In a statement by the group’s Chairman, Professor Gabriel Yomere said that if Nigeria is to be truly a federation, it must jettison the present political arrangement.

President of the group, Dr. Ebipamone Nanakumo, who spoke to Vanguard from his United States base, accused the Federal Government of further aggravating tension in the troubled region and called for the immediate reversal of the said obnoxious and unacceptable policies and plans of the Nigerian government.

They claimed that “new oil and gas companies, like Mid Western Oil and Gas, Platform Petroleum, Pillar Oil, Energia-UPDC, Sterling Global, Chorus Energy and a host of others have discovered huge deposit of Non-Associated Gas (NAG) in the upland areas of Ndokwa and Ukwuani local government areas which can be confirmed with the relevant authorities, making Ndokwa/Ukwuani the rightful hub for the central processing facility (CPF).”

The groups also faulted the downgrading of the old Petroleum Training Institute, in Delta State in favour of Kaduna Petroleum College, adding that “the Federal Government should as well re-locate oil wells in the region to the North to complete the circle of domination and marginalisation.”

It warned that “if President Yar’ Adua reverses the upgrading of the PTI by former President Obasanjo, another President is likely to down grade the Petroleum Institute in Kaduna, thus setting in motion a vicious chain of unhealthy friction in the nation’s polity.”

In a statement signed by Mr Biukeme Benibo on behalf the group, the Egrangbene people stated that the decision of the state at its last security meeting to place a ban on an illegal, unpopular “king” from parading himself as Pere of Egrangbene community has saved the community from bloodbath and chaos adding that the move by a few lawless elements in the community, allegedly sponsored by a businessman based in Warri to expand his oil business and other interests, was rejected by larger Egrang-bene community.

The Foundation advised the President to be careful with the sycophants that surround his administration who hide under party affiliation to mislead the government and suggested that the principle of compara-tive advantage should guide the government’s decisions.

The council, led by Senator Fred Brume with Chief Gabriel Ofotokun as Secretary, noted at the end of its meeting in Ughelli that the anomalous biases in the control and management of the PTDF have been a major tool of injustice, oppression and neglect in the affairs of the oil industry in the Niger Delta.