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Niger Delta: Gani Cautions Against Invasion

Daily Champion (Lagos)
NEWS
January 30, 2006
Posted to the web January 30, 2006

By Thomas Imonikhe
Lagos
OUTSPOKEN lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), has warned the Federal Government
against the use of force in addressing current agitation for resource control
and improved living condition by the people of the Niger Delta.
He said such a combative measure, if adopted, is capable of exacerbating the
tense situation and cripple socio-economic activities in the region.
Speaking with Daily Champion in Lagos, Saturday, Gani insisted that dialogue
between the Federal Government and the people as well as tackling the present
massive poverty in the region offer the roadmap to lasting peace.
He was reacting to growing public concerns that government may deploy troops to
the oil-bearing region to free four expatriates who were kidnapped by militants
January 11.
But speaking on the hostage crisis last night, commander of the Joint Military
Task Force in the Niger Delta, Brig. Gen. Elias Zamani said military action
would be used as last resort in freeing the hostage.
In a telephone interview with Daily Champion from his Warri operational base,
Zamani said the presidential committee set up to secure the feedom of the
hostages was working round the clock to accomplish the task.
Gani said "adoption of "Fire for fire" approach in the Niger Delta will only
exacerbate the crisis instead of solving it. If the current crisis is allowed
to degenerate further, it may cripple the economy and our polity."
Tracing the root of the crisis to pervasive poverty and the neglect of Niger
Delta people, Gani said the federal and state governments had not done enough
to alleviate suffering in the region since oil was discovered in Oloibiri in
1956.
Said he: "Our offences against the people of Niger Delta are criminal and
heinously ungodly. So, we have to atone for our sins before God and we need to
change the lives of the people so that God can help us to implement good
programmes geared towards solving their socio-economic problems.
"The Federal Government must implement concrete programmes like free education,
free medical services and provision of free potable water and electricity.
"These are people who are in water but have no water to drink because every
litre of water there is being polluted by oil. But if they drink it they suffer
health hazards and diseases and many of such diseases are terminal," he added.
Gani said the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has not done enough to
alleviate poverty and ameliorate suffering of the people.
He said the region required urgent intervention of Federal Government and
affected states which should directly execute development projects.
Meanwhile, a source involved in the negotiation for the release of the four
kidnapped hostages yesterday attributed the delay in securing their freedom on
'release strategy" which is being worked out.
According to the source, who pleaded anonymity the expatriates who were
abducted January 11 "are not suffering" saying that they are being used as
bargaining power by their abductors.
He said comments credited to some public officials on the hostage crisis does
not reflect the reality on the ground even as he called for prayers for the
release of the hostages.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had claimed
responsibility for the abduction of a Briton an American, a Honduran and a
Bulgarian from a Royal Dutch Shell oil field January 11.

   

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