Nigeria’s restructuring, panacea for peace in N-Delta region ---IYC

(Nigeria) Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has said that for the Federal Government to achieve enduring  peace in the Niger Delta and the country, Nigeria must be restructured.

IYC's President, Mr Udegns Eradiri and Spokesman, Eric Omare, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari on the resolution of the Niger Delta crisis and the current happenings in the region warned against military option in resolving the crisis as being canvassed in some quarters, saying that those advocating military option were enemies of the current Federal Government, Niger Deltans and the people of Nigeria.

They said, "In the first place, the Niger Delta militants that have claimed responsibility for attacks on oil facilities are not stationed in any particular place like Boko Haram in Sambisa forest. There is no Sambisa forest in the Niger Delta region where the military can go and confront insurgents.

“It is no longer news that the Niger Delta region is in the news again because of the renewed militancy in the region after years of relative peace. For the IYC, the renewed uprising in the region was not surprising because the presidential amnesty programme which ushered in the relative peace did not address the fundamental issues of resource control and ownership which underpinned the agitation of the Niger Delta people.

“Hence, as stakeholders take steps towards reaching a peaceful resolution of the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta region, we consider it necessary to put in perspective empirical facts that would bring lasting peace to the region and Nigeria as a whole. Also to bring to your attention steps that needs to be taken so as not to escalate the already volatile situation in the Niger Delta region.

“Mr. President, the IYC holds the strong view that the solution that will yield an enduring peace in the Niger Delta region and Nigeria is through restructuring in such a way that substantial powers are devolved to the federating units to manage and develop their people and communities at their pace.  The centre has a stranglehold of the country with so many resources. The contiguous sovereign interests: Defence and Foreign Relations should remain within the authority of the sovereign nation.

“There must be no hindrance to the ability of Nigerians to develop up to their full potentials. Nigeria as presently constituted is suffocating and hinders the development of the federating units. We must decentralize to discourage the rent seeking mentality of the federating units. Our inability to make progress is as a result of the deficit structure and the type of leadership it has produced. It is a sad commentary that so many states can no longer meet their statutory and basic obligations despite the abundance of untapped natural and human resources. What is lacking is the enabling structure to explore available resources to the benefit of the federating units and her people. This country cannot survive for long the current practice where states go to the centre to collect their monthly allocations; a scenario of complete economic and socio-political meltdown is no longer a probability but a certainty in the horizon with catastrophic consequence for the country.

“We are also of the view that within the restructured Nigeria, mineral or any other resource producing communities all over the federation whether in the north, east or in the west must be directly involved in the management of these resources. This is crucial to the resolution of the current Niger Delta crisis. Any resolution of the Niger Delta crisis without giving stake to the actual resource bearing communities cannot lead to an enduring peace. The resource bearing communities in Nigeria must be directly involved in the management and this is the only way to resolve the incessant attacks and destruction of oil and gas assets.

“Mr. President, we must also ask that your government display sincerity of purpose towards the resolution of the current crisis in the Niger Delta. We seriously frown at the consistent blackmail of Niger Delta leaders especially former President Goodluck Jonathan who voluntarily offered to support efforts towards the resolution of the crisis by persons who enjoys the tacit support of some government officials working with you. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan just like other former Presidents deserved respect and is absolutely unfair for people who work with you to be sponsoring blackmail against him. This is totally unacceptable to the IYC and the entire Ijaw nation and should not be allowed to continue.

“The intention of these persons is to make the Niger Delta situation look complicated and frustrate efforts at peaceful resolution so as to justify their evil plan to attack communities, kill innocent people and make money from the process. Some of these persons are high ranking government officials in the country and political leaders. They are behind the several conflicting press statements with different pseudo militant groups all in a bid to frustrate efforts at bringing peace to the region for fraudulent monetary gains. Therefore, we demand that efforts towards the resolution of the crisis must be bipartisan and with sincerity of purpose.

“We further advice, just like your predecessors did that you personally drive the process of dialogue with an aim to achieving peaceful and lasting solutions to the Niger Delta question, your participation in the process will checkmate and drive out the shenanigans. 

"Furthermore, to demonstrate the federal government sincerity towards achieving peace, we advise that academic activities should start at the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko without delay. This would help in building confidence between the Niger Delta people and the federal government. Appointments by your government must also be nationalist by carrying all parts of the country along especially the Niger Delta region.”