By Emma Amaize

WARRI—COORDINATOR  of the Niger Delta People Congress, NDPC, Chief Mike Loyibo, has said there is no division among Niger Delta leaders as the boss of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, remains the leader of the region.

Chief Loyibo, who spoke to Vanguard in Warri, Delta State, said the fact that NDPC submitted fresh demands to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, two weeks after PANDEF submitted a 16-point demand to President Muhammadu Buhari, on November 1, did not mean that there was a leadership problem.

According to him: “We do not believe that there is a leadership problem in the region. Chief E.K. Clark remains the leader of the region and is a man of no mean repute.”

High Chief Loyibo

He claimed the group confided in PANDEF leader, Chief Clark, on the core issues before the visit to the Vice President, saying: “Some persons who were also members of PANDEF were frustrated with issues such as derivation, which were not properly addressed as requested by the agitators.

“There is no division of any sort among the Niger Delta leaders as presumed. The purpose of the NDPC visit is clearly defined in the address which was presented to the Vice President, which is to reaffirm, re-prioritize and place in perspectives all submissions made earlier by various groups. There are many militant groups in the Niger Delta region outside the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA. All these groups, including the NDA expressed dissatisfaction with the presentation of PANDEF taking into cognizance the fact that their core demands were not given the priority they deserved.”

Militants ready for talks

He dismissed the claim that Niger Delta militants were not ready for dialogue with the government, saying: “The militants/agitators are ready for dialogue and that was why they mandated PANDEF to have a discussion with the Federal Government on their behalf. This also explains why there is cessation in the bombardment of oil installations in the region before the November 1  meeting between PANDEF and the Federal Government.

In the submission of NDPC, several immediate, medium and long-term measures were recommended. These are categorized under political reconstruction and fiscal federalism;  de-militarization of the Niger Delta region/peace and confidence building; adequate funding of interventionist agencies; proper management of the post amnesty programme; promotion of environmental and human right policies; infrastructural and human capital development.”