By Emma Amaize
GBARAMATU—Youth Council in Delta State yesterday expressed concern that the economy of the Nigerian state would be crippled in the next few weeks as a result of the damage of the facilities of oil companies in the Niger Delta by militants.
Already, the production capacity of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Delta State has fallen to 10,000 barrels per day from the initial 100,000 bpd.
PARADE: Col. Rabe Abubakar, JTF spokesman (right) parades Messrs Omole Sedimigho and Reuben Gbotonye, members of MEND before the press on yesterday after arrest at Forcados, along with huge quantity of dynamites which MEND claimed were allegedly killed in an extra judicial manner. Photo by Akpokona Omafuaire.
Militants are also targeting to blow up Forcados Export Terminal which, if successful, would bring production to zero.
Delta State government is seriously affected by the offensive, as it is already clear that its allocations will drop and even the Delta State Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) may also face cash crunch.
The council in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting in Warri, signed by its president, Engr. Kennedy Brake, and two others, the council blamed the Joint Task Force (JTF) for the sad turn of events, saying it gave the Federal Government a false impression that soldiers would be able to protect the facilities.
According to the council, “on Monday, July 7, our monitoring team returned from the creeks of Escravos and beyond and confirmed that in the next few weeks, the Nigerian state will not have a tin of crude oil to export or refine in the country because all the major oil facilities in the country have been crippled .
“The Otunana trunk lines, pipelines, Makaraba pipelines, jackets, well-heads, Abitieye trun klines , pipelines, jackets, Dibi and Olero trunk lines, pipelines, wellheads, and even the Okan deep sea trunk line and pipelines have been sabotaged to the last core.
“The same applies to Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), all its trunk lines and pipelines have been sabotaged, leaving the oil operators with forced measures to evacuate from the Niger-Delta . That is why we deemed it necessary to call on the international communities once more to note and intervene.
“All these are happening in the presence of the task force which boast on paper every day that they are equal to the task; we will fight to finish; we engaged them in gun battle; we will soon fish them out. If we may ask? Where was the task force who desecrated our homes in Gbaramatu kingdom when all the facilities were destroyed?
“Right now, Chevron cannot operate anymore because the militants have crippled all their facilities. Chevron is dying in silence because they [Chevron) think bringing armed troops to secure their facility is the best option, but now the militants have proven them wrong.
“The true owners of the area are the best and qualified people to secure the oil facilities in the region rather than outsiders.”
For the economy not to totally collapse, the youths called on President Umaru Yar’Adua to withdraw the JTF from the Niger Delta and implement the report of the Niger-Delta Technical Committee, headed by Mr. Ledum Mitee.
Habah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who I dey see so? Is this JTF commander or one of his boys?
He is so lean that all his chubby cheek has gone.
MEND don’t really give am sleepless nights.
MEND I say KUDOS
On 0% oil Export we stand!
up MEND!!!
THERE ARE PROPER WAYS TO FIGHT FOR RIGHTS!!! THE BLACK PANTER MOVEMENT WAS FIGHTING FOR RIGHTS. THING IS THEY WERE DOING IT IN THE WRONG WAY! PEOPLE LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING SHOWED THAT CIVIL UNREST MAKES THE OPPRESSORS MOST UNCOMFORTABLE AND FORCES THEM TO CHANGE GROUND. THINK OF OIL COMMUNITIES OCCUPYING INSTALLATIONS WITHOUT EXPLOSIONS..THINGS LIKE THAT!!! IT MIGHT GET THOUSANDS ARRESTED, BUT BELIEVE ME THE FOREIGN PRESS E.T.C WILL PICK SUCH AN OCCURANCE AND RUN WITH IT. THIS IS WHAT N/DELTA LEADERS AND FIGHTERS SHOULD BE PRESSING FOR.
It is not enough when you give a cup of water to the monky but how to get cup back the past and serving goverment politcal holder have one way or other indruduce them how to use gun in protecting them and now you want the back from them, JTF has been the business of thier supirore OBEY the last order do’t forget the package, A corpral posted to the Niger delta driving a jeep, EFCC must vist the JTF if not now, Nigeria eggs are in one basket that is why there is a lage of amount of moany voted for security in Niger Delta, One day leaders will accunt fo the innocent blood they have kill let us returne to now HE will HEAR USOOOOOO
See these naive people! You think the impact of non-exportation of oil will only be felt by the politicians? EVERYONE will be affected by this.
Where was this picture taken? You will notice the state of disrepair and lack of maintenance of the building. That is the stupid mentality of Nigerian leaders. They are rich but live in poverty, no roads, no good toilets, no good food, they just develop pot bellies, they are obesse, no exercise, just look at this one here, Education Minister. Sam Egwu. Fat and looting. Thats what they think, the fatter the better. It shows you are enjoying. Let me just forget these yeye people and do my work.
Rabe’s stomach is going down. MEND is giving him sleepless nights. No more bunkering. MEND step it up.
Why are they blindfolded? What is the fate of these ones? Are they still alive? Is this in the spirit and letter of AMNESTY? Who is fooling who? Where are these so called Niger Delta leaders? None. None. What a shame. This picture is inhuman. How do you expect President Barack Obama to come and rub shoulders with all these YAMAYAMA people?
This is very good news. MEND should accelerate the exercise and get it all done with. Only a small group of less than 100,000 enjoy the OIL money so of what use is it. Let MEND reduce oil production to zero. Of course they have looted a lot but because they are theives their money will grow wings in Jesus Name Amen. Evil men. No roads, thanks to OBJ and Anenih, No power thanks to OBJ. What kind of country is this? Please make sure you leaders fly to Ghana under the auspices of Ecowas to take photographs with Obama in Ghana so you can use it to brag and hope to attract voters in 2011. “See me and Obama”
Yeye, stupid thieves. You are not ashamed, you cannot run a country, as blessed as Nigeria is. Poverty will never depart from your homes in Jesus Name Amen.
The Niger Delta boys are not serious.I thought by now they could have destroyed every installation in that region so that everybody will go to their various homes.
immidiately the oil is gone,politicians will start thinking right.
Please,iam begging MEND not to waist any second again.
Col. Rabe will one day be paraded as he is parading this innocent citizen who are fighting for their rights in the niger delta. He will face genocide, war against humanity for their (northerners)’s atrocities in the niger delta. Now the oil is going away, Americans are looking for alternatives for oil, i will see how this col. rabe and his accomplices in the north will survive. I know he must have stock-piled a lot of wealth (looting in the niger delta region through crude oil stealing, looting of properties in the niger delta). The muslims in the north believed that after the war, the oil is their “Spoil of war”, but i assure you that you are all dead wrong. U ‘ll pay for this atrocities some day. I watch and see what will happen to the nigeria state in the next few days… weeks…months… years…!!!
One should wonder if oil was our major source of income why is it not on the Nigerian flag instead of agriculture and river Niger? If total paralyzes of flow of oil will bring peace, respect, justice, agreement, true federalism etc to Nigeria let it come quick! To me, i dont think total paralyzes of oil flow will cripple Naija economy but cripple the looting and sharing of money-bag in Abuja and the North. Common naija people do not live on oil money so they wont feel it. Only the North will actually weep blood for their money well is no longer flowing. Thank God! I cant wait too!!!