Sunday Okobi
Concerned Professionals Congress (CPC) yesterday endorsed the federal government’s multi-pronged approach in solving the Niger Delta crises, saying the ongoing Ogoniland oil spillage clean-up, the Nigerian military Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PNDF) and the newly-inaugurated Niger Delta Riverine Protection Programme (NDRPP) headed by Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd) would ultimately bring lasting peace to the oil-rich region.
CPC expressed confidence that the multi-sector efforts, if faithfully pursued, would immensely help change the narrative in the region particularly in ridding it of the indiscriminate militancy, pipeline vandalism, oil theft, illegal bunkering and all other forms of violence, crime and criminality.
According to the group Coordinator, Tukur Musa Tilde and its Chief Media Strategist, Emeka Nwapa, in a statement made available to THISDAY by CPC Deputy Head, Strategy and Communication, Desmond Odiwrri, in Lagos, lovers of peace and friends of the Niger Delta within and outside the country should support the ongoing efforts by the federal government and stakeholders to quickly address the issues that led to the crisis in the Niger Delta region before they spiral out of control.
The pro-good governance advocacy group, in the statement, alleged that elite greed and lack of sincerity by past governments and interventionist regimes in the region were responsible for “the criminal neglect resulting in sporadic agitations by militant groups that are now more interested in their selfish agendas often rooted in criminality for official largesse than in a genuine advocacy for redressing the region’s neglect and under-development.”
It argued that the continued bombing of oil and gas installations by some militants in the region even after the commencement of the government’s dialogue initiative with Niger Delta leaders on November 1, makes a mockery of the genuine efforts by well-meaning persons and institutions for the entire people of the region especially its toiling masses.
Addressing the press in Abuja, after its extraordinary meeting, the statement noted, the group contended that never in the history of the region has there been a genuine interest to address its many problems as now, pointing out that it behooves on its leaders and the entire people to give their unconditional support to bring lasting peace to the area.
Tukur Tilde observed that the reasons often adduced by the faceless organisations like the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) were spurious, and that their actions and pronouncements have portrayed them as cheap characters pursuing personal agenda which should be condemned by right-thinking people of the region.
‘’These so-called Avengers are not avenging for the Niger Delta people. Who supports the senseless bombings of the strategic national assets in the region? None because such acts are clearly against the people they claim to be fighting for,” he stated.
