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Obasanjo Links Niger Delta Violence to Terrorism

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
January 27, 2006
Posted to the web January 27, 2006

By Josephine Lohor With Agency Reports
Lagos
President Olusegun Ob-asanjo yesterday in Da-vos, Switzerland attributed the
violence in the Niger Delta to activities of local terrorists. He, however,
assured the international community that the Federal Government was equal to
the task of securing the safety of lives and property of citizens and
foreigners in the troubled region.
The President in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),
allayed fears that recent acts of criminality by militia groups in the Niger
Delta was the manifestation of a crisis in the country's oil industry and said
government was 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," Obasanjo said, adding that he was fully
aware of the importance of oil in world economy and would do everything to
guarantee the security of the investments in the region.
The President added that while the government was addressing all issues causing
tension in the region with a view to providing a lasting solution, it would not
condone any act of criminality by offering deals to militia groups that were
perpetrating violence in the oil-rich region. The violence in Niger Delta had
confounded the Federal Government despite heavy military presence in the area
with militant youths raiding oil installations and flow stations.
There was a resurgence of militant activities two weeks ago when heavily armed
youths under the aegis of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND) kidnapped four foreign oil workers on a Shell oil field.
The organisation threatened to kill the hostages, including a Briton, an
American, a Bulgarian and an Honduran, unless their demands, which included the
release of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamie-
yeseigha, were met.
The group also demanded payment of $1.5billion as compensation to Ijaw fishing
communities in Bayelsa State for loss of income arising from the pollution of
the environment.
While negotiations for the release of the hostages were on, a violent attack on
the operational base of another oil company, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC),
Tuesday in Port Harcourt left eight policemen and an oil worker dead, forcing
the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, to summon a meeting of
the Commissioners of Police in all the state commands to review the security
situation in the country.

   

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