Traditional rulers and stakeholders from the Niger Delta on Thursday met the Federal Government and read out terms that would build confidence as well as restore peace in the region.
This follows the ceasefire announced by the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups in the region on August 21, 2016.
In a statement, which was read at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Abuja by the Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Wellington Okirika, the traditional rulers listed six things the Federal Government should do in order to build confidence and stop the destruction of the country’s oil assets by militants in the region.
They said, “Having acceded to the call for a ceasefire by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on August 4, 2016, the buck has now been passed to the table of the Federal Government as driven by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources – a representative of the Federal Government.”
Below are the 6 conditions according to the statement.
“For the purposes of building confidence in the system, we wish to state here that as a matter of urgency:
1. The Federal Government should appoint/constitute a Federal Government dialogue team.
2. FG should release the 10 innocent school children arrested by the Nigerian Army on the 28th of May, 2016 in Oporoza and others in detention on trumped up charges.
3. President Buhari-led government should return the Golden Sword, being the symbol of authority in the Gbaramatu traditional institution.
4. The FG should return the three traditional council speed boats in custody of the Nigerian Army.
5. There should be a cessation of hostilities perpetrated by the military in the Niger Delta region.
6. More importantly, the Federal Government should make a categorical statement about the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko Delta State for academic activities in the 2016/2017 session.”
