. Urge Buhari to Name Substantive Amnesty Lead
By Hamilton Nwosa( Head, The New Diplomat Business and Data Tracking Desk)
The Federal government’s projected revenue accruals from oil production in the 2020 budget may come under some risks going by alleged threats by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), world-wide to cripple oil production in the Niger Delta, unless steps are taken to address concerns reportedly raised by the Ijaws.
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in a statement issued at the weekend urged President Buhari to name a substantive Presidential coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty, warning that the Ijaws would not tolerate an alleged appointment of a person of non-Niger Delta extraction to chair an alleged committee set up at the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to oversee the Amnesty Programme.
In the detailed statement issued today by the IYC, the Ijaws said they are angry as a people because the Federal government is pushing them to the wall, especially in the light of the recent sack of Prof Charles Dokubo, and the Presidency’s refusal to name a substantive coordinator for the programme.
The IYC said in its statement: “IYC will shut down the Oil sector if Buhari allows these desperate elements in the presidency to hijack the Amnesty Programme like what they are doing to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC. Our demand is that Mr President should for the sake of peace in the Oil sector appoint a coordinator immediately from among competent Ijaw people. We are watching the fold of events as we will not hesitate to shot down all the Oil platforms in Ijaw lands. Do not blame us should there be break down of law and order in the region.”
The statement signed by Pereotube Oweilaemi, the President IYC world-wide alleged that the Federal government is provoking the Ijaw people to anger, warning that “ we will not accept the government turning the Amnesty programme to a northern affairs in order to pay political followers”, and “ the boys will go back to the creeks.”
Nigeria’s current Oil production stands roughly at about 1,955,000 barrel per day which has shown a steady and consistent progress in recent times. However, crude oil production in the country fell for the third month in a row in December 2019 to a new low of 1.5m bpd, against a target production level of 2.18 million bpd at $57 per barrel, which was used as benchmark for the 2020 budget.
Recall that the last time militants in the Niger Delta issued similar threats, Oil production went down all time low as 750,000 per barrels, in 2016. That was when a group called NDA reportedly claimed responsibility for the crisis in the Oil rich region and the larger Gulf of Guinea region. Militants had attacked Oil facilities, gas infrastructure and installations listing a number of terms as conditions for cessation of hostilities including continuation of the presidential Amnesty programme.
Luckily, Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo’s dynamic and most proactive shuttles to the creeks in the Niger Delta was said to have calmed angry nerves and helped restored normalcy. In the 2020 budget, the federal government projects that about N3.73 trillion would account for accruals from oil revenues out of total revenue of N8.1 trillion revenue projections. The country’s output however declined drastically by 95,000 bpd between November and December, 2019 following figures released by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
“Producing below the OPEC production quota and below the benchmark of 2.18 million bpd is not good for Nigeria’s revenue,” Charles Akinbobola, an energy expert said in Lagos.
Dr Tam Dokubo, an Ijaw energy analyst from Bayelsa State pleaded with President Buhari to listen to the IYC and put in place the necessary structures required in the Niger Delta to guarantee peace, including naming a substantive Coordinator for the “Presidential Amnesty programme, because the danger in all these ad hocs is that tomorrow ” somebody can set aside all the decisions taken by these bodies because the persons who took the decisions were not known to the law and procedures setting up the organizations”.
The IYC in its full statement said:
The plan by the National Security Adviser (NSA) to constitute interim management committee instead of appointing the coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) will be resisted by the Ijaw youths.
The NSA should rescind the idea of appointing interim management committee. IYC will not accept it.
We heard that the following persons are to be appointed as members of the interim committee to coordinate the affairs of the Programme. Viz:
1. Mr. A. A. Lawal- Chairman
2. Col. Udoma- Secretary
3. Mr. Anthony S. A. (Legal)- Member
4. Brig-Gen Mohammed- Director of Finance and Administration together with one other person representing the SGF.
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The PAP is not a northern affairs. This programme is the reason why the oil sector is experiencing peace. President Buhari should advice the NSA to disband that devious committee. We will revolt against it. Niger Delta region will not have peace especially the oil platforms should the FG go-ahead with this so-called committee.
We sensed that the NSA, the SGF and some powerful forces in the presidency are clandestinely making moves to hijack the Amnesty Programme. We will resist it even with the last drop of our blood. IYC will short down the oil sector if Buhari allows these desperate elements in the presidency to hijack the Amnesty Programme like what they’re doing to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the NDDC.
Our demand is that Mr. President should for the sake of peace in the oil sector appoint a coordinator immediately from among competent Ijaw people. We are watching the fold of events as we will not hesitate to short down all the oil platforms in Ijaw lands. Do not blame us should there be break down of law and order in the region.
Buhari’s government is provoking the Ijaw people to anger. We will not accept the government turning the Amnesty Programme as a northern affairs in order to pay political followers. This is the height of provocation.
We will not allow cabals in the Government to take away the Programme from us. That’s an invitation to anarchy. Definitely, the boys will go back to the creeks. We hope that President Buhari will treat this message as a warning as the consequences of the NSA’s action will be catastrophic to the nation’s mono-economic.
Signed:
Pereotubo Oweilaemi, Esq.,
President, IYC worldwide.
