Muhammadu Buhari

By Our Correspondent 

The Federal Government has been called upon to convoke an all inclusive and collaborative dialogue that will bring together all stakeholders in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas that would include non violent aggrieved groups with a view to fashion out a permanent solution to the recurring crisis in the Niger Delta region.

This call was made by the Association of Family of Oil and Gas Producing Communities (ASFOGAPCOM) in a resolution issued at the end of its meeting in Ekpan, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State signed by Mr. Joseph Abinogun and Mr. Felix Atojare, national president and national secretary respectively sent to President Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State(Petroleum) and others, the group also called on the Federal Government to enact a law to be known as ‘ Oil and Gas Landowners Protection Act” that would address all issues of marginalization, exclusion and oppression of oil and gas landowners.

According to the group, “we recommend that the Federal Government should toe the path of dialogue in resolving the crisis in Niger Delta region. Such dialogue should also include non violent grass root stakeholder groups, especially oil and gas landowners.”

The group then called on government to promulgate legislations and policies that would accommodate, recognize and protect the socio-economic interests of oil and gas landowners in an inclusive non discriminatory GMoU, adding, “government should engage the grass roots capacity of oil and gas landowners in the security and protection of oil and gas installations on land.

While noting with dismay that in spite of the huge financial outlay of funds and other intervention efforts of successive administrations, the group said that they have not benefitted in any way from it, adding, “government should commence an agricultural support and Resettlement Housing Scheme as a way of improving the socio-economic condition of oil and gas landowners who have been neglected for a very long time.”

The group further added, “it is lamentable to note that in spite of the huge financial outlay of funds and other social intervention efforts and programmes of successive administrations to date, oil and gas landowners have not benefitted in any whatsoever. These are strategic issues that deserves the attention of this administration as a way of checking corruption.”