its statutory functions as enshrine in the Act setting up the Commission.
While playing host to the executive of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, in the State House last week, President Buhari had explained to the Prof. Benjamin Okaba-led Ijaw body that the inauguration of the board of the NDDC is hinged on the submission and acceptance of the forensic audit report of the Commission which has been working for nearly two years now.
Corroborating the position of President Buhari on the issue of inauguration of the board of the Commission, Akpabio had told State House correspondents last week that the final report of the forensic audit would be ready for submission to the President at the end of July, without reference to his agreement with Tompolo to inaugurate the board by June ending.
“We have fast-tracked the process of constituting the NDDC Board; but we insist that the most important thing is not just the development of the Niger Delta region, but how to reposition NDDC to ensure optimal performance as against the practice in the past.
“So, the forensic audit of NDDC is on course and it is progressing very well and I’m happy with the progress made so far.
“And I’m very certain that by the end of July, which is just a month and a few weeks away, the final report will be given to the President for implementation.
“And in terms of the composition of the board of the NDDC, of course, we have fast-tracked the process and the National Assembly will soon get the list. But that is not as important as the forensic audit which we are finally giving a deadline, which is July, that it will end”, Akpabio said.
However, a Niger Delta leader, Elder Alphonsus Okon, who spoke with the Sunday Vanguard, was quoted as saying that “Akpabio had again tactically shifted the date of inauguration until after July and this is against the spirit of Oproza meeting.”
Okon, who also expressed concern about Akpabio’s reference to ‘a list’ to be sent to the National Assembly, wondered what list the minister was talking about, adding that the National Assembly had already screened and confirmed the Dr. Pius Odubu/Mr. Bernard Okumagba is pending to be inaugurated.
“He (Akpabio) talked about the list getting to the National Assembly soon, but we already have a substantive board with former Edo Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu as chairman, and Mr. Bernard Okumagba as Managing Director.
“We all know that the National Assembly will proceed on recess on either the first or second week of July and the vacation is until end of September. So, when is the list getting to the Senate? Is it when the lawmakers are on holiday? , Okon was quoted as saying.
Also, speaking on the alleged deliberate effort by Akpabio to prolong the inauguration of the board of NDDC to his satisfaction, Brisibe Martin, a retired Air Cmr and Niger Delta activist, said that it is regrettable that Godswill Akpabio, a Niger Deltan, has accepted to be used by forces outside the region to deprive it of its much needed development.
“Akpabio has become the Achilles heel of the Niger Delta region that is hell-bent on reversing the gains and growth the region has witnessed in the past decades, following its successful agitations for a better environment and lives for the people.
“For his selfish and greedy disposition towards the NDDC, Akpabio has reversed the development of the Niger Delta region back for more than 30 years.
“For now, he can collude with the enemies of the region to deny the people of their right to good infrastructure, good living condition and opportunities for the growth of our young ones. It is but for a moment but I can tell you that the ‘gods’ of the Niger Delta will not forgive him and his ilks”, Brisibe said.
And as if to commence preparation for an excuse to further postpone the inauguration of the NDDC board, Godswill Akpabio has just procured the services of an audit firm, named BBC Professional which had commenced physical verification of projects awarded by the Commission in Imo State.
The New Diplomat learnt that the firm which is handling Lot 8 segment of the forensic audit exercise started work only on Thursday. According to reports, the firm started late following the civil disturbances that engulfed the state in the last two months or so.
It was further gathered that it would be impossible for the firm to complete its job in Imo and get the report ready before the July ending deadline which President Buhari is expected to receive the overall forensic audit report to pave way for the inauguration of the board.
The leader of BBC Professional audit firm, Mrs. Gloria Wgwuenu was quoted as saying that she cannot confirm categorically if it could round up her job before July ending.
“We commenced last week Thursday because of the security situation in Imo State. Some other States have started before now. But for the security situation, we are like the third batch that came in for the physical verification of the projects.
”So far, we have over 1,000 projects in this state and we just covered few. We can’t really say this is the specific project. I can’t say (if we can meet the July deadline) because we just started. I can’t say”, she said.
