Halt Planned Attacks on Oil Facilities, Omo-Agege Urges N’ Delta Agitators

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has
appealed to members of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) to
halt its planned attacks on oil facilities in the region.

Omo-Agege’s appeal came on the heels of recent threats by a
coalition of nine militant groups in the Niger Delta region
expressing readiness to resume hostilities by attacking oil and gas
facilities if the federal government does not meet the demands of
#EndSARS protesters across the country.

The Deputy Senate President, who spoke on Wednesday while
hosting a delegation of Oil and Gas Host Communities of Nigeria
(HOSCON) in Abuja, led by elder statesman, Chief Wellington Okrika,
urged the agitators to sheathe their sword and allow peace to
reign, assuring them that their demands would be tabled before the
Presidency.

He said going ahead with their threat would create economic
setback for the country and additional environmental degradation in
the area.

The ranking senator stressed that with the nation still battling
with the challenges posed by Covid-19 and the aftermath of #EndSARS
protests, which was hijacked by hoodlums, it cannot afford another
militancy problem at the moment.

He said: ”Whatever it is, we must maintain peace in the Niger
Delta. I say this in view of the new agitations by the Reformed
Niger Delta Avengers. We are just coming out of the #EndSARS
protest which, of course, we all witnessed how a peaceful protest
was hijacked by those with sinister agenda. We are all witnesses to
what happened afterwards even when we must acknowledge that in a
democracy, protest is a right provided those that do it do so
peacefully without abridging the rights of others.

”I urge HOSCON members to go back to our people in the creeks
and tell them we are here for them. We are here to champion their
request. We don’t want the peace of the Niger Delta to be disturbed
or disrupted. We are here to protect the interest of our
people.

“Yes, I may be the Deputy President of the Senate today but, I
am first of all, a senator representing my people. I am here and I
am your own. I am your eye. We shall not disappoint you. Take this
commendation to our brothers in the creeks that they have done well
in keeping the peace and we will table their request before the
authorities as they have channelled that request through me. We
shall ensure the right things are done.”

Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently before
the National Assembly, Omo-Agege argued that the annual
contribution of 2.5 per cent actual operating expenditure by oil
companies to the Host Community Development Trust Fund would be
increased to, at least, 5 per cent.

He also reiterated his call at the second reading of the bill on
the floor of the Senate where he made a case for gas flaring
penalties to be paid to the host communities and not the Federation
Account.

According to him, the funds would be used to ameliorate the
living conditions in Niger Delta communities, as they remain the
ones that bear the burden of environmental degradation from the oil
industry.

He said: ”That I come from the oil bearing communities is one of
the reasons why I am DSP today given our contribution to the
economy of the country. It is only natural that I champion anything
that would promote the interest of the people of the Niger Delta.
The PIB is a very crucial bill. If properly handled it would bring
a lot of Foreign Direct Investments into the oil economy.

“This is the best time to take advantage of the oil we have and
the best way to do so it to encourage FDIs and this can only be
achieved when the Niger Delta is peaceful. That is why I am suing
for peace. Let the Niger Delta region begin to look like the region
that produces the wealth of the country.”

Earlier in his remarks, Chief Okrika called on the Deputy
President of the Senate to intervene in the issues brought before
the federal government concerning the PIB, gas flaring, 13 per cent
derivation payment to the states instead of the oil bearing
communities, the N98 billion gas flare fund and the controversy
surrounding the Pipeline Surveillance Contract.

He lauded the legislative interventions of the senator, adding
that members were impressed with his contributions not only on
issues concerning the Niger Delta but his general contributions on
matters relating to national discourse.

The militant groups under the aegis of
Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) had after an emergency meeting
in Delta State last week, announced their preparedness to disavow
the ceasefire accord with the federal government and engage
military forces.

Specifically, they threatened to resume attacks on some
identified oil facilities in the region if nothing was done to
redress the issues of poor welfare, armed oppression and inequality
in the standard of living between the citizens and political
elite.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has
appealed to members of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) to
halt its planned attacks on oil facilities in the region.

Omo-Agege’s appeal came on the heels of recent threats by a
coalition of nine militant groups in the Niger Delta region
expressing readiness to resume hostilities by attacking oil and gas
facilities if the federal government does not meet the demands of
#EndSARS protesters across the country.

The Deputy Senate President, who spoke on Wednesday while
hosting a delegation of Oil and Gas Host Communities of Nigeria
(HOSCON) in Abuja, led by elder statesman, Chief Wellington Okrika,
urged the agitators to sheathe their sword and allow peace to
reign, assuring them that their demands would be tabled before the
Presidency.

He said going ahead with their threat would create economic
setback for the country and additional environmental degradation in
the area.

The ranking senator stressed that with the nation still battling
with the challenges posed by Covid-19 and the aftermath of #EndSARS
protests, which was hijacked by hoodlums, it cannot afford another
militancy problem at the moment.

He said: ”Whatever it is, we must maintain peace in the Niger
Delta. I say this in view of the new agitations by the Reformed
Niger Delta Avengers. We are just coming out of the #EndSARS
protest which, of course, we all witnessed how a peaceful protest
was hijacked by those with sinister agenda. We are all witnesses to
what happened afterwards even when we must acknowledge that in a
democracy, protest is a right provided those that do it do so
peacefully without abridging the rights of others.

”I urge HOSCON members to go back to our people in the creeks
and tell them we are here for them. We are here to champion their
request. We don’t want the peace of the Niger Delta to be disturbed
or disrupted. We are here to protect the interest of our
people.

“Yes, I may be the Deputy President of the Senate today but, I
am first of all, a senator representing my people. I am here and I
am your own. I am your eye. We shall not disappoint you. Take this
commendation to our brothers in the creeks that they have done well
in keeping the peace and we will table their request before the
authorities as they have channelled that request through me. We
shall ensure the right things are done.”

Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) currently before
the National Assembly, Omo-Agege argued that the annual
contribution of 2.5 per cent actual operating expenditure by oil
companies to the Host Community Development Trust Fund would be
increased to, at least, 5 per cent.

He also reiterated his call at the second reading of the bill on
the floor of the Senate where he made a case for gas flaring
penalties to be paid to the host communities and not the Federation
Account.

According to him, the funds would be used to ameliorate the
living conditions in Niger Delta communities, as they remain the
ones that bear the burden of environmental degradation from the oil
industry.

He said: ”That I come from the oil bearing communities is one of
the reasons why I am DSP today given our contribution to the
economy of the country. It is only natural that I champion anything
that would promote the interest of the people of the Niger Delta.
The PIB is a very crucial bill. If properly handled it would bring
a lot of Foreign Direct Investments into the oil economy.

“This is the best time to take advantage of the oil we have and
the best way to do so it to encourage FDIs and this can only be
achieved when the Niger Delta is peaceful. That is why I am suing
for peace. Let the Niger Delta region begin to look like the region
that produces the wealth of the country.”

Earlier in his remarks, Chief Okrika called on the Deputy
President of the Senate to intervene in the issues brought before
the federal government concerning the PIB, gas flaring, 13 per cent
derivation payment to the states instead of the oil bearing
communities, the N98 billion gas flare fund and the controversy
surrounding the Pipeline Surveillance Contract.

He lauded the legislative interventions of the senator, adding
that members were impressed with his contributions not only on
issues concerning the Niger Delta but his general contributions on
matters relating to national discourse.

The militant groups under the aegis of
Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) had after an emergency meeting
in Delta State last week, announced their preparedness to disavow
the ceasefire accord with the federal government and engage
military forces.

Specifically, they threatened to resume attacks on some
identified oil facilities in the region if nothing was done to
redress the issues of poor welfare, armed oppression and inequality
in the standard of living between the citizens and political
elite.