By Kayode Matthew
WARRI — THE Warri National Council has criticised the Federal Government over plans to build a N19 billion Petroleum Training Institute in Kaduna which neither bears nor yields one drop of crude oil.
Faulting the choice of Kaduna, the Council argued that “the only thing there is the refinery which is fed with the crude oil pumped at enormous cost from the Niger Delta, leaving behind only the devastation for the Niger Deltans to live with (or die by)”.
In a letter addressed to President Umaru Yar’Adua ebtitled: “Please bring about the needed change”, the Warri National Council contended that “where there is no bias and injustice so deliberately contrived should it not have made more sense to site this project in the Niger Delta area where both the exploration and exploitation take place?
Where there is sincerity of purpose, justice, equity and fair play, should this not have been in the Niger Delta so that the people of the area would have easy access to be trained and feel the consolation that for their devastation, they have a greater stake and therefore greater benefit from the industry that otherwise had been a scourge to them?”
The Council therefore called on the president “to openly demonstrate his sincerity about finally resolving the Niger Delta question by returning that institution to the Niger Delta. Not to do so will give discerning people the inevitable view that what created unrest informed the fashioning of the amnesty to put out the fire is still left to fester”.
The letter which was signed by Chairman of the Council, Chief B.O. Mene and Secretary, Chief C.D. Ikomi, further said, “we all know that the crux in the Niger Delta issue is that of the frustration and the anger of the people of the Niger Delta caused by the perceived injustice which they have continued to suffer at the hands of successive governments, both military and civilian, especially at the federal level for many years.
“It is that the country has continued to derive enormous financial wealth from the oil and gas exploited from this area and the major things that the people of the area are left with have been the devastation of their ecology, the destruction of their sources and means of livelihood and their being thus consigned to growing poverty and deprivation.”
Other areas benefit, N-Delta suffers
According to the Council, “what has made it more irksome is that others who are not from this area, who therefore suffer no damage whatsoever from the exploration and exploitation enterprises are the ones who enjoy the benefits.
The scenario has been that the people of the Niger Delta which bear and yield the oil and gas are held down with government machinery and apparatus while others would keep feeding fat on the proceeds through their access to governance. Sometimes this is done so blatantly in way that taunts the people who suffer the brunt of the fallouts in the oil industry”.
Council challenges PTDF
The Council also challenged the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) to follow the line of the transparency and accountability of Yar’Adua administration to publish the details of its activities from inception, showing who had been trained and their places of origin against the backdrop of allegations that the PTDF had trained far less Niger Deltans than others in a deliberate intent to favour others against them.
The Council then commended the President on his proclamation of Amnesty for the militants of the Niger Delta Area saying “the gesture is commendable in the sense that the aim is to douse the embers of the hostilities in the area so that life can go on peacefully for all categories of people to go about their business”.
while all meaningful Niger deltans are campaigning,fighting in any form they can to oppose the choice of building another PTI in kaduna where there is no drop of oil,where as our mad governors and politicians are keeping quite,therefore it becomes very clear to us that our leaders are really good for nothing…all niger delta governors are cowards and imbeciles..see what ur counterparts in north are doing,before your very eyes they want their brother mad,mentally deranged yardua build a PTI in KADUNA..did they say on earth that south south governors should not be responsible to their people.haba when will your foolishness stop
Niger Delta youths are crying of no jobs, yet federal government of Nigeria is building a PTI (worth N19Bbn) in Kaduna, who does not have a pin drop of crude oil. If this project is sited in Niger Dalta, thousands of youths in Niger Delta will be employed. Granting Amnesty to the youth fighting in the region has not provided them the much needed job they want. Fishing which is their main occupation is not possible due pollution of the environment as a result of oil prospecting. Now tell me, which project has federal govt. sited in Niger Delta since 1999 till date. Apart from East-West road which Obasanjo awarded in 2007 for South-south to support his third term bid. Yet we hear in NTA 9:00pm news of water projects, roads and bridges awarded in the north and Abuja.
We want the FG of the day to have a rethink on this issue. How can you build an infrastructure in a place where there is no nearness to raw material. Did this government went to school at all? My studies tells me that for a better production of finished product that will cost less, the processing area should be near where you can obtain the raw material. PTI in KD is another way of corruption in the highest order.
Until justice is done,there will never be peace in the Niger Delta and Until the northerners understand that the people of the NIGER DELTA can’t be fooled all the time and until our right and privileges are guarantee by Musa Yar adua and northerners there will be no peace.We have come to understand their plot and scheme to continually enslave us for their selfish end in order to develop norther,hausa Nigeria with their Brain washing vices and Lip service at home and abroad.Evildoers,PTI must remain in Niger delta and we boldly say NO to any GOVT.agencies,group of AREWA and Northerners welcoming the idea of building PTI in Kaduna.BEWARE,it is another agenda for the common amnesty to stop the boys of fighting for their right,so that they can gain more control of our resources.
Foolish Northerners, MEND is your ultimate nemesis. All your soldiers will die in pursuit of the irresistible oil, just as ants follow palm oil to roast on the stove- heated pot. Thieves!
For equity and justice, i don’t see why PTI should be sited in Kaduna. MEND are fighting bcos of this kind of injustice and any right thinking Nigerian will support them if FG fail to correct this mistake by PTDF leadership, The Senate and National assembly should immediately intervene. PTI should be sited in any of the niger delta states and PTDF should be investigated to ascertain those that benefited from it since inception. Is time for the headship to go to niger deltans not northerners as f is their birthright.
Where are the south-south politica leaders,and what made kaduna to be the sweetable place to host the PTI?It has being said for along time that the underdevelopment of south-south is the down-play of our leaders(south-south)for the sack money hunger,while the northern-olegachy are taking every thing of the south to north.What happound to great place like Benin and others south-south city that have not yet benefit from a project of our natural gift?Almighty God will never forgive u all nothing but a creminal political leaders of south-south.jurgment day will come!
Who is fooling who in this situation?????????
The idea of PTI in Kaduna is a national hypocrisy from the highest order, which should not be tolerated. If the Presidency is sincere in his amnesty bid for the Niger Delta, the idea could NOT be brought upon. The MEND has to do something to stop the Kaduna PTI propelling the FG to mend, renovate and facilitate the Effurun PTI in the Niger Delta.
F,,ck AREWA, f,,k Yar’Adua, f,,k the Mallams, F,,k ‘em all. I still insist MEND should blast all oil infrastructures and end it all.
F,,K ALL THE EVIL MINDED MEN WORKING AGAINST NIGER DELTA IN THE 21ST CENTURY