OMPALAN appraises state of the nation

Sun News

28 February 2012

OMPALAN appraises state of the nation

• Urges govs, LG bosses to emulate Jonathan’s non-partisan posture

Elders of the nine oil producing states of the Niger Delta met in Rivers State at the weekend under the aegis of the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Landlords Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN), to appraise the state of the nation and prepare for other activities lined up for the year.

+++ 

Azogu said the association has “repeatedly called on government to look into the nagging issue of the ongoing Federal Government amnesty program with a view to making it more transparent and adaptable to the realities on ground. The amnesty package received wide acceptability and support at the nascent stage of its formation both from the local and international standpoints in the hope that it will pave the way for a broad-based development initiative in host communities of the Niger Delta region.”

He said OMPALAN believed the amnesty package was provided to pacify the restive youths and create a lull in the region to enable consolidation of the ongoing peace process in the Niger Delta region through holistic empowerment initiatives in host communities but regretted that “vulnerable host communities are left to wallow perpetually in abject neglect and penury which is gradually building momentum to generate devastating shocks across the entire Niger Delta region with the concomitant effect of derailing the hard-earned peace process.”