NDA’S TRUCE AND THE NIGER DELTA DEBACLE

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources should remain as the arrowhead of the government’s peace making effort in the Niger Delta, writes Thompson Ekpokwure

The recent agreement by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) for a conditional ceasefire and to hold talks with the federal government after months of attacks on key oil and gas facilities is a welcome development. Although, this is not the first time the group is agreeing to a truce, this appears to raise hopes that the long-drawn destabilisation of the Niger Delta region and by extension, oil facilities, is coming to an end. The body language of the federal government and that of NDA is pointing to one direction: both parties seemed to have resolved to end the sabotage in the interest of the nation.

Before now, keen observers of the Niger Delta debacle will acknowledge the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari on the lingering crisis. From the onset, most of the government efforts were dampened by a lot of mitigating factors, hindering the peace process. A good case in point is the power struggle among militant groups in Niger Delta, which, to a large extent, hindered the initial efforts of the government. Most disturbing is the acrimony between the Niger Delta Avengers and Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) which has continued, with both groups accusing each other of derailing the struggle. Not to be ignored also is the hawkish posture of some elements of the Buhari administration who believe that the only way to go is to defeat the militants on the battle field! Then there is the place of the economic parasites that have sprung up in a bid to benefit from any agreements the government will reach with the NDA, MEND, or any other, thus making the negotiation process even more cumbersome. The totality of this is to create the impression that the present administration has not succeeded in building back the economy.

This is where the efforts of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, come in. Since the NDA publicly announced its existence in March 2016, Dr Kachikwu has not failed to point out the huge loss occasioned by the massive destruction of oil assets in the Niger Delta. Burdened with the massive economic loss Nigeria was experiencing on daily bases, the minister has taken a step further to see that the issue of Niger Delta militancy is arrested. With Kachikwu’s unflagging commitment and passion for a lasting solution, this administration began to lead conversations with the militants which have successfully triggered a lot of engagements that are now taking place with the authorisation of President Buhari. Such peaceful moves, when concluded, are expected to get oil production up, or even return to our production ceiling for this year of 2.2 million barrels.

Apart from his unalloyed efforts to reduce waste and increase Nigeria’s production capacity which was brought down by activities of the militants, Dr. Kachikwu, has all the while, shown total commitment in safeguarding oil facilities, oil producing areas and its people. The Niger Delta-born technocrat does this with all sense of courage, focus and loyalty. The courage he exhibited when Niger Delta Coastal State monarchs visited him recently in Abuja said it all. Dr Kachikwu looked at the traditional rulers, eyeball to eyeball, and told them point blank, that there was no infrastructure in the creek to show for the $40 billion released to the Niger Delta in the last 10 years and therefore could not immediately grant their wish.

He, therefore, made it clear to them that unless the issue of transparency in the management of funds is solved, there will be no further release of cash. To him, President Buhari, who he said is totally committed to the engagement of the Niger Delta people, is more interested in the data on what happened in the past in Niger Delta so as to know the fundamentals that are necessary for a solution.

Little wonder the minister has been honoured in many quarters despite malicious accusations in some corners. For his invaluable roles in Niger Delta issues, National Association of Gbaramatu Students (NAGS) recently confirmed that Dr Kachikwu is one of their own, describing the minister as a “Godsent”. To them, the Minister of State for Petroleum was always out and ever ready to liberate the people of Niger Delta.

“We pass a vote of confidence in him. If there are others like him, who think positively about our region, then we would not have been in this level that we are today.” President of the association, Seiyefa Ekpemupolo said in a statement. The NAGS award is just one out of an array of accolades presented to the minister due to the positive role he is playing in the Niger Delta region and other parts of the country.

In the light of the above, Dr Kachikwu who has already earned the confidence of the people of Niger Delta, as “Godsent”, should be allowed to remain as the arrowhead of the federal government’s peacemaking effort in the Niger Delta. He has gained the confidence of the aggrieved Niger Delta people, one of the major credentials in leading a dialogue team. He should therefore be allowed to lead the federal government’s team to the negotiations.

Be that as it may, there is urgent need for the NDA to lay down arms and embrace the peace overtures of the federal government. Nigerians should, as a matter of fact, appreciate and support the efforts of President Buhari and his team to end the crisis and emphasise the need for a more collaborative effort by all stakeholders towards ensuring an enduring solution to the Niger Delta question. Truth is, if this peace initiative eludes us, it is still the people of the Niger Delta who will pay the biggest price for militancy in their area. They will pay the biggest price for pollution, for insecurity, killings, kidnap, destruction and other vices associated with militancy. Worse still, they will be on the firing line in the event of an all-out military expedition.