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| President
Umaru Yar'Adua (2nd-r) with His Vice, Goodluck Jonathan (r) Receiving
Visitors Who Came to Pay Sallah Homage after the Id-el-Fitri Prayers
in Abuja |
Bayelsa Community Attributes
Restiveness to Daewoo's Disregard for MoU
The people of Ogboinbiri community
in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have attributed
the recent restiveness in the area to the refusal of Daewoo Nigeria
Limited to honour a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between
the former and the latter. Spokesman of the community, Mr. Ebi Egbe
made the accusation in Yenagoa on Friday after a meeting between the
representatives of Ogboinbiri and Daewoo brokered by the state government.
Egbe said the multinational company had flagrantly abandoned the MOU
signed three months ago in the office of the deputy governor, Peremobowei
Ebebi, in the presence of the vice chairman of the Niger Delta Peace
and Conflict Resolution Committee (NDPCRC). The MOU, Egbe explained,
was in respect of the multimillion-dollar DNL57 Gas Gathering Project
undertaken by the company as client of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company
(NAOC). "Restiveness in Ogboinbiri is as a result of Daewoo's refusal
to recognise the MOU it entered into with the community.
It is the wicked activities of companies like Daewoo that lead to a
breach of the peace by communities. Daewoo's activities are anti-peace
and must be checked", he fumed. According to him, the community had
earlier laid a complaint with the NDPCRC as soon as the contempt on
the MOU was observed, stressing that the company had infringed on their
local content which must be restored to them. He said the community
was angered by the officials of the company when they kept referring
to the MOU as "nonsense." The spokesman informed that the community
was aware that the Project Manager of the DNL57 project, Mr. M. Park
had been responsible for the non-implementation of the MOU, saying the
community would ensure his redeployment from the area.
Ogboinbiri community, he pointed out, was prepared to adopt lawful means
which would involve security agencies as well as government in the resolution
of Daewoo's refusal to respect the MOU. Egbe, however, expressed delight
that the deputy governor had during the meeting directed NAOC to resolve
the impasse between its client, Daewoo, and the host community. Officials
of Daewoo declined to respond to questions when Niger Delta STANDARD
sought their reaction, saying "our media spokesman is not available,
therefore we will not talk."
Public
Holiday Truncates Anniversary Lecture
Em e r i t u s Professor of
H i s t o r y , Ebiegberi Alagoa, on Monday declined to deliver a
lecture as part of activities organized by the state government to
mark this year's Independence Day and 12th anniversary of the creation
of Bayelsa State celebrations, citing poor attendance. The lecture,
entitled "Culture as an Instrument for Unity and Development in the
Niger Delta" was scheduled for 11am at the Glory Land Cultural Center,
Yenagoa. But guests did not arrive the venue until a little before
1pm.
Besides a few women groups and a handful of youths who turned up,
Governor Timipre Sylva and members of the state executive council
did not show up for the event. Worried by the scanty audience, Prof.
Alagoa, who had sat quietly at a corner hours after he entered, left
the auditorium without a word. But no sooner had he walked out than
the Permanent Secretary, Office of the Secretary to the State Government,
Rev. Obegha Julius Oworibo arrived and directed an official of the
Chief Press Secretary's office, Mr. Chris Odi to inform the scanty
audience of the cancellation of the event.
Efforts by Niger Delta STANDARD to speak with the guest lecturer proved
abortive but one of his aides informed that he called the mobile line
of the SSG, Mr. Gideon Ekeuwei, to express his dissatisfaction with
the non-chalance displayed by the "who-is-who" in the state towards
the programme.
The state-owned radio station, 97.1 Glory FM, up till Monday morning,
had repeatedly announced that the lecture was a very crucial activity
in the celebrations. It was gathered that although, the governor was
in Yenagoa, most government officials, including state executive council
members and other decisionmakers had travelled out of the state for
the public holidays. Events such as lectures and book launch had suffered
poor attendance in the state in recent times indicating inexplicable
indisposition to intellectualism and capacity building.
Group Urges FG to Establish Community Admin Council
Agroup which styles itself as the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Landlords
Association of Nigeria (OMPALAN) has advocated the establishment of
a C o m m u n i t y Administration Council (CAC) as the fulcrum upon
which the successful implementation of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua's
seven-point agenda could be achieved.
The group explained that the CAC would be saddled with the responsibility
of ensuring that rural dwellers at the grassroots benefited from the
impact of the seven-point agenda. The chairman of OMPALAN's Governing
Council, Evangelist Udo Azogu made the advocacy while speaking at
its meeting hosted by the Bayelsa State chapter in Yenagoa.
Azogu noted that after a review of the seven-point agenda, the setting
up of the Technical Committee and the establishment of the Niger Delta
Ministry, the group observed that such Federal Government's efforts
could only make meaning if communities, especially oil producing communities
were practically involved.
Lack of community participation, Azogu argued had always occasioned
bickering and restiveness, adding that the personal aggrandizement
of most state governors and local government chairmen had impeded
developmental efforts, especially in the Niger Delta region.
According to him, the present efforts by the Yar'Adua administration
should involve the adoption of the CAC strategy to emphasize deliberate
direct delivery of benefits to communities rather than passing through
the state governments. "The reason why the people will not stop agitating
is because these leaders have failed to ensure that those at the grassroots
were given a sense of belonging. Previous palliative measures hardly
get to the oil producing areas. "Let us re-define the political context
and create more political institutions to break into four tiers of
governance.
The Federal Government should consider seriously the establishment
of a C o m m u n i t y Administration Council", he posited. Also speaking,
the former Director-General of the Standards Organization of Nigeria
(SON), Brig.Gen. Anthony Edukudom, urged practical steps towards transformation,
adding that unemployment and lack of infrastructure had been the bane
of the youths. While warning the people of the oil producing states
against what he described as divisive tendencies and pull-himdown
syndrome, Edukudom commended the President for creating the Niger
Delta Ministry.
Rosemary Nwisi
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