Asari Dokubo says N74billion is not enough for amnesty programme

Channels TV
20 March 2012

Asari Dokubo says N74billion is not enough for amnesty programme

The former President of the Ijaw Youth Council and Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has insisted that the N74 billion budgeted for the rehabilitation and retraining of the Niger Delta ex-militants in the 2012 budget was not enough.

Niger Delta northern leaders disagree over Jonathan's alleged 2015 ambition

PUNCH
18 March 2012

Niger Delta northern leaders disagree over Jonathan's alleged 2015 ambition

Notable groups in the Niger Delta region on Friday said they were ready for a showdown with northern leaders if the North continued to heat up the polity with “unfounded allegations and unreasonable demands.”

Nigeria Oil Spill Senate Warns Oil Firms

allAfricacom
20 March 2012

Nigeria Oil Spill Senate Warns Oil Firms
The Senate Committee on Environment yesterday said it will not hesitate to sanction oil companies that recklessly spill oil in the Niger Delta region.

Ex-militants blow up Agip flow station in Bayelsa

Vanguard

20 March 2012

Ex-militants blow up Agip flow station in Bayelsa

By EMMA AMAIZE

WARRI—GUNMEN, suspected to be former militants, weekend, bombed an Agip Flow Station in Bayelsa State, claiming it was in protest against the gross underdevelopment of Niger Delta region.

The leader of the group, “General” Cairo, who spoke to Vanguard, on phone, yesterday, said: “I am a former militant. We are unhappy that for two years, the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan had not done anything tangible to develop the Niger Delta region, that was why we bombed the Agip flow station.”

Vanguard learnt that the old 10 production pipeline (departure pipeline), also known as Agip manifold, Obrucomo is located at Biseni/Idu area of the state.

“General” Cairo, who is the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Niger Delta Disarmed Youths, MOSODY, said though he and his men had surrendered their arms, “we were not included in the post-amnesty programme, though our anger was more of lack of development in the region.”

He said nobody was killed in the attack on the Agip flow station and the group would continue the attack until President Jonathan shifts his attention to the development of the region.

He added that he knew the former militant leader, Mammy Water, who, the Joint Task Force, JTF, said was killed in an encounter with naval personnel after some military personnel were massacred, but could not confirm if he was still alive or dead.

“I was in a separate speedboat when we encountered the military men on that day, but I have been calling his line since without success. I heard that he is dead from the JTF attack.”

He said he does not know the whereabouts of “General” Victor Gbekeke, who led the attack on the military men.

Why We Withdrew From Boko Haram: FG Talks- Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad

 

Sahara Reporters

18 March 2012

Why We Withdrew From Boko Haram: FG Talks- Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad

By Dr. Ibrahim Datti Ahmad

As a concerned elder and President of the Supreme Council for

Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN), I felt very disturbed with the turn of

events and the increasing cycle of massive violence in our

country, and especially, in the Northern and Muslim part of

Nigeria. We in the SCSN, therefore, made enquiries as to how to

reach the current leadership of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati Lidda

Awati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram.

+++

I and the Secretary General of the

SCSN, on behalf of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria

contacted the Federal Government at the highest level and

intimated them of this great possibility of reconciliation and

peaceful resolution of the crisis. This was on Monday, 5th March,

2012. My delegation was well received and a high-ranking civilian

officer was appointed immediately to liaise with us towards a

successful resolution of the crisis. To our shock and dismay, no

sooner had we started this dialogue; Nigerian newspapers came

out with a lot of the details of the meeting held.

This development has embarrassed us very much and has

created strong doubts in our minds about the sincerity of the

Government’s side in our discussion as the discussion is supposed

to be very confidential to achieve any success.

NIGER DELTA MINISTRY : The quest to fulfill a distant mandate

Vanguard

18 March 2012

NIGER DELTA MINISTRY : The quest to fulfill a distant mandate

By MITAIRE IKPEN

The setting up of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs four years ago by the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was expectedly greeted with mixed feelings. While some people hailed the move as a right decision bearing in mind the difficult terrain of the region which should require a special attention, others believed that the creation of the Ministry would unnecessarily slow down the pace of development because of bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Those who held the latter view felt that since the creation of the Ministry was a mere political gesture to placate the people of the region, its operations would be bedevilled by the bureaucratic hiccups that usually trail government establishments. Perhaps their fears have not been misguided thus far.

Derivation: North’s position a joke, say S/South, S/West leaders

The Nation

18 March 2012

Derivation: North’s position a joke, say S/South, S/West leaders

THE fire ignited by Dr. Junaid Mohammed and the Coalition of Northern Leaders, Academics, Professionals and Businessmen continued to rage yesterday as many activists and leaders from the South picked the gauntlet to dispute the contention of the North on revenue allocation to Niger Delta States.

Former leader of the Ijaw National Council, Professor Kimse Okoko told The Nation on telephone that the North’s position stemmed from indolence and increased lack of initiative. Reacting to the coalition’s contention that about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s oil revenue derives from off-shore locations, Okoko said, “they are merely trying to reap from where they did not sow.”