Why Niger Delta Amnesty must be restructured, by Ekwueme

Independent

30 June 2011

Why Niger Delta Amnesty must be restructured, by Ekwueme

DR. PLACY EKWUEME is the initiator of the Niger Delta Youth Movement saddled with the responsibility of negotiating and extracting concessions from federal and state government for the development of the Niger Delta Region. In this interview with Snr. Correspondent, BEN DURU, he takes a historical look at Niger Delta militancy, throwing to the fore reasons behind the action as well as gains of the exercise. He also speaks on the widening spate of insecurity in the country. Excerpts:

 You are known to have harped on the marginalisation of the oil producing areas. What do you really mean?

When I speak on the subject of marginalisation of the oil communities, I mean that the goose that lays the golden egg is being completely ignored. These are the areas, which produce the oil that accounts for over 90 percent of the revenue of this country. From my place in Egbema to Warri, if you look at the development in these areas, when compared to places like Lagos and Abuja, you will see that the discrepancies are unimaginable. This was exactly what led us into youth activism so that we could pressure the government to look at our situation....