Elder statesmen from the Niger Delta region have hinged their continued support for a united Nigeria on the immediate restructuring of the country.
In an emphatic declaration on Monday in Abuja, the leaders led by First Republic Minister of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, under the aegis of the Pan Niger Delta forum (PANDEF), stated: “No restructur­ing, no Nigeria.”
They also threatened to withdraw from negotiations with the Federal Government, if it fails to implement their 16-point agenda, which they had presented to President Mu­hammadu Buhari some months ago.
After a meeting in Abuja yesterday, PANDEF accused the government of avoiding
dialogue with its members after it had persuaded the youths in the region to halt all forms of violence in return for dialogue with the Federal Government to address all the issues that forced them to attack oil and other public installations in the zone.
PANDEF regretted that since November 1, 2016, when it presented its charter of demands to President Buhari, the govern­ment has frustrated all efforts to dialogue with them, adding that their patience has been exhausted.

The elder statesman stated that they would no longer push for any form of dialogue with the government at the expiration of their November 1 ultimatum.
After the deadline, the Niger Delta elders disclosed, they would rather refer the government to the region’s youths who have vowed to fight for their right, lamenting that the youths had continuously seen them as betraying their cause since they sued for peace to pursue dialogue with the Presidency.

In a statement issued at the end of the meeting, PANDEF condemned the National Assembly’s rejection of devolution of power and restructuring, stating that with the prevailing situation in the country, it is either the government agrees to restructur­ing or there will be no Nigeria.

Clark said: “Restructuring has become a pain in the ears of a few champions of wicked hegemony. All we are saying is let us go back to the negotiated 1960 Independence Constitution on which the 1963 Republican Constitution was moulded.
“Anything else is more obnoxious and totally unacceptable to the entire Southern and Middle Belt areas of Nigeria, as well as the growing number of well-meaning Nigeria in the North. All we are saying is “No restructuring, no Nigeria.”

At a separate press briefing, Clark regretted that the govern
ment had made the Niger Delta elders to look like brazen liars before their youths.
Clark claimed that as a result of his efforts to ensure dialogue, he had received several messages from the youths calling on the Niger Delta elders to leave them to fight their cause since PANDEF had failed in its task to dialogue on their behalf with the government.
He said: “The Niger Delta as created by God is a very difficult area as it is surrounded by swamps and water. The same God that created us in that difficult area made it easy for us to hold the economy of the nation with water and oil.

“Since 1956, when oil was discovered in Niger Delta, we have been the pillar of the Nigerian economy, even though we have severely suffered from that position.
“By the provision of the 1963 Constitution, which described Nigeria as practicing fiscal federalism, the about 50 per cent of whatever was produced in a region went to the development of the region.

“Before Independence, cocoa was there, groundnut was making the pyramids, palm produce helped each region to develop at its own pace. Why is it now that what belongs to us, we are not allowed to benefit from it?
“You come to my house to take the oil and give me handout, and you want me to say thank you. So, when some people brand our people militants, terrorists, or say we are causing trouble, I laugh at them.

“This is not the Nigeria our founding fathers built. When the youths decided in 2015 under the Niger Delta Avengers to begin the vandalism of oil pipelines, and nothing was done, no negotiation, the production of oil went down. At a point, we stepped in and that led to the founding of the Niger Delta Forum.

“On the 19th of August, we had a negotiated arrangement with the youths and they stopped vandalism of the pipeline, and sent us to go and negotiate for them with the Federal Government,” he stressed.
Clark recalled that PANDEF was granted audience by President Buhari on November 1, last year. The delegation of 100 elders and first class chiefs presented a 16-point agenda for discussion, but lamented that, that was the end of it all.
He said that “we want to discuss what will be our benefits. So, the dialogue we are looking for is the priorities of our de­mands.”

Clark, who spoke in the company of the Amanyanagbo of Brass, Chief Alfred Diete Spiff; Senator Stella Omu and others, regretted that the Niger Delta has suffered series of degradations and neglect from both the Federal Government and in­dividuals, despite providing the mainstay of the country’s economy.
According to him, “More than 50 oil blocks in the Niger Delta are enjoyed by people who do not come from the area. Also, about 30 oil fields are owned by the same people, we are not there.

“The most annoying is the employment of non-Niger Delta people in the oil installations. They are mostly occupied by northerners in our own backyard. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which should have been cited in any of the Niger Delta cities, is in Abuja. “We do not mind, but to say that you are appointing nine board members of NNPC, and only one from the Niger Delta, six from the North, including the sitting Chief of Staff to the President is unacceptable to us.”

“If you go to the NNPC’s subsidiaries, we are still not there. Which type of country do we belong then? We are thinking of our children and the ones yet-to-be born, so we will no longer accept this marginalisation and intimidation. That is why we want our 16-point demand to be discussed. We are tired of holding our youths who have believed that we are not doing more about our plight,” he stated.

baralatie:
At a separate press briefing, Clark regretted that the govern
ment had made the Niger Delta elders to look like brazen liars before their youths.
Clark claimed that as a result of his efforts to ensure dialogue, he had received several messages from the youths calling on the Niger Delta elders to leave them to fight their cause since PANDEF had failed in its task to dialogue on their behalf with the government.
He said: “The Niger Delta as created by God is a very difficult area as it is surrounded by swamps and water. The same God that created us in that difficult area made it easy for us to hold the economy of the nation with water and oil.
“Since 1956, when oil was discovered in Niger Delta, we have been the pillar of the Nigerian economy, even though we have severely suffered from that position.
“By the provision of the 1963 Constitution, which described Nigeria as practicing fiscal federalism, the about 50 per cent of whatever was produced in a region went to the development of the region.
“Before Independence, cocoa was there, groundnut was making the pyramids, palm produce helped each region to develop at its own pace. Why is it now that what belongs to us, we are not allowed to benefit from it?
“You come to my house to take the oil and give me handout, and you want me to say thank you. So, when some people brand our people militants, terrorists, or say we are causing trouble, I laugh at them.
“This is not the Nigeria our founding fathers built. When the youths decided in 2015 under the Niger Delta Avengers to begin the vandalism of oil pipelines, and nothing was done, no negotiation, the production of oil went down. At a point, we stepped in and that led to the founding of the Niger Delta Forum.
“On the 19th of August, we had a negotiated arrangement with the youths and they stopped vandalism of the pipeline, and sent us to go and negotiate for them with the Federal Government,” he stressed.
Clark recalled that PANDEF was granted audience by President Buhari on November 1, last year. The delegation of 100 elders and first class chiefs presented a 16-point agenda for discussion, but lamented that, that was the end of it all.
He said that “we want to discuss what will be our benefits. So, the dialogue we are looking for is the priorities of our demands.”
Clark, who spoke in the company of the Amanyanagbo of Brass, Chief Alfred Diete Spiff; Senator Stella Omu and others, regretted that the Niger Delta has suffered series of degradations and neglect from both the Federal Government and individuals, despite providing the mainstay of the country’s economy.
According to him, “More than 50 oil blocks in the Niger Delta are enjoyed by people who do not come from the area. Also, about 30 oil fields are owned by the same people, we are not there.
“The most annoying is the employment of non-Niger Delta people in the oil installations. They are mostly occupied by northerners in our own backyard. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which should have been cited in any of the Niger Delta cities, is in Abuja. “We do not mind, but to say that you are appointing nine board members of NNPC, and only one from the Niger Delta, six from the North, including the sitting Chief of Staff to the President is unacceptable to us.”
“If you go to the NNPC’s subsidiaries, we are still not there. Which type of country do we belong then? We are thinking of our children and the ones yet-to-be born, so we will no longer accept this marginalisation and intimidation. That is why we want our 16-point demand to be discussed. We are tired of holding our youths who have believed that we are not doing more about our plight,” he stated.

samebony1:
Your Senators voted against devolution of Power to state

Hizzy:
so the bombing will start again
but the government is deaf and dumb

nabiz:
our government don't like proactive measure. The don't listen to her citizen unless they carry AK-47. That why we have boko haram today

afongha:
ASk your governors what they've done with the millions in derivation and kickbacks all these years. yeye

afongha:
ASk your governors what they've done with the millions in derivation and kickbacks all these years. yeye

Hizzy:
so the bombing will start again
but the government is deaf and dumb

wirinet:
In as much as I agree Edwin Clark has a point, I am highly suspicious of his motives. This is a man who had been involved with every government since Gowon. He was minister of information under Gowon. Under president Jonathan, he was the closest adviser and confidant of the president. In all these years in the corridors of power, he did not realize the need of restructuring, he did not realize the marginalization and exploitation of the nigerdelta. But after Buhari became president and he lost influence on the federal level, he immediately had the Damascus road experience, he suddenly became a born again nigerdelta freedom fighter.
We have seen many of his type come and go, ie Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, Boyloaf, etc, who started out as nigerdelta freedom fighters only to end up as nigerdelta billionaires.

The type of restructuring people like Chief Edwin Clark is talking about is one that will allocate oil blocks to himself or restructure his bank account.

We need someone like Ken Sari wiwa to rise up from the Niger delta and pick up the struggle, not opportunities like Edwin Clark, Dokubo, and co.

Sprumbabafather:
The fastest way the whole South of Nigeria can get what they deserve from Nigeria is to line up behind someone with the capacity to stare down at the oppressors, he is Nnamdi Kanu.

ocelot2006:



TUFIAKWA!! Rally behind that useless genocide-loving mad man and his IPOB group?? God forbid.

freshest4live:

The truth is federal Government can't do everything. Restructuring would be revisited in September and debated thoroughly this time.

Sprumbabafather:


You have another choice. Stay put and do nothing. You will wake up in 50 years time to see that your village has been turned to a cow grazing field for fulani herdsman.

baralatie:

I believe Pa Edwin Clark should understand that the 1960,1963 constitution is basically anti Ijaw and anti Niger delta in itself! the 16 point demand has never been imputed in that constitution.
So my advise is not the advocacy of reverse to a 1960,1963 constitution that is anti minority!
there is a lot of injustice that is against the ijawitshekiri,urhobo,ikwere,ilajes,efiks and ibibios with other Niger delta communities that need to be addressed such as education of Puppis that are in those primary communities where exploration occurs,healthcare facilities, and unpaid levees to the state and LGA of operation.

ocelot2006:


Oh there are other choices alright. But rallying behind that useless mad man Kanu and his blind iponian followers is a definite NO NO.

Sprumbabafather:

What are the other choices then?

cjrane:



The 1963 constitution is precisely about giving Ijaw justice and equity.
When groundnuts, cocoa and palmoil were bringing foreign exchange, the Fulanis insisted on the 1963 constitution to make sure they kept 50% of derivation for their resources for themselves. Now that oil is the revenue earner, they immediately changed to desperately reject the same 1960 & 1963 constitution they wrote themselves just to make sure that the Ijaws were denied 50% of their oil derivation.

Justice FOR ALL is the first thing to lead to Nigerian unity. You cannot suddenly change the rules of the game midway just to favor yourself all the time.

Edwin Clark and Ijaws are right to insist on 1963 constitution that every Nigerian group INCLUDING FULANIS agreed to as the basis of unity to come together as one Nigeria. Let Ijaws have 50 % of their derivation as other regions enjoyed 50% in the past.

Who knows the next region to discover the next precious metal and then they will suddenly want to adopt the original independence constitution which they are rejecting now because Ijaws happen to have the most precious resource today.