Niger Delta Stake Holder And Traditional Rulers Give Buhari 16 Things That Will End Millitancy

Traditional leaders and other indigenes of Nigeria’s Niger Delta have presented 16 things they are confident will end militancy and bring about development in the region if the government will consider them.

They presented the requests to President Muhammadu Buhari at a meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.

Addressing reporters after the two-hour meeting, the leaders of the group, the traditional ruler of Amanyanobo Kingdom, King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Mr Edwin Clerk decried the lack of infrastructure, human resource, manpower and welfare of the people years after oil exploration began in the Niger Delta.

Their Demands

They want the government to empower its people through training, open up the economy of the region through adequate investment in infrastructure and cleaning up of oil spills that have affected their farmlands and waters among others.

President Buhari was also asked to pull the army out from the oil hub, order oil firms to move headquarters there and spend more on development to end militancy in the region.

Some Of Their Other Demands

Pull the army out from the region
Order oil firms to move headquarters there
Oil firms to employ more of its youths
More funds for the development
More funds for the amnesty plan for ex fighters
Empower its people through training
Adequate investment in infrastructure
Cleaning up of oil spills

King Diete-Spiff said: “The list also includes the withdrawal of the military in oil producing communities in the region.

“We don’t want the communities militarised”.

They also want firms to move headquarters to the region so unemployed youths – who often work for militants – could get more jobs. Foreign firms active in Nigeria are often based in the commercial capital Lagos.

The Niger Delta leaders also asked for more funds for the development and an amnesty plan for ex fighters which Buhari had planned to cut, which has upset the militants.

President Buhari had in May sent in army reinforcements to hunt down militants, a move that stoked anger, triggering more attacks on oil installations in the region, with a demand for more share of the oil revenue.