By Our Correspondent
A Monarch in oil-rich Delta State has warned that unless urgent steps were taken by the Federal Government, the prevailing crisis in the Niger Delta Region was capable of throwing the Country into serious crisis and called for intensive dialogue in order for peace to be restored.
The Royal Father, HRM Pere (Dr) Charles Ayemi-Botu (JP),OFR(aka The Lion Of The Niger), Paramount Ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom said yesterday in Warri, Delta State that an uneasy tension and a looming disaster of catastrophic dimension in the Niger Delta was imminent, if the crisis was not nipped in the bud now.
The former National Executive Chairman of The Traditional Rulers of the nine Oil and Gas Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON) from 2003 to 2007, advocated that both the Federal Government and the Niger Delta Avengers and other Militant groups should as a matter of extreme urgency embrace peace without further delay and resort to dialogue in order to save Nigeria and Nigerians from unnecessary embarrassment and avoidable crisis that could constitute Nigerians as an object of redicule to the international community and creating an avenue for them to market their weapons of mass destruction.
According to the monarch, sequel to the private visit of the United States of America, Consul General, Mr. John Braye to his palace annex in Warri May 25, 2016 and they had a joint press conference where they called on the Federal Government and the Niger Delta Avengers to sheath their swords and embrace dialogue.
The U.S.government, he said, is ready to collaborate with the Federal government to find a peaceful resolution to the Niger Delta impasse.
“As a follow up, the Ijaw monarchs and elders of Delta State met on May 28, 2016 and also prevailed on both Federal Government and the Niger Delta Avengers to cease fire for one month, starting from June 1st to July 1st. 2016. Few days later, precisely on Friday June 3rd. President Muhammadu Buhari graciously ordered the withdrawal of troops from Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government area of Delta State and announced two weeks cease fire and instantly set up a negotiation committee to dialogue with the Avengers and promised to proffer lasting solution to the region, prior to his proceeding on 10 day medical vacation abroad”, he stated.
The Monarch added that; ” The President’s goodwill gesture was highly commendable and proved him beyond all reasonable doubt that he is a genuine leader and a true patriot. On his successful return from abroad all expectations that the President would put the machinery in motion to kickstart the dialogue with the Avengers by nominating people after due consultation with the governors of the affected states and inaugurate the committee with a deadline to submit their report. It is highly likely that he will not renege from his avowed promise to implement the peace process in the Niger Delta as he has already started cleaning up the long awaited environmental pollution in Ogoni and hopefully extend it to other affected areas such as Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa-Ibom states.”
In his words also;”A situation whereby the media is being used to canvas your terms of settlement demonstrates a high degree of unseriousness in such a complex and volatile issue. It seems like a child’s play ! A word of caution to the Militants is the worrisome state of devastation and inherent pollution to the ecosystem created by the incessant bombing of oil installations that will invariably lead to epidemics and already several communities are affected and crying out for help, which requires urgent attention.”
“We had some rays of hope when the Minister of State Petroleum and former GMD NNPC Dr. Ibe Kachukwu was on consultative mission to Bayelsa, Delta States and proceeded to meet stakeholders in the creeks to interface with them through directive of the President. Though some positive development was in the making but suddenly he was dropped as GMD NNPC, apparently it is a mission unaccomplished”, he said.
The Traditional Ruler stated also that;”There are series of alleged rumours in the print, electronic and social media that the militants will deploy or launch missiles to targeted cities and the Federal Government on her part has gone into agreement to engage Saudi Black Water Mercenaries to fight pipeline vandalism that would cost million of dollars. Apparently all these are unnecessary beating of the war drums”
“After all we are at the brink of getting rid of the Boko Haram insurgency and the invading Jihadist Herdsmen are on the Prawl — killing, maiming and raping innocent farmers with impunity and no solution has been provided to avert their rampage. It is a proven fact that ” It’s not War War but Jaw Jaw ” and no problem could be completely resolved through the morsel of the barrel of the gun but through intensive dialogue”, Pere Ayemi-Botu posited.
