{"id":9408,"date":"2016-06-05T20:36:00","date_gmt":"2016-06-05T20:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=9408"},"modified":"2016-06-05T20:36:00","modified_gmt":"2016-06-05T20:36:00","slug":"why-self-determination-is-the-only-way-to-stop-the-criminal-exploitation-of-the-niger-delta-by-annkio-briggs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=9408","title":{"rendered":"Why self-determination is the only way to stop the criminal exploitation of the Niger Delta by Annkio Briggs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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In 1952, our forefathers in a bid to agitate for development of the Niger Delta drew up a plan called Niger Delta Development Plan, which was presented to the British government by the colonial government. The Niger Delta presentation requested for fundamental human rights, in the then coming 1960 independence of Nigeria, in a bid to escape what the minorities of Niger Delta feared most ; internal imperialism, domination, victimization, expropriation and neglect by the three ruling groups.
\nThe British government constituted the Minorities Commission headed by Sir Henry Willink on September 25th 1957 to look into the FEARS and GRIEVANCES of the Niger Delta people and proffer solutions. The Southern states that would have brought the Niger Delta people out of internal colonization has been denied us till today, for this reason we must continue our agitation for justice till we are emancipated. Though the Willink’s report accepted that the Niger Delta was backward, poor, and neglected and recommended the creation of the Niger Delta Development Board (NDDB ), this board and others after it, such as OMPADEC, NDDC, MINISTRY OF NIGER DELTA, AMNESTY etc were all proposed and commissioned only to deceive the Niger Delta people, as they have either being starved of funds or manipulated from Abuja to favour non indigenes of the Niger Delta.<\/p>\n

It is being rumoured that the incoming Federal government of 2015 intends to hide under the Stephen Oronsaye’s report of 2012 to merge or scrap the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta. It is therefore urgent and even more critical for the Niger Delta people to protect the NDDC, which till date remains the closest federal government agency to the Niger Delta people. Consequently, we must not allow the under-funding of any federal government agency set up for the Niger Delta region and people; neither should we allow merging and or scrapping of the NDDC, MINISTRY OF NIGER DELTA, AND THE AMNESTY PROGRAMME.<\/p>\n


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Further more, we must continue to request for the outstanding monies owed the NDDC, which is in excess of Seven Hundred Billion (N700B) Naira, as all monies owed the Niger Delta must be paid.<\/p>\n

The Niger Delta people have had their resources and political rights taken away from them by oppressive Nigeria government and made to beg for crumbs. Also, there comes a time in any situation when it is right to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Also, there comes a time when you must know that you have nothing left to give, in fact, there comes a time when you must change your situation, take your destiny in your own hands. ThIs is such time for us in the Niger Delta, the time to stand firm and demand for SELF DETERMINATION.<\/p>\n

The Niger Delta people and region have been sustaining and continue to sustain Nigeria with our resources, at high cost of the destruction of our environment, livelihood and development and at the life threatening cost of gas flaring, cancer, blindness, skin diseases and many other illnesses.<\/p>\n

Since 1960 till date, Nigeria claims to be a federation yet she operates a unitary state to the disadvantage of the Niger Delta region and people.<\/p>\n

The 1999 constitution inspired by the military in favour of the North was crafted with the intent to expropriate our lands and resources through the following decrees; now referred to as Acts, Petroleum Drilling and Production Act, Land Use Act, Oil Pipeline Act, the Petroleum Act, Special Offences and Miscellaneous Act, Offshore Oil Resources Act, Derivation Principles and Revenue Allocation, Oil Terminal Dues Act, Exclusive Economic Zone, Associated Gas Reinjection Act, National Inland Waterways Authority Act.<\/p>\n

FACTS ABOUT NIGERIA’S INJUSTICE TO THE NIGER DELTA
\nIn 1907-8 before the amalgamation of 1914, the Baro -Kano railway was built from 77,207.09 British Pounds funds obtained as a loan from the Southern Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Today the North has more Local Government Areas than the south in Nigeria, this means the North gets more (59%) of the oil monies shared according to LGAs allocation\u00a0 while the South which produces a 100% of the funds than the the North gets more of and contributes nothing gets less (45%).<\/p>\n

Also, in the House of Representatives, the North today has 182 seats as against the South’s we we 154. It is therefore not a surprise that the bill for resource control brought by Hon. Temi Harriman on the 9th of May 2001 was defeated by the permanent Northern Majority by 81 votes against the 64 votes, in favour of the Northern agenda against the bill.\u00a0 The issue of ”Local Content ” Bill that would have allowed the Local oil producing communities to participate more in the Oil and Gas industry was also changed into ”Nigerian Content ” because of the same Northern agenda.<\/p>\n

The PIB has been resisted for 4 years because it is meant to favour the oil producing communities, presently the proposed 10% for oil producing communities has been reduced to 7.5%. As if this was not offensive enough, the lawmakers have declared the whole of Nigeria as petroleum host communities with the intent and purpose of short changing the Niger Delta oil producing communities. This action by the lawmakers is intended to provoke the Niger Delta people. However, we call on you to remain calm even in the face of willful provocation. We also caution those who are behind the perpetual move to undermine the rights of the Niger Delta people, as the fragile peace in the Niger Delta should never be taken for granted.<\/p>\n

We have many facts to show the injustices the Niger Delta people have endured, and the rights denied us, but if we the Niger Delta people are to survive, grow and develop at our own pace, we must be firm in our desire for SELF DETERMINATION. Looking back at what we’ve endured, we have only two choices, to CONTINUE TO BE NEGLECTED AND OPPRESSED or STAND UP TO DETERMINE OUR FUTURE AND TAKE WHAT WE DESERVE AND DESIRE.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS SELF DETERMINATION?
\nSelf Determination means different thing to different people. While some equate it to immediate secession, others recognize the fact that it is also about freedom of all indigenous peoples to determine their future by exercising their rights to choose the way they want to be governed. Our Forefathers have always wanted self determination since the amalgamation, creation and independence of Nigeria. Self-determination is an African charter and United Nations recognized right of an indigenous people all over the world. It is the right of all peoples, including the Niger Delta people as well as all other indigenous people in other parts of Nigeria to determine their future, and to choose the way they want to be governed.<\/p>\n

Self-determination is True Federalism and Resourcefulness<\/p>\n

Self-determination is Self-Progress and development<\/p>\n

Self-Determination is the basis for Equality, Self-Pride and Self-Respect<\/p>\n

WHY DO WE AGITATE FOR SELF-DETERMINATION NON-VIOLENTLY
\nSelf-Determination is necessarily not a call to break away from Nigeria. Rather it is call for us to exclusively exercise our rights to choose the way we want to be governed, to own and control our resources, including but not limited to our lands, rivers, waters (deep\/shallow shores) and to enable us to grow and develop at our own pace without any interference.
\nSelf-determination is our unalienable right to freely determine our political status pursue or economic, social, cultural, and religious development.
\nWe are advocating for a non violent agitation because we know that today is better governed bu superior knowledge, logic, propositions and intellectual capacity. We therefore see thus as one of the good media to enlighten, educate, ad inform our people on the reasons why self determination has become our only option.<\/p>\n

YOUR ROLE AS A NIGER DELTAN IN THE SELF-DETERMINATION OF OUR PEOPLE
\nIt is our firm belief that all Niger Deltans who appreciate this course can play a role by effectively and efficiently disseminating this non violent message of self-determination for the Niger Delta and her peoples, while also contributing your individual and collective ideas on how to achieve this all important mission.
\nIt is most critical for the Niger Delta people to note from here on that as a non violent movement we have a right to protect present, and future, if we intend to hand over a future to our children and their children. It is our moral obligation to get up and take and protect all that is rightfully ours; our lands, creeks, swamps, mangroves, rivers, and waters as these are the inheritance of our children, and we shall never be forgiven by our children and their children if we hand over to them anything less than what our forefathers handed over to us.
\nOur fore fathers with all due respect were less exposed yesterday than we are today, yet they agitated more and handed over more to us than we stand over to our children and we have no excuse to do less than our fore fathers did in the resistance against injustice.<\/p>\n

It is our duty to hold ourselves and our politicians responsible and accountable from here on. However, we must not be blinded by the call of non-Niger Deltans who have shared our resources amongst themselves and are trying in vain to make us see them, the very same people, who have oppressed us for over a 100 years as our friends, while they see a few from our region they are using as willing tools to oppress us as our leaders and opinion builders. We must by all means maintain peace, unity, trust, and harmony amongst ourselves in the Niger Delta.
\nWhile we discuss and conclude on the understanding and appreciation of mutual respect and trust amongst us in the Niger Delta, we must protect that which is already in our hands, our lands, waters, and other resources; starting with the NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta, and the Amnesty program.
\nThe resources in the Niger Delta region belong to the Indigenous peoples of the Niger Delta and the resources on other regions of Nigeria belong to the indigenous people of those regions. That the 1999 constitution as drafted without our consent had taken away our rights to our lands and other resources, does not make it right nor acceptable to us.
\nThe Niger Delta peoples in over 100 years have been sustaining Nigeria with our palm kernel, palm oil, crude oil and gases; first by the force of the colonial government, and to date by the combination Nigeria Military might and oppressive political powers, who claim that the population of the North is higher than the population of the South. This claim defies the international logic because all over the world, we have more people in the grass and mangrove forest like we have in the South (Coastal Area), than in the Sahara\/desert like we have in the North (Dry Land). If we break down the budget of Nigeria to North and South of Nigeria it is clear that that the north cannot fund its budgetary needs, as they solely depend on revenue sharing from oil and gas which has been, since 1960, and is still oppressive and destructive to the development of the Niger Delta and her people.
\nThe north currently has untapped Natural resources that are valued at about two trillion dollars ($2T), which successive military and democratic governments in Nigeria have refused to explore and exploit with the intention of keeping their natural resources safe, while using the slogan of one Nigeria to destroy our livelihood, environment, and keep our region under-developed as arranged previously with the cooperation of the Western world that hungers for the natural resources in the Niger Delta. Therefore, we should not over-look the fact that they will continue to apply the divide and rule tactics; however it is our responsibility and right to reject that strategy.
\nAs we stand firmly on the platform of non-violence, sooner than later our voices will be heard all over the world, as our court is the court of public opinion, justice and equity. The reality is that, no matter who is the President of Nigeria, the issues of the Niger Delta people must be addressed. It is necessary to note that we have paid too heavy a price for the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in the Niger Delta by the Nigerian State, the International Oil Companies (IOCs) and individuals who are not from the Niger Delta region, yet own all the oil wells in the Niger Delta and continue to destroy and ravage our environment.
\nWe make it clear that our agitation for self-determination is not to secede from the nation Nigeria; rather it is to peacefully get justice, as the Niger Delta region remains vulnerable and still requires special care and development.\"IYC\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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