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AMID disagreement over whether Niger-Deltans will attend the planned summit by the Federal Government or otherwise, a PDP chieftain in Delta State, Chief Adolor Okotie-Eboh and a member of the Delta Waterways Security Committee (DWSC), Owelle Dennis Otuaro, weekend, proffered a middle-of-the road approach to the controversy. But another DWSC member and Itsekiri youth’s leader, Mr. Newuwumi Omolubi, differed with them, saying that summit should not hold, while the Rational Realities International, led by Chief Atuyota Ejughemre and the coordinator of the Coastal People Forum, Mallam Yusuf Eregbene faulted the critics of the summit as being myopic. Chief Okotie-Eboh who spoke to Vanguard in Warri said, “I believe that the reasons for the summit is to discuss the crisis in the Niger-Delta and you will agree with me that there must be peace before development can take place, whether by the Federal Government, the NDDC or the oil companies. So, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, who is an experienced diplomat, should be given a chance”. “I suggest that the Federal Government should constitute a think-tank of genuine stakeholders in the region, comprising the former deputy premier of the defunct Midwestern region, Chief James Otobo, first civilian governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, Ambassador Matthew Mbu, former governor of the old Rivers State, Chief Alfred Diette-Spiff, Ijaw nationalist leader, Chief Edwin Clark, Itsekiri leader, Chief J.O.S. Ayomike, Urhobo leader, Major General Obada (rtd.) and others to advise Gambari”, he said. Mr. Otuaro, however, said that a group be set up by the Federal Government to review the Major General Alexander Ogomudia (rtd.) Presidential Committee report and other reports on the Niger-Delta with a view to implementing the various recommendations made to the Federal Government without necessarily holding another summit. The Rational Realities International in a statement, jointly signed by
the chairman, Chief Ejughemre and the secretary, Smart Egbule, said it was a
surprise that some Niger-Delta leaders were trivializing a matter that has
international considerations because of selfish interests. He said the Federal Government has not demonstrated insincerity in its
determination to develop the Niger Delta given the N71 Billion budgeted for
the area, comprising nine states against the whopping N73 billion that was
earmarked in this year’s budget for the development of Abuja alone.
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