little by little, the leopard exposes his real spots!

A little digression the other day debosky was attempting to prove that the issue of a University in Warri amounts to sensationalism and tried to project the picture that the whole issue of the Niger Delta was unwarranted (my own summary) even attempting to prove that there were enough Oil & Gas and general investments in the area.

I stated that the govt had no confidence in the area and it is getting more obvious. This government does not possess the political will to resolve once and for all the issue of the Niger Delta, i am not calling that only members from the region be in the committe but better understands the issues but people whose villages are affected by spillages. As the lady suggested its not ONLy about the technical competence, there is no way some one from Jos or Kaduna can perceive the issue the same way some one from the area will.

It is obvious where the problem of the country is, the whole county including the core North has to realise that things are changing, we dont have a dictator (thanks to Fashola , SAN for showing clearly the intellectual depth of this govt) in power, if we are a federal state the federating units must have the power to dictate how they live.

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=150074

Please read the story below,

N’Delta: Kogbara Resigns from FG’s Oil and Gas Committee
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt, 07.29.2009

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The only member of the Rilwanu Lukman-led Oil and Gas Implementation Committee (OGIC) from the Niger Delta region, Donu Kogbara, has resigned from the committee over what she called professional, personal and social reasons that border on lack of protection of the interests of Niger Deltans.
Kogbara, who spoke from her base in London yesterday, regretted that her views were not respected the way she took the professional views of other members of the committee.
She added that most of the backlash that were currently in the front burners in the Niger Delta today would have been addressed without problems.
Kogbara's resignation which has not been accepted by the Federal Government is coming on the heels of the declaration by the Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in the April 2007 poll in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, that the present circumstances in the country had justified his resignation from the Vision 2020 Committee.
According to Kogbara, “I can confirm to you that I have left. I have resigned but my resignation has not been accepted. I just felt that I was not being respected enough, especially on my opinions and belief in the Niger Delta issues. I would have been happier if they had more Niger Delta people on the committee.”
She said she was appointed into the committee by former minister of FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, who felt she was needed in the committee for the purpose of interfacing with the public on goings on in the committee.
Asked whether there was adequate representation of the Niger Delta on the committee, she replied, “How can one person who is not well versed in engineering and petroleum matters represent the interest of the entire region?”
Recounting the things she told the committee to do before she got angry and left, Kogbara said: “'I demanded that they should organize road shows in Rivers and Cross River States to sensitise the people on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as well as have their input.”
She also said she felt that issues of poverty and infrastructural development ought to have been better handled by people in power and implemented alongside amnesty and across the country so that the peace and security would be generally addressed not only in the Niger Delta but nationwide.
On the position of the governors from the region to opt out of the amnesty extended to Niger Delta militants by the Federal Government, she said she was not well informed about the issue, but added that their canvassing for the best for the region was good if they had woken up from their slumber.
On his part, Princewill in a statement in Port Harcourt yesterday said Nigeria should adopt paradigm shift from the concentration on individuals to institutions for democracy to thrive as against the practice of few people staying in their bedrooms to determine the fate of the country and its people.
“I feel vindicated by the actions of the recent weeks when I decided to resign the office of the Chairman of the 2020 Vision subcommittee on Niger Delta. Some misguided elements were laughing at the gesture, but today I am not only vindicated but also proved that I had the foresight to highlight their lack of respect for the Niger Delta. From the bombings in Gbaramatu, to an inarticulate amnesty package for the goose that lays the proverbial golden egg has been abused.  This same goose provides the nation with its major economic mainstay and is one of the main focal points of a lacklustre implementation of Mr. President’s seven- point agenda,” he said

away4real:

A little digression the other day debosky was attempting to prove that the issue of a University in Warri amounts to sensationalism and tried to project the picture that the whole issue of the Niger Delta was unwarranted (my own summary) even attempting to prove that there were enough Oil & Gas and general investments in the area.

Let me clarify what I was saying

1. In terms of oil and gas facilities (producing and refining assets) investments are made on viability and returns to the investors. In that sense, there is significant development in the ND and more will occur as and when economically feasible

2. In terms of NUMBER of institutions (universities), I do believe we have a sufficient number, what we need to do is improve quality of output and not build more of them.

3. In terms of investment in civil infrastructure (roads, primary/secondary schools, technical colleges, hospitals, etc) there is a SHOCKING and CRIMINAL neglect in the delta.

This latter area should be the primary focus of stakeholders as it gives people the ability to determine their fates. I feel it doesn't receive the necessary attention, instead we keep focusing on the above two which are in essence rent-seeking (how many 'government establishments' do we have, etc) instead of actual impacts on people's lives.

The FG hasn't done nearly enough and I have in no way made an argument that they have. I have in no regard said the ND issue is unwarranted, all I have said is that there is undue focus and energy being wasted on inaccurate information about a 'proposed' university, while infrastructure projects such as the East-West Road get disrupted without a peep from most of the people up in arms at the moment. I find that difference in approach baffling.

This time around we in the Niger Delta know exactly the way forward and our state governments are speaking the minds of their citizenry

Na wha. Wonders shall never cease

Whatever, Bayelsa has no federal institute of learning. Though I'm not a BY Boy y not take d sch 2 Bayelsa instead of Kaduna?

they won't find it funny this time. enough is enough!

this government wetin they mean self

they know what they mean. evil men in government!

@ debosky & all so called "objective" and "rational" nigerians. Please read the comments of Prof. Itse Sagay with emphasis on the statments in bold. At least he is a learned man, its only if we want to deceive ourselves that you will choose not to see through the smoke screen of the government.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/07/31/oil-bill-fg-has-total-contempt-for-niger-delta-people-says-prof-sagay/

OIL BILL: FG has total contempt for Niger Delta people, says Prof Sagay
Special Reports Jul 31, 2009 By Dapo Akinrefon
THE proposed Oil Bill presently before the National Assembly has continued to generate harsh reactions especially from stakeholders from the Niger Delta. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard, Constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay frowns at the bill. He argues that the oil bill is anti- South-South adding that it will further lead to under-development in the region. He bares his mind on other sundry issues. Excerpts:

Reactions have continued to trail the controversial Oil Bill and in fact, South-South governors have threatened to pull out of the proposed amnesty for militants. Is there any legal basis to oppose the bill?

It’s not a legal basis, it’s political basis. The opposition from the Niger Delta is that the Oil Bill, has nothing positive for the Niger Delta. All it does, is to stream line the 16 existing petroleum producing areas into one, to make it more efficient and to make it more financially productive for the Federal government.

There is no package at all for the Niger Delta in it, so, really, it’s a slap in the face. It’s as if those who actually produce the oil are irrelevant and that it is to be produced exclusively for the benefit of the Federal government and those who control it.

Now that the South/South governors have threatened to pull out from the amnesty proposed by the Federal government for the militants, don’t you think such steps may threaten the Federal government’s efforts as regards amnesty that would eventually solve the crisis in the region?

Of course amnesty  will not work because there is no positive provision for the Niger Delta in the Petroleum Industry Bill.

There is nothing about royalty for the people of the Niger Delta. There is nothing about the cleaning up of the environment which is more damaging to the communities. There is nothing about any condition of  how Niger Delta states and communities can have a stake in the industry, for example, a provision that will allow them preference to some oil blocs which they can exploit  so that they can have significant practice in the industry.

There is no provision for increasing derivation from the present 13 percent to 25 per cent, when we know that the original derivation per cent was 60 per cent.

There is no provision to address the issue of offshore derivation, which, according to the independence and republican constitution, was applicable throughout the continental shelf . In other words, it is just a bill to ensure that the Federal government collects more money from the oil companies without taking care of anything of interest to the people who own the oil.

Having said that, what signal is this development sending to the region?

What it shows is that the Federal government has total contempt for the people of the Niger Delta. And that contempt  even confirmed the insolent attempt to downgrade the Petroleum Institute from a University status to a training institution for low and middle level workers and transfer the university, which award degrees to Kaduna Institute; in an area which has never produced a drop of oil in its history.

In other words, all the money from the Niger Delta, will now form the downgrading of its own institute and the upgrading of Kaduna, which does not produce oil. It’s ultimate insult.
But there are two versions of the bills presently before the National Assembly, don’t you see some form of hank-panky in the whole process?

I am yet to see the two bills. What I know about this bill is what I have read from what has been made available. In fact, I understand there are three versions of the bill, depending on who is trying to promote something. It only shows you that we are in a state of utter chaos.

Is there is anything in Dr Rilwan Lukman’s antecedents to show that he is anti- South/South?

It is obvious. All these are happening within the short period he has been in power.

He may not be doing it consciously. He might be doing it because he has a state of mind that the people of the Niger Delta are irrelevant and he’s only thinking of the power of the Federal government and that they (FG) can do whatever they like.

I think he has an imperial mind-set which has no consideration or sensitivity for those who are producing the wealth of this country.

If you are in a position to make suggestions to the Federal government on how to develop the Niger Delta, what would you be telling them?

To start, I will want the bill to be amended to include all the provisions I have stated . For example, there should be ten per cent of at least all proceeds of gross products of petroleum to the local communities.

There should also be a clear statement from the Federal government that the Petroleum University in Effurun is going to go on as established by the Obasanjo government. And the Federal government, without wasting much time, should begin to implement the Mitee-led technical committee recommendations, that is major developmental infra structural  interventions, building roads, bridges, electricity, developmental issues massively to show good faith. So that people of the Niger Delta will once again begin to trust the Federal government.

Do you think the South/South governors can sustain this campaign considering the fact that they are all in the same party?

It does not matter. They are still in the same party but they were not elected as governors by their party, they were elected by the people they represent.

And that is why they know that the people they represent have been humiliated and neglected; and that their own survival as governors, will depend on resisting this humiliation and oppression and rescuing the rights of the Niger Delta for them to have a share in their God given resources. The Niger Delta is the most wretched oil producing area in the whole world and that just has to stop. They use our money to build paradise in Abuja and in other parts of the country , leaving the Niger Delta in a state of wretchedness and filth. That’s not acceptable.

If the governors have to survive, they really have to take up the struggle to ensure that this sort of oppression is abruptly ended.

Just recently, militants stormed Lagos to attack the Atlas Cove Jetty and have threatened to carry out more attacks on oil installations around the country.

What I will like to say about it is that what they (militants) did in Lagos is an indication that they have the capacity to strike beyond the Niger Delta. I think that should register in the minds of everybody and therefore, it should be an incentive to try and arrive at a peaceful resolution of this matter as soon as possible.

Their grievances should be met, we should go beyond amnesty and go to the major and substantive issue that is causing this problem and resolve them. It means the Federal government has to move fast because those people have the capacity to go beyond the Niger Delta. For me, that is the message that they are sending, we must resolve this matter.

Already, they have declared a 60 day cease fire and suspension of activities. Those 60 days must be used productively particularly by the Federal government.

Some people have expressed fear that the Federal government may not be sincere in its plan to grant amnesty to the militants What do you make of this?

Well, honestly, I don’t know the mind of the Federal government. Given the things that have happened recently, this Petroleum Industry Bill and the transfer of the Petroleum Institute from Warri to Kaduna, there is definitely an indication, and one is inclined to believe, that there is a lack of sincerity.

But if that is the case, that lack of sincerity has to change. You can see the unity of the people of the Niger Delta, everybody is united, the governors are with us, the militants and the whole people of the Niger Delta are united in resisting continued oppression from Nigeria.

What the Federal government should do is to embark on massive infra structural intervention apart from the fact of restoring the real status of the Petroleum Institute unequivocally.

They should now massively intervene by providing infrastructure to the people of the Niger Delta, they should build a modern city like Abuja in the Niger Delta and also, the provision of the Petroleum Industry should be amended to include all the grievances which the Niger Delta governors have listed. All that should be done immediately.

yar adua, if i were u i would continue but remember USSR was more united that the present day Nigeria. when it broke up it broke like a piece of Chinaware fallen from a ten storey building. Nigeria can do better. I bilieve it would happen in your time I can bet it with my life. This is because u are already toeing the steps that would actualise this for us southerners and the fools in the middle belt that the north (Arewa) are using for numerical strenght.

If truly Kwara is a nothern state why was Kainji re alocated to Niger state by Babangida? was it not just to be sure that it is deeper up north (kwara never complained cos they know the game plan). Even the fools who only put their 'northern' name when they are appointed into a post knows they are only used for numerical strenght.
Yaradua either u make PTI a secondary school or relegate it futher to the status of a nursery school southerners woiuld still get educated.

Funniny enough the people you are taking the so called petroleum university to does not even want it (Boko Haram). This action of your would not bridge the gap. Gaskiya!

With this I now know Nigeria needs prayer, PTI Effurun cannot provide University grad., but Kaduna can, despite the yarns and cry for development in the Niger Delta. May God help Us,

serious prayer, my brother.

cant believe this. nothing can be more disheartening.

looks like the govt is singing a different tune now the heat is on!

What are they saying now?

read the papers.

It will be better to change the Kaduna Petroleum College to Kaduna Counter Insurgent College, in preparation of what to come.

counter insurgent?

George_D:

counter insurgent?

I am being satirical, ND won't sit idle, you know.

The Yar'Adua regime might as well gear up for more intense insurrection and Gorilla warfare… with ND.

well, not if they become sensible and give us what we want?