FG plans to end militancy by 2013

Note: Mr Orubebe has been promising a "plan" for the Niger Delta in speeches since October 2007.  No actionable plan has been published to date. None has emerged from the Niger Delta Development Commission or from Mr. Orubebe's Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

World Stage

21 Feb 2011

FG plans to end militancy by 2013

Akure (WorldStage Newsonline)-- The Federal Government on Monday unfolded plans that will see to the eradication of militancy and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta region of the country by 2013.

The Minister of Niger Delta, Mr Godsdey Orubebe who unfolded the policy during Niger Delta youth empowerment programme through entertainment put together by Nigerian artists to discover talents among youths of the region, expressed worry about insurgence in the region despite the Federal government’s intervention in providing amnesty for erstwhile militants.

He said by the time the government’s efforts starts to yield fruits, the militancy and other vices in the region would be a thing of the past.

Orubebe said the problems facing the Niger Delta region had spanned decades which made the government’s intervention take longer time to yield the desired results.

His words: “We have been training youths in the Niger Delta on capacity building, in various skills and music is one aspect of it. Some are being trained in the oil industry, some others are trained in the maritime industry, some in agriculture, but the entertainment industry and tourism is one specific aspect that the youths are organized and trained to have skills in this aspect of the programme.

“One of the important things we need to understand is that the problems of the Niger Delta, has been there since 1957 and for a problem to have survived thus far, meant that it will have developed a lot of tentacles, a lot of interests in various areas. Government is talking on bunkering, arms proliferation in the areas. All these things are a result of the various interests in the areas and now that the government is serious about reverting the situation, the people that had been benefiting will definitely fight back.

“People need to understand that the Niger Delta problems cannot be resolved within few months. It will take some time. We have to change the orientation of the people. It will take some process. The people will have to understand and come to terms with reality. Whatever that is happening now is the reaction of the people that are fighting government and government is determined to see that the situation is handled properly. The youths have resolved to cooperate with government .In the next couple of years.”

The Minister said the Niger Delta would be a place to be where investors would be willing to go and do business because of the government’s efforts.

These government’s efforts, he said included the construction of coastal roads and openining of the region to tourism.

“Niger Delta is not only about oil, the tourism potentials there is capable of turning around the fortunes of this country. That is why the federal government is serious about the construction of the coastal road, the intention is to open up the entire area so that even in the entertainment world, a lot of things can come up, deep water fishing, maritime industry and so on, would flourish,” he said.

“Government is doing everything possible to ensure that the militancy orientation of the youths and their earlier perception are corrected to prevent a re-occurrence of what happened in Ghana where they were said to have protested and held their coordinators into ransom.

“Federal Government is planning a review of the NDDC master plan in such a way a way that the communities would have a say in the type of projects meant for their areas. It will be a bottom up approach. There will be a long term plan so that it would evolve a systematic development plan for the entire Niger Delta.