Worried by the recent bombings in some part of the Niger Delta region and the renewed activities of militants, Itsekiri rights’ activist and the Igba of Warri Kingdom, Chief (Mrs) Rita Lori-Ogbebor, has urged the Federal Government to engage the right stakeholders in its plan to dialogue with Niger Delta militants.
She said government must not involve politicians and corrupt leaders in Niger Delta to dialogue with government on behalf of the region; adding that dialoguing with corrupt elements may boomerang in the future because they may instigate the youth to violence whenever they run out of money.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos yesterday, Lori-Ogbebor, who attributed the renewed agitation in Niger Delta to lack of accountability and mismanagement of past intervention funds, said there was is no reason for militancy and agitations in the oil-rich region considering the huge resources government had pumped to the region through intervention funds and established agencies in Niger Delta region.
“All those going for the dialogue on behalf of Niger Delta people must have a background-check. We don’t want politicians and those who will make Niger Delta their farms to represent us. Those to represent us from each state must be the true representatives of the people. They must be people with knowledge, fear of God and power to implement whatever decisions that are taken for the good of Niger-Delta,” she said.
“What the militants are doing by bombing oil pipeline is bringing hardship to the country and it has multiple bad results. I believe that the youths are not carrying out the bombings on their own will. They are been used by politicians who are avoiding being probed for mismanaging past intervention funds for development of Niger Delta in the last few years and those who have filtered away public funds.”
She also urged the Federal Government to diversify the economy by focusing on agriculture to provide jobs for Nigerians, especially Niger Delta youths, who are not employed by oil companies because the companies have limited space.