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Tag: Niger Delta

  • JUST IN: Signing of Niger Delta charter on resource control, self-determination begins

    JUST IN: Signing of Niger Delta charter on resource control, self-determination begins

    The Niger Delta Congress (NDC) has said it is forging ahead with its demand for self-determination and insistence that oil and other natural resources be controlled by the people.

    The NDC made this known, confirming that the signing of the Niger Delta Peoples Charter will start on Monday November 1, 2021.

    Ovunda Eni, the spokesman, made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday.

    The coalition of regional bodies put all the ethnic nationalities of the six states in the South-South on notice.

    Eni recalled the conference held on October 8 at the Ijaw House Complex in Yenegoa, the Bayelsa capital.

    He explained that the draft copy of the Niger Delta Peoples Charter was unanimously adopted as a working document.

    The NDC has now concluded the harmonisation process of all recommendations forwarded to the secretariat.

    “It is our firm belief that this Charter will lay the foundation for the processes that will birth a new future”, Eni noted.

    The NDC said the aim was to unite the people “towards achieving shared hopes and aspirations of resource control and self-determination”.

    The body charged the people not to be fazed by insecurity and other challenges in Nigeria.

    The statement told them to anticipate the arrival of the Charter in their communities and actively take part in the mass signing.

  • NDC releases list of conditions for Niger Delta to continue to remain part of Nigeria

    NDC releases list of conditions for Niger Delta to continue to remain part of Nigeria

    The Niger Delta Congress (NDC) has released a list of conditions that the Federal Government of Nigeria must fulfill in order for the Niger Delta region to continue to remain part of Nigeria.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the conditions were contained in an amended Niger Delta Peoples Charter Draft released by the NDC on Friday.

    The NDC stated that if the FG should fail to create and adopt a constitution that captures the rights of the people of the Niger Delta as declared and proclaimed in the charter in the shortest possible time, the Niger Delta people will have no option but to exercise their rights to self determination as a people independent of the Nigerian federation.

    The group, a socio-political organisation of ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta established in 2019, also requested the FG for the reparations of oil revenue deprived the people from 1960 till date to be paid in full.

    Here is the full text of the Niger Delta Peoples Charter Draft (Amended) as released by NDC

    NIGER DELTA CONGRESS

    NIGER DELTA PEOPLES CHARTER DRAFT (AMMENDED)

    PREAMBLE:

    We, the people of the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta Region drawn from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers State, after due deliberations amongst ourselves, conscious of our peculiarities and diversities in traditions, heritage, culture, civilization, customs and fully aware of our predicament, status, experience and prospect in the Nigerian Federation, do hereby state as follows:-

    1. That the ethnic nations that make up the Niger Delta as outlined above were invaded by the British, and against the wishes of the peoples of the region forcefully merged with the Lagos Colony in 1906 to form the Southern Nigeria Protectorate.
    2. That in 1914, the peoples of the region were once again forcefully merged with the Northern protectorate of the colonialists to form the country known as Nigeria.
    3. That in 1946 the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta region were forced under the Western and Eastern region within the Nigerian creation respectively, consequently putting the independent ethnic nationalities of the region under the hegemonic control of the Yorubas in the Western region, and the Igbos in the Eastern region.
    4. Whereas the Niger Delta peoples protested against these colonial constructs being created in the run up to Nigeria gaining independence from Britain, the wishes of our people were not satisfactorily addressed by the pre-determined Henry Willink’s Commission setup by the British Colonial Government for the purpose of looking into the fears of our people.
    5. That in the period after Nigeria’s independence on 1st October 1960, the Niger Delta peoples have been victimized and robbed of our lands and resources by a system of government built on ethnic hegemony, injustice and inequality.
    6. That the victimization and robbery of the Niger Delta people has been done using various laws and decrees, including constitutions which have over time been forced on our people despite protest against such from our people.
    7. Whereas in the course of violently repressing the Niger Delta people, the Nigerian state and its constituent major ethnic blocs have committed numerous acts of genocide against us, using its security agencies, and the various ethnic and religious militias available to it, leading to the death of approximately 1,500,000 Niger Deltans from the start of the Civil War in 1967 till date. Notable mentions of these ethnic genocide are: the civil war genocides superintended by the Nigerian and Biafran forces on our people which has today been erased from the public eye via omission from historical accounts of the civil war, the Ogoni massacres of 1993 to 1995 under the orders of General Sani Abacha, the Odi genocide of 1999 perpetrated under the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, and the Gbaramatu massacre of 2009 under the President Umaru Musa Yar’adua administration.
    8. That the Nigerian state has mined oil from the Niger Delta worth over $600 billion since 1957 when commercial oil exploration began, of which the Niger Delta has gotten less than a cumulative 15% as “derivation” in return.
    9. That in the process of the forceful exploration of our mineral resources by the Nigerian government in collaboration with foreign governments and oil companies, our environment has been severely degraded and devastated, destroying the economic livelihoods of our people by rendering our lands unfit for agriculture and harmful for habitation; while rendering our rivers largely unfishable and poisonous for consumption where available. In addition the ground water reserves of our land has been contaminated with benzene making it unfit for consumption, putting the lives of millions of our people in the balance between a certain death from dehydration or a certain death from the consumption of hydrocarbon contaminated water.
    10. That as at today the Niger Delta region has been purposely underdeveloped and the people economically strangulated by legislations and policies of the Nigerian federation which has limited, or in most cases eliminated the socio-economic and socio-political freedoms of our people as a means to keep our people perpetually down and completely subjugated.
    11. Whereas it is only a just society with economic, social, and political freedoms that can develop in peace and unity, however the existing framework of the Nigerian government has neither been just to the people of the Niger Delta, neither has it provided or allowed for the exercise of our freedoms as human beings.
    12. That the current administration of the Nigerian Government though said to be democratic, has so far manifested as an ethnic and regional dictatorship with no regard for the principles of fairness and equity, and has shown utter disregard and disrespect for the people of the Niger Delta who contribute 90% of the resources that fund the budget of the Nigerian Government.
    13. That the rising cases of insurrections, ethnic cleansings and land grabs, and insurgencies within the country, puts to question the usefulness of the current security architecture and has shown the failure and inability of the Nigerian government in protecting the lives and properties of the people of the Niger Delta.
    14. That the blunt refusal of the Nigerian Government to heed to several calls for resource control, restructuring and devolution of powers by the region as documented in the various charters and declarations of our people over time, has brought the people of the Niger Delta to a critical point where we have, collectively, decided to take our destinies in our own hands.

    Based on the aforementioned, we, the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta hereby declare our inalienable rights as follows:

    1. OUR RIGHTS TO LIFE: And to defend our land and people against violent attacks.
    2. OUR RIGHTS TO OUR LANDS, WATERS, AND RESOURCES: That all land, resources (onshore and offshore) in the Niger Delta belong to and shall be controlled, managed, and protected by the peoples of the Niger Delta for our benefit. By this, we mean complete land and resource control.
    3. OUR RIGHTS TO POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC AUTONOMY: That the political and economic affairs of the Niger Delta shall be controlled by Niger Delta people for the advancement and development of the Niger Delta.
    4. OUR RIGHTS TO A CLEAN AND CONDUCIVE ENVIRONMENT: That an environmental assessment of the entire Niger Delta region and a corresponding cleanup of the region must be carried out.
    5. OUR RIGHTS TO JUSTICE: That adequate compensation for the destruction of the Niger Delta environment must be paid by all oil companies that have operated in, and are currently operating in the region, in collaboration with the Nigerian government. That reparations of oil revenue deprived the people from 1960 till date must be paid in full.
    6. OUR RIGHTS TO FREEDOM:

    In addition to the declaration of these inalienable rights above, we the people of the Niger Delta also assert our rights as proclaimed in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights of June 1981, and by the United Nations General Assembly’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10th December 1948, under General Assembly Resolution 217A, and accordingly demand as of right that the Nigerian Government and Federation be immediately restructured to reflect these changes as a condition for the United Niger Delta People to remain within the Nigerian Federation. That failure to create and adopt a constitution that captures the rights of the Niger Delta people as declared and proclaimed in this charter in the shortest possible time, the Niger Delta people will have no option but to exercise our rights to self determination as a people independent of the Nigerian federation.

    In furtherance of the above stated objectives, we, the people of the Niger Delta Region, recognizing the need to raise our moral and intellectual dignity, rekindle in ourselves the spirit of Unity, Peace and brotherhood as a single geopolitical entity and aware of our duties as protectors of our cherished history, culture, traditions, customs, heritage, destiny and rights as a free people and coherent region, unanimously and solemnly resolved at the Niger Delta Peoples’ Conference held at Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Friday, October 8, 2021 and do hereby make, enact and adopt this CHARTER, which shall be known, called and addressed as “the Niger Delta Peoples’ Charter” that we shall as a people defend this historic and solemn CHARTER in the interest of unity, peace, justice and equity. So help us God.

    Signed by the representatives of ethnic nationalities in the Region.

  • Book on History, Niger Delta oil, politics and culture a Feschrift in honour of Prof. Aghalino for Oct. 21

    Book on History, Niger Delta oil, politics and culture a Feschrift in honour of Prof. Aghalino for Oct. 21

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    A book titled History And The Niger Delta Oil, Politics And Culture A Feschrift in honour of erudite Professor of History, Sam Aghalino has been scheduled for launch on October 21 in Asaba, Delta State.

    The book which is a collectivity of eggheads in academia with vast historical backgrounds on the Niger Delta and its people across major universities in Nigeria was edited by Dr Chukwuma Osakwe and Dr. Lemueh Odey.

    The book launch is being put together by Prof Sam Aghalino’s Committee of friends, the Okiroro of Isoko land, Chief Ovuozourie Macaulay is the chief host and other powerful friends of the great historian.

  • Special police barracks named after Buhari in Rivers State

    Special police barracks named after Buhari in Rivers State

    The new Special Protection Unit Base 6 barracks built and donated by Niger Delta Development Commission to the Nigeria Police Force in Omagwa, Rivers State, has been renamed the President Muhammadu Buhari Nigeria Police (Special Protection Unit) Base 6 Barracks.

    The complex, made up of a commander’s quarters, 68 residential flats, offices and other facilities, would be commissioned by the President on Tuesday.

    Announcing this in Abuja, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, said the renaming was done in recognition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment towards enthroning peace and security in the Niger Delta region.

    Senator Akpabio said that President Buhari directed that the barracks, begun several years ago, should be completed quickly to boost the work of the Nigeria Police Force in the Niger Delta, as well as efforts at facilitating sustainable regional development.

    He commended the Interim Administrator of the NDDC, Mr Efiong Akwa for heeding the directive of the Federal Government, stating that “the new NDDC is renewing the confidence of Niger Deltans in Government’s seriousness to bring development to the communities.”

    He added: “This is one of a few projects NDDC is completing and commissioning, post the forensic audit exercise. It shows that we are on the right track and that the Niger Delta will enjoy more of the government’s efforts to improve living conditions of the region and restore hope in the people.”

  • Investigation: Presidential amnesty payroll padded with duplicated names

    Investigation: Presidential amnesty payroll padded with duplicated names

    Investigations have revealed that the payroll of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) for reformed Niger Delta militants is padded with duplicated names.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the presidential amnesty payroll is padded with 400 duplicated names as revealed by Mr Nneotabase Egbe, Special Adviser on Media to the Interim Administrator of PAP, Col. Milland Dikio (rtd).

    Recall that repentant militants from the Niger Delta voluntarily surrendered their weapons to the Federal Government in 2009.

    Arms and ammunition from over 29,000 ex-militants were recovered, and essential information on the background and stations of the disarmed ex-militants were collected.

    TNG reports the ex-militants were then counseled, trained, documented and were enrolled into the programme.

    According to Mr Egbe, the programme has been undergoing reforms in the last one year after Dikio took over the helm of affairs.

    He said the reform is already yielding fruits.

    He further stated that efforts are being intensified to discover the identities of persons receiving monies through the identified fake accounts.

    “The irregularities noticed a year ago led to the investigation and verification of the 30,000 accounts receiving the N65,000 each monthly stipends.

    “The scrutiny has so far revealed that some of the accounts were fake and fraudulently used to siphon funds meant for original ex-agitators.

    “Immediately the investigation commenced, the amnesty office stopped the stipends of the accounts undergoing probe. It was the right thing to do.

    “I can tell you that some of the accounts had been cleared and their owners will soon receive their stipends.

    “But efforts are being intensified to discover the identities of persons receiving monies through identified fake accounts,” Egbe said.

    TNG reports that with the revelation, the FG has lost over N3.4 billion to the ghost names on the payroll of the PAP.

    However, Egbe said the PAP under Dikio was determined to cleanse the system to ensure that amnesty’s resources were expended on real and verifiable ex-agitators and not on impostors.

    “Investigations also revealed that some contractors of the PAP office were not delivering their jobs in accordance with their terms of contracts,” he said.

    TNG reports Egbe maintained that Dikio was determined to cleanse the system.

  • Over 13,000 projects abandoned in Niger Delta – NDDC Audit Report

    Over 13,000 projects abandoned in Niger Delta – NDDC Audit Report

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio has said the Forensic Audit Report of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) indicated that there are over 13,000 abandoned projects within the coastal region.

    Senator Akpabio disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday when he submitted the report to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).

    “The report of the audit committee showed that there are over 13,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta and even before the submission of the report some contractors have returned to site on their own and completed about 77 road projects.

    “Although the exercise had a checkered history, I thank Mr President and all those who supported and ensured its success,” the minister stated.

    He added that the exercise was not done to witch-hunt anyone, but to ensure that the huge sums of funds allocated for developing the region are put to good use.

    According to Akpabio, the Niger Delta region has remained backward since 1958 in spite of efforts by successive governments through the creation of various interventionist programmes and projects, a situation he says is changing.

    Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that the Federal Government will ensure it recovers over N6 trillion allegedly misappropriated in the running of the NDDC between 2001 and 2019.

    Buhari who spoke shortly after he received the Forensic Audit Report from Akpabio, claimed that there had been evidence of substantial compromise in the execution of at least 13,777 and the existence of “multitude of NDDC’s bank accounts amounting to 362” which lacked proper reconciliation of accounts.

    Consequently, the President directed that the report of the forensic audit on the NDDC be forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Justice for necessary action.

    Malami, after receiving the report, assured that it would be critically analysed for necessary action and implementation.

    In October 2019, Buhari ordered a holistic forensic audit on the activities of the NDDC from when it was established till August 2019, in response to the yearnings of the people to make the Commission more effective and result oriented.

    The President said there was nothing tangible on the ground in the region to show for the huge funds committed over the years through the Commission.

    He noted that his administration was concerned about the colossal loss occasioned by uncompleted and unverified development projects in the region, and how the citizens have for long been deprived of the dividends of democracy.

  • Niger Delta group insists on zoning presidency to South South in 2023

    Niger Delta group insists on zoning presidency to South South in 2023

    The Frontiers for Peace and Unity (FPU), a pressure group, says the South South should be allowed to produce the nation’s president in 2023.

    Mrs Ikalama Owadiktorusinya, National Coordinator, FPU, made the call at the inauguration of the group’s national executives and its Rivers state executive in Port Harcourt on Monday.

    Owadiktorusinya said that FPU has carefully studied the political environment and resolved that the presidency must be zoned to the South South for fairness.

    “We demand that the unwritten rotational principle of the presidency between the North and South should be brought to bear in the interest of equity, justice and fair play.

    “Going by the principle of rotation, the presidency must, therefore, rotate to the South South in 2023.

    “So, we urge every Nigerian that believes in development and progress of our country, to support the zoning of the presidency to the South South,” she said.

    Owadiktorusinya said that the region deserved the slot going by its strategic importance and contributions to the nation’s economy.

    She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his robust infrastructure developmental drive as well as recent signing into law of Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

    “We also commend Buhari for the sustenance of the amnesty programme for repentant agitators as well as ongoing construction of the East West Road among others.

    “NFU has from the onset realised that we cannot work in isolation as a group, hence our decision to pitch tent with the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “We are convinced that the party has a work-plan and a clear-cut readiness to implement policies and programmes that will impact positively on Nigerians,” she added.

    Owadiktorusinya lauded the Minister of Transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi, for his contributions to the revival of the nation’s railway sector, describing him as an astute administrator.

    The coordinator said that FPU’s newly inaugurated 30-member national and Rivers state executives would commence work immediately by taking the gospel of peace and unity across the country.

    Dr Joba West, a former Rivers Commissioner for Women Affairs, commended the group for its drive to unify the country across divides.

    West, who chaired the event, urged the group to be gender friendly and discouraged Nigerians from recycling old politicians in the 2023 general elections.

    The event had in attendance hundreds of youths from the Niger Delta as well as other regions.

  • ‘Height of insensitivity’: PDP, Niger Delta groups hit Buhari hard for signing PIB into law

    ‘Height of insensitivity’: PDP, Niger Delta groups hit Buhari hard for signing PIB into law

    Major Niger Delta groups, including the Host Communities Producing Oil and Gas (HOSCOM) and the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on Monday kicked against the signing of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    They described the presidential assent as “insensitive,” “abominable”, “unfortunate”, “unbelievable”, “repugnant” and a clear case of the arrogance/contempt with which issues affecting the Niger Delta are treated by the Buhari administration.

    The other groups that kicked against the new oil industry law are the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Movement for the Survival of Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND), Ikwere People Congress (IPC) Worldwide, Itsekiri Liberation Group (ILG), Forum for Ethnic Nationalities of Niger Delta (FENND) and the Coalition of Rivers Oil and Gas Host Communities (CROGHCOM).

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was on the same page with the Niger Delta groups. It described the Act as repugnant and anti-people.

    The National Assembly passed the PIB in July 2021 with some contentious provisions, such as three per cent provision for the development of oil-bearing communities and 30 per cent of NNPC profit for Frontier Oil Exploration Fund.

    Despite the protests, Buhari, who had earlier promised to assent to the bill once it is sent to him, made good his promise yesterday.

    Special Adviser to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, who announced the presidential assent via a statement, added that the the ceremonial part of the new legislation would hold tomorrow (today).

    Part of the statement reads: “Working from home in five days of quarantine as required by the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 after returning from London on Friday, August 13, the president assented to the Bill on Monday, August 16, in his determination to fulfil his Constitutional duty.

    “The ceremonial part of the new legislation will be done on Wednesday, after the days of mandatory isolation would have been fulfilled.”

    The Petroleum industry Act provides a legal, governance, regulatory and fiscal framework for the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, the development of host communities and related matters.

    But PANDEF said it was unfortunate that Buhari ignored the overwhelming outcries over fundamental flaws in the bill to sign it.

    HOSTCOM President Chief Tamarakeni Styles, described the assent as an “ambush on the people of the region and an attempt to take away the wealth of the region”.

    Styles said by assenting to the PIB, the participatory rights of host communities had been breached. He said host communities would challenge the government’s decision.

    The HOSTCOM boss added that the group would engage in wider consultations within the region on the next course of action, saying they stood by their demand for 10 per cent equity.

    President of the INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba, said the next action of the Ijaw would be determined after wide consultations with critical stakeholders in the region.

    He added: “The position of INC remains as we stated earlier. We believe in resource justice which is 100 per cent control of our resources. We thought 10 per cent was reasonable but three per cent remains unacceptable to us.

    “But as to what the Ijaw will do or say further will depend on a product of wide level consultations and the consultations have started. We are going to consult with stakeholders vertically and horizontally and come up with a firm position as a people.

    Meanwhile, we reject in its totality the three per cent as assented to by the President.”

    PIB offensive, anti-people – PDP

    In a statement by its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP denounced the new law as offensive, repugnant and anti-people.

    It added that the legislation further confirmed that Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have no respect for the people as well as the tenets of democracy.

    The statement reads: “By his action, President Buhari has only authenticated that he is not a listening leader and that the APC and its leaders are only out to trample on the will of Nigerians for their selfish interests.

    “In putting his hands to endorse the obnoxious bill, even with its distasteful, paltry and provocative 3 per cent revenue to oil-producing communities, President Buhari and the APC have again displayed disdain and insensitivity to the sufferings of the people of the Niger Delta.

    “The PDP holds that such is the height of contempt to oil-producing communities, particularly in the face of the challenges which they face as a result of oil exploration”.

    The party said the President ought to have returned the bill to the National Assembly with a request that it be made to address the demands of the oil-producing communities.”

    The National Assembly leadership said that the new law will help Nigeria overcome its economic challenges.

    It stated that the Act would open the floodgate of investments in the oil and gas sector.

  • Buhari’s decision to sign PIB into law despite outcry shows his disregard for Niger Delta people – PANDEF

    Buhari’s decision to sign PIB into law despite outcry shows his disregard for Niger Delta people – PANDEF

    The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has said that Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has demonstrated no regard for the people of the Niger Delta by signing the 2021 Petroleum Industry Bill into law.

    In a statement by its Spokesperson Ken Robinson on Monday, PANDEF said that it was unfortunate that Buhari neglected the agitations of the region regarding the bill, preferring rather to endorse the recommendations of the National Assembly.

    He said the people of the Niger Delta had been the ones bearing the risks of oil exploration on their communities and means of livelihood.

    “It clearly shows the disregard for the feelings and concerns of the Niger Delta people by the Buhari administration,” the group said.

    “It is very unfortunate that in spite of the outcry and the condemnation that greeted the paltry 3 per cent provided for the development of the host communities and the outrageous 30 per cent of the NNPC limited profit allocated for the exploration of oil in the frontiers, Mr President has gone ahead to endorse the bill into law.

    “It is a reality that this country does not care about the feelings and hopes and aspirations of the Niger Delta people while we continue to suffer the neglect and degradation and the decimation of our environment and our ecosystem.

    “The livelihood of our children has been devasted and we suffer the consequences of this industry operating in our environment with an insensitive government that its agencies are not enforcing the faulty laws to protect the environment from the operations of the industry.”

    PANDEF insisted that the equity share must be 10 per cent for host communities and rejected the 3 per cent allocated for hos communities in the just signed Petroleum’s I Industry Act.

  • No going back on completion of critical projects in Niger Delta – Osinbajo

    No going back on completion of critical projects in Niger Delta – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the Federal Government will ensure the completion of the critical projects it has embarked upon in the Niger Delta region.
    Osinbajo’ spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja said the vice president spoke at the 6th Anniversary Lecture/Niger Delta Awards Organised by Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper in Lagos.
    The vice president was represented at the ceremony by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Office of the Vice President, Mr Edobor Iyamu.
    The theme of the event, “The Dwindling State of Crude Oil Demand in the Global Market: The Way Forward”.
    “In 2017, following my tour of the Niger Delta, which involved extensive consultations with key stakeholders in the region, the new vision for the Niger Delta was birthed in response to the various challenges which had been plaguing our people.
    “The objective of this new vision is to ensure that the people of the region benefit maximally from their wealth, through promoting infrastructural developments, environmental remediation and local content development.
    “As part of the quest to expand economic opportunities in the region, this administration has promoted investments in modular refineries.
    “The objective of this initiative is to address our present energy demands and empower the Niger Delta people through promoting local content.”
    Osinbajo said that while there were several modular refineries at different stages of completion across the region, three had been completed including the Niger Delta Petroleum Resources (NDPR) Modular Refinery in Rivers; OPAC Modular Refinery in Delta and Walter Smith Modular Refinery in Imo.
    He said the ongoing remediation exercise in Ogoni land, Rivers, was kick-started by the present administration under the recommendations of UNEP.
    “It is important to note that the Ogoni clean-up is the first of its kind in the history of the Niger Delta.
    ” Indeed, this is the first time the Federal Government is directly involved in remediation activities within the region.
    “We are equally committed to expanding infrastructure in the region, this includes the ongoing construction work on the 34-km Bonny-Bodo Road/Bridge, which has been abandoned for decades.
    “When completed, the project, which was flagged off in October 2017, will connect several major communities and boost socio-economic development in the region.”
    Osinbajo said that the Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri Rail Line project, which was commissioned by the president in September, and had the capacity to handle both passengers and freight services, was connecting several communities and promoting commerce within the region.
    According to him, the Federal Government is also developing a number of deep sea ports across the region, including the Bonny, Warri, and Ibom Deep Sea Ports, among other development projects such as the establishment of Export Processing Zones to boost economic activities.
    He said that in 2018, the National Universities Commission (NUC) approved the commencement of undergraduate degree programmes at the Nigerian Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Delta, which happened to be situated in the great Gbaramatu Kingdom.
    “Beyond its oil wealth, the Niger Delta region is incredibly blessed with diverse human capital across education, sports, technology, creative arts, entertainment, economy, and many other sectors.”
    The vice president said that factors such as the decline in demand for crude oil, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global energy demand and on government’s earning, the current situation, required creative and holistic approach to foster economic growth.
    He said that in spite of the fact that crude oil accounted for about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, the Federal Government from inception had shown a commitment toward the creation of economic opportunities for Nigeria’s population in a post-oil future.
    The vice president highlighted initiatives being taken by the Federal Government to reposition Nigeria’s economy by taking advantage of global trends in the energy sector.
    “This includes the SolarPowerNaija Programme under the Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP) which will complement efforts toward providing affordable electricity access to 5 million households, serving about 25 million Nigerians in rural areas and under-served urban communities nationwide,” he said.
    The vice president also highlighted efforts by the Federal Government on energy transition from crude oil to natural gas, as well as its National Gas Expansion Programme, also a component under the ESP.
    Osinbajo commended the publishers of Gbaramatu Voice Newspapers for organising the event.
    According to him, the cumulative effect of all the measures will have a positive transformational impact on the Niger Delta and on the future of the nation as a whole, while ensuring sustainable peace and progress in the region.