By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South

Don’t return unless…

THE  directive, last weekend, by the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, to the newly constituted Delta State Advocacy Committee against Oil Facility Vandalism, headed by his deputy, Barrister Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, was unambiguous. It was that members of the committee should relocate to the riverine communities in the troubled part of the state with immediate effect to stop the vandalization of oil installations in the state by a rampaging militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, NDA. The committee members are to remain there until they finish their assignment.

Besides Otuaro, a conflict management expert and notable son of Gbaramatu kingdom, who chairs the committee, the membership include Commissioner for Youth Development, Asupa Forteta, Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mofe Pirah, Special Adviser on Niger Delta Affairs, Kelly Penaowu and Special Adviser on Petroleum Matters, Bosin Ebikeme

Others are Chairman, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, Godwin Ebosa, Chairman, Delta Waterways and Land Security Committee, Chief Boro Opudu, Director General, Political and Security Services, David Tonwe and former Commissioner for Commerce/ one-time national president of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, who is the Secretary.

Meeting with Warri monarch, other royal fathers

After a strategy-planning session, the committee started its assignment on Monday with a visit to the Olu of Warri, HRM Ikenwoli I, at his palace in Warri, Warri South local government area, where it unfolded its mission and moved thereafter to Egbema kingdom, Warri North local government to meet with the Agadagba of Egbema and youth groups.

Otuaro told the Warri monarch:  “As a nation and as a state, we are already in deep economic crisis by virtue of the fall in oil price in the world market. Any further attacks on oil facility will worsen our already bad situation. “This is why we have come to you as the custodian of the people’s culture and land in your kingdom to help government deepen intelligence towards stopping the bombings,” he said.

In his reaction, Olu of Warri said: “I will send my chiefs to all nooks and crannies to help resolve the problem. The fact that the Governor had to send you, his deputy, to the creeks, shows that the thing is touching”. The Olu recalled that first, it was the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, and now, the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, whose activities have crippled the economy and hampering government capacity to deliver projects to the people.

He asked, “What are they avenging? Vengeance belongs to God. Man’s vengeance is limited?” He lamented that the spate of vandalism was giving the state a bad name”.

Disappearing drama of Amnesty Coordinator

The committee took the same message to Egbema, but on Tuesday, when the committee met with the National Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (retd), there was drama, as the Amnesty coordinator, who earlier praised the state government for constituting the committee, reneged on an earlier agreement to join the team to the creeks.

His reason was not clear, but when they got to the waterside at Warri Club after their meeting, the Amnesty coordinator changed his mind and returned to Abuja without the knowledge of Otuaro and others, who got to Oporoza and started looking for him,” a security source told Saturday Vanguard.

Naked truth

The committee had an enlivening encounter with Gbaramatu youths at a Town Hall meeting in Oporoza, where one of their leaders, Moses Yabrade, told the deputy governor straightforwardly that there was no synergy between the government and its agencies on pipeline surveillance.

Brigadier-General Boroh would have seized the opportunity to shed more light on the amnesty programme and brief the youths on the plan of the federal government, but his absence probably denied the assembly the prized information needed for better understanding of the role the federal government and its agencies.

Otuaro had earlier appealed to the youths of Gbaramatu to rise up and secure oil facilities in their domain, whether or not they were part of Niger Delta Avengers. His words: “We seek your partnership and collaboration to finding a permanent solution to the challenge. It is upon this honour that you will do to us your leaders so that we will engage the federal government to grant your requests. A dead man cannot ask for light or employment.”

Monarch advises Buhari on Tompolo

Pere of Gbaramatu, HRM Williams Ogoba, Oboro Gbaraun II, who played host to the deputy governor, said the manhunt for    ex-militant leader, ex militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, who is one of his subjects, was politically motivated and urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to see Tompolo as an adversary to facilitate the peace process.

“Political aggression against one another  will not bring peace to  anyone. I appeal to the President Muhammadu Buhari -led federal government not  to take up political aggression against High Chief Government  Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, but to see him as his son so as to stop  pipeline vandalism and restore peace back in the Niger Delta region.”

The Agadagba denied that members of the new militant group, Niger  Delta Avengers, were his subjects, saying:    “The accusation is untrue  and unfounded; we do not know the Avengers. We do not know  their whereabouts.”

He warned members of the militant group to stop pipeline vandalism  and other criminal activities in his domain, pointing out that he had  given a marching order to all his chiefs to secure their various communities with a view to preventing further pipeline vandalism in Gbaramatu kingdom.

The Agadagba also appealed to the Federal Government to engage the  youths meaningfully by giving consent to the commencement of academic activities at the  Maritime University of Nigeria.

Stop bombing, committee appeals to militants

Secretary of the committee, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, who spoke on phone from the creeks with our reporter, Thursday, said:”So far, we have met with the Olu  of Warri , Agadagba of Egbema , Pere of   Gbaramatu,    Ebenanawei of Ogulagha kingdoms. We have also interacted with stakeholders, community  leaders and youths  in different meetings at each of the communities visited.”

His words: “Our chair, who is the deputy governor laid emphasis on the need for communities to be more vigilant and make efforts to gather intelligence and ensure that no more vandalization is allowed within the neighborhood of the various kingdoms.”

“He appealed passionately for cooperation from communities in terms of Intelligence gathering to ensure that efforts are made towards opening contact with the Niger Delta Avengers with the hope of finding a lasting solution to the issues raised by the Avengers.

“The committee also appealed to the Niger Delta Avengers to stay action on any further bombings and allow us the opportunity to broker a negotiation with the appropriate authorities on the demand they have thus far made,” he added.

According to Ekiyor: ‘The committee further called on all ex-agitators   to join   hands with us in reaching out to the NDA in view of the fact that there is an ongoing amnesty program that provides a large opportunity to address all misgivings.”

Response/grievances of the people

He said: “Issues of economic loss to both state and federal governments and the backlash on the communities, including inability of government to fund budget for developing the region and environmental degradation were noted.” Ekiyor asserted: “Response from communities were largely similar and include  the following:

All showed serious concern and commitment to the happenings and are apprehensive of the insecurity being posed to the communities as a result of the activities of the new group.” “They promised to cooperate as much as possible. The youths, however, raised concern over their inability to help because of disconnect and misconception on the part of the government and security outfit.

“They mulled about a blanket assumption by the Joint Task Force, JTF that all youths in the region are vandals or criminal, which makes it impossible for concerned youths to even approach pipelines or go after suspected vandals, as the security agency will likely arrest both parties. They cited the case of the recently arrested chevron engaged community staff as example.” He went on: “Also, there were worries of undue harassment of royal fathers, women and youths at will  by the JTF within communities.”

“Furthermore, some youths  claimed to be less concerned, as they simply do not know how the oil has benefited them since it was found.    The    various communities appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to allow the Nigerian Maritime University, NMU, Okerenkoko and the Export Processing Zone, EPZ project    to kick off.

“They said that if EPZ can take off, it will take care of 150,000 vulnerable youths, while the university will create the enlightenment that certainly will not allow young people to be recruited into armed struggle,” Ekiyor stated. The scribed continued: “In addition, they laid emphasis on the need for tripartite working action between government security agencies, IOCs and communities in the securing of oil investment.”

“As former national president of Ijaw Youth Council, I add my voice in appealing to the Niger Delta Avengers to give peace a chance.    I also call on  the President Buhari-led administration not to be in a hurry in the use of maximum force, but allow the Advocacy Committee set up by the Delta state government some time, so we could get to the root cause of this resurgence and     find a win -win solution out of it,” he said.

We’ve not met Avengers yet

On whether the committee met face to face with the Niger Delta Avengers or any of its members, he said: “We have not met with anybody that told us that he is a member of the Niger Delta Avengers or the group itself. However, we are Niger Deltans and most of us know the pattern and structure of this struggle.

He asserted that it was obvious that the boys understand the terrain of the region from the way they had carried out attacks on oil installations, but was quick to add that the militants could be suspicious of the committee and its mission.

“That is why it is the duty of the committee to quickly do everything possible to get their confidence and create a platform for them to dialogue with the Federal Government to end the attacks on oil installations, which to my mind is the solution to whatever grievances they are talking about.” he asserted.

No retreat, no surrender

In keeping with the directive of the governor, the committee has continued with its assignment in      the creeks, using their network of information and contact to reach out to the Niger Delta Avengers with a view to getting them to stop the bombings and agree to a dialogue with the federal government.