[allAfrica.com] [Africa_2006] Obasanjo: Terrorists Behind Attacks On Oil Firms Daily Champion (Lagos) NEWS January 27, 2006 Posted to the web January 27, 2006 By Lere Ojedokun amd Sopuruchi Onwuka Davos/Lagos PRESIDENT Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday described the campaign against the oil industry as hostile, an element of terrorism, a storm in a tea cup and acts of criminality by the Ijaw ethnic militia groups in the Niger Delta. The president who was in Davos, Switzerland, for this year's World Economic Forum, however, assured the international community that the development in the Niger Delta "does not amount to crisis in NIgeria's oil industry". The President's comments came as the Army deployed more troops to the major oil installations following an armed robbery attack on a bank in the premises of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Port Harcourt, killing eight policemen and a civilian. But speaking in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday, President Obasanjo said he did not regard the militancy in the Niger Delta as unimportant, adding that the "Federal Government is already taking effective steps to contain the situation". "I do not believe that our oil industry is under threat. This is an aberration. It will come and go. There is an element of terrorism in this and you cannot say we should give in to terrorism", President Obasanjo said. He said that his administration was fully aware of the global importance of the hydrocarbon resources of the Niger Delta and the Gulf of Guinea and would do everything possible to guarantee their security. President Obasanjo added that the Federal Government was addressing all issues causing tension in the region with a view to providing a lasting solution. The President said that although government was in contact with the militant group claiming responsibility for recent criminal acts in the Niger Delta, it had not offered them any "deal". Responding to question on the crisis in Cote D'Ivoire, Obasanjo said that he still believed that it was "very very resolvable". The attack on Agip was the latest in series of armed attacks on oil companies in the region which started with syndicated raid on Shell's flow stations and EA conventional offshore locations in which four expatriates were kidnapped. Concerted efforts by federal, state and local governments as well as industry operators have not been able to secure the release of the hostages on whom the captors demanded $2.5 billion and release of their docked leader, Alhaji Muhajid Dokubo-Asari. Government had set up a team comprising security agencies, local community heads, state government officials and industry leaders to contact the militia group and negotiate the release of the hostages. But the attack on Agip Tuesday caused the army to mount heavy presence in the area even as underground security operatives are said to have been deployed to spy out the den of the attackers. The presence of the army however sent terrified villagers on their heels in effort to escape possible reprisal attack by the security forces. Hundreds of contractors have also fled as the military deployed extra troops to platforms and shipping terminals across the vast region of mangrove swamps and tidal creeks. Oil unions have threatened to pull out from the Delta which produces almost all of Nigeria's 2.4 million barrels a day, if security deteriorates further. The militants vowed to respond in kind to any military reprisals and again warned foreigners to leave the Delta. Nigeria's secret service released three men detained this week for alleged links to the kidnappers. The militants had distanced themselves from them, saying they were profiteers. "These people were arrested for being unable to provide the hostages after they were paid." "The hostages were not being held for money", the militants said. "The captives will be freed only in return for the release of militia chief, Dokubo-Asari and former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was impeached for money laundering last month", the group said. "The hostages are in good health... and are going nowhere for as long as our demands are not met," said the group, which also demands more local control over the Delta's huge oil wealth. At the riverside in the Delta city of Warri, villagers arrived in boats packed with household possessions from outlying villages, fearing military attacks to avenge the killing of a dozen soldiers in a raid on a Shell oil platform on January 15. Shell had already withdrawn 500 staff and cut its output by 221,000 barrels a day, or one tenth of Nigeria's exports. Meanwhile, oil fell sharply yesterday on a larger-than-expected rise in the United States (US) petrol and distillate stocks, overshadowing supply concerns in Iran, Russia and Nigeria. US crude futures fell 96c to $66.10 a barrel, while London Brent crude shed 79c to $64.55 a barrel. In Davos, Switzerland, President Obasanjo again yesterday took the campaign for foreign direct investment further with a meeting with an appeal to world top rated captains of industry to come and invest in Nigeria. While stating that his administration had been able to attract foreign investments to the country in the last six years, he assured the potential investors that conducive environment for investments had been put in place. The President who is participating in this year's World Economic Forum, also met with several world political leaders during which he called for good governance, global peace and adequate attention to the welfare for the citizenry. He also stressed the need for partnership and collaboration at state, national and global level in order to promote development, even as he urged those seeking regional identification to have common knowledge and shared objective. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mrs Oluremi Oyo, who spoke on some of his engagements, said Obasanjo also featured on a six-man panel discussion where concern was raised on the rise in regionalism. The president who also met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. Kofi Annan, and American billionaire and philanthropist, Mr. George Goros, further informed that the African Union (AU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had played significant roles inthe restoration of peace, order and democratic governance in Liberia while they were making progress in other troubled countries like Cote d'Ivoire, Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Both President Obasanjo and Mr. Anan stressed the need to make sports an intrusment of peace and unity, a suggestion the fomer said could help in the Niger Delta area of the country where armed youths constantly disrupt oil companies' operations. Issues bordering on global economic and bsocial deveolpment are topping the agenda of this year's Economic Forum. In particular, the meet is providing another opportunity for Nigeria to discuss some issues that could strenghten its bilateral relatons with leading economies. The Nigerian leader who arrived the European country on Wednesday night, has also parleyed with director-general of the Transparency International (TI),Mr. Peter Eigen, among others. DUring the meeting with the latter, progress recorded on the Nigerian Extractive Industies Transparency Initiative (EITI) was discussed. President Obasanjo will today participate in panel discussions on emerging markets and the challenges for developing countries,poverty, diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis as well as how to chart mew ways forward for Africa's development.   ===============================================================================  Copyright © 2006 Daily Champion. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ===============================================================================