Home Page

History

Diaspora

Economy

Environment

Politics

Events

Feedback 

    Abraka

    Agbara-Ame

    Agbara-Otor

    Agbaro

    Agbon

    Arhavwerien

    Eghwu

    Ephron

    Ephron-Otor

    Evwreni

    Idjerhe

    Oghara

    Ogor

    Okere-Urhobo

    Okparabe

    Okpe

    Olomu

    Orogun

    Udu

    Ughele

    Ughievwen

      Uwhru

Urhobo Websites

UNANAONLINE.ORG

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.

But the president of the Iwere Development Association, Mr. Omolubi disagreed with him, saying the summit was not designed by the Federal Government to deceive the people but also to waste resources that would, otherwise, have been used to provide some water projects.

According to him, “The Federal Government should come out with a laudable programme that will transform the area, which has been criminally neglected, battered and treated like a forgotten region. Mr. President should not subscribe to anything that will further worsen the difficulties and the pandemic situation they have been facing for over five hundred years now”, he said.

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.

His words, “It is now clear that government decided to undermine the area that produces the oil wealth of this nation. Imagine Abuja is not up to five Local Government Areas in Delta State, yet such a huge amount is been budgeted to further develop it”