Chief Mike Loyibo is the National Coordinator
of Concerned Niger Delta Elders, CNDE and
Nigerian Leaders for Peace, two platforms
working to promote peace and stability in the
troubled region. In this interview, the
Arepamowei of Kabowei Kingdom, dispels
claims that the Niger Delta is opposed to the
President Muhammadu Buhari, insisting that
only with those ulterior motives would do so
because Buhari means well for the Niger Delta
given what he has done so far for the region.

By Soni Daniel, Northern Region Editor

How concerned are the Niger Delta elders over
the spate of attacks of vital national assets by
the Niger Delta militants?

What I can say as the national coordinator of
the CNDE, is that we are both surprised and
not too surprised over the recent spike in oil
facility attacks. We are not surprised because
there are certain things that the government
needed to provide in the Niger Delta but it has
not done so up till this moment.

These are the issues that gave birth to the
Presidential Amnesty Programme. We are
surprised that instead of addressing those
germane issues the government merely tried to
appease some people and allow the issues to
fester.

Infrastructural deficiency

What we want is true federalism where we will
manage our resources and only pay taxes to
the Federal Government. They should, as a
matter of urgency, address the huge
infrastructural deficiency in the region and
bridge the gap between Abuja and the Niger
Delta in terms of development so as to give
the people a greater sense of belonging in
Nigeria.

Genuine people in the region have this sense
of being cheated by the rest of the country and
we want this to be urgently addressed. But as
a leader and an elder, I feel that the
government has done a lot to improve the
Niger Delta region and should also be
acknowledged.

The main problem which most of our
uninformed brothers and sister do not realise is
that our leaders have been mismanaging the
resources given to them by the centre to
develop the Niger Delta. It is so sad that we
have been left at his level of poverty and
deprivation because if somebody gives you
N10 to manage and you cannot, there is no
hope that if they give the same person N100
billion he would be able to manager it better.

So as leaders in our own right, we have been
working very hard to see how to bring peace
and stability to the area so that development
can thrive. Our appeal is that even if we are
aggrieved, no matter the grievances, you don’t
use bombing and violence to draw government
attention to your complaint.

But the attackers are not only talking about
developing the Niger Delta, but also
demanding dropping the corruption charges
levelled against the former NSA, Sambo
Dasuki and other high profile PDP members,
who served in the previous government. Do
you see any political undertone in all of this
and should the Federal Government acquiesce
to these demands?

No, these demands don’t even make sense to
me and are laughable to right thinking
Nigerians whether from the Niger Delta or not.
At best such demands as you can see, is
being tele-guided by some criminals in the
Niger Delta region. You cannot say that the
whole idea of stealing money and committing
heinous crimes as many politicians did should
be overlooked just because you are from a
certain part of Nigeria.

Source:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/n-delta-elements-ulterior-motives-re-fighting-buhari-loyibo/

Well said.

Good