₦airaland Forum

Former military governor of Kaduna State, Colonel Abubakar Dangiwa Umar (retd), has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has exhibited poor skills in managing the diversity in the country.

In a statement entitled “Nigeria: Nation Challenged” and made available to the Tribune Online on Wednesday, Dangiwa said that “it is my long held belief that this country is more beneficial to all the federating units if only because it provides a security umbrella to all its units.”

On the re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Independent Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Dangiwa said: “The recent re-arrest of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was greeted with a loud sigh of relief and celebration in some sections of the country.

“It also elicited congratulatory messages to the Federal Government which appears overwhelmed by the intractable security challenges and in dire need of any redeeming act.

“This is clearly an exaggeration of the security threat Nnamdi Kanu and indeed IPOB pose to our nation’s security and unity.

“It is quite strange and disturbing that the Federal Government is according undue attention to the threats of separatist movements in contrast to the more daunting ones posed by bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in the North-West, some parts of North-Central and North-East.

“Activities of those criminals have resulted in the evacuation of over 20 per cent of the villages in North-West and North-East. Hundreds are being murdered and maimed every week.

“Many more are kidnapped for ransom. Millions have been rendered internally displaced, facing disease and starvation.

“Over 1,000 school children were abducted in the past eight months with over 300 still in the hands of the bandits and kidnappers demanding humongous ransom payments. Rape of women and young girls has become a daily occurrence.

“Most economic activities, particularly farming, which is the mainstay of the people in these areas, are now all but impossible.

“Government’s earlier claim of having technically defeated the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East has turned out to be empty propaganda. Contrary to this claim, the enemy has morphed into a more determined and deadly force, threatening to overrun the whole of the North-East.

“For the average Northerner living in these zones, who is barely aware of the activities of separatists, banditry, kidnappings and insurgency are of greater threat and concern to him.

“The arrest of Nnamdi Kanu is of no serious consequence, since it does nothing to ameliorate his harsh and brutal condition.

“In recognising or reasserting the right of every citizen or group to express their desire for self-determination, one does not support or condone the use of violence for such purpose. IPOB and its leader may well be responsible for some of the violence, including the murder of security personnel, arson and destruction of public and private properties for which they should be held to account.

“We must however be honest enough to identify the cause of the current growing restiveness in the South-East. By all means, government needs to deploy non-violent means in addressing the problem. It is self-evident that justice, fairness and equity are the best means of building a united and virile nation, particularly one as diverse and fragile as Nigeria.

“lt is my long held belief that this country is more beneficial to all the federating units if only because it provides a security umbrella to all its units. None of them will fare better in a balkanised Nigeria due to their similar diversities.

“The recognition of Nigeria as the giant of Africa is not on account of its huge oil wealth, but its size, diversity as well as other potential. These notwithstanding, the nation can only remain united and prosperous when all its citizens and the component parts feel a true sense of belonging.

“Without it, the nation’s unity will be in serious jeopardy similar to what Nigeria is currently experiencing.

“Truth be told, the Buhari’s government has so far exhibited poor skills in its management of our diversity. Yet it has the benefit of great examples by past administrations and statesmen which should guide it.

After our bitter Civil War, the then Head of the Federal Military Government, General Yakubu Gowon, declared a no victor, no vanquished reconciliation and reintegration policy.

“Its implementation may not have been perfect but it produced a guiding vision which served as a template for the reintegration of the nation.

“In 1978, eight years after the Civil War, the NPN presidential candidate, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a former Commissioner for Finance in the Gowon government, picked his running mate, Dr Alex Ekwueme, from the South-East.

“They won the 1979 presidential election and enjoyed an enviable brotherly relationship as president and vice president. They won a second term in 1983. President Shagari’s government pardoned the former Biafra secessionist leader, Chief Emeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, which permitted him to return from exile in 1982. He went on to contest a senatorial seat under the NPN.

“These are in sharp contrast to the declaration of President Buhari after his election in 2015 in which he promised not to treat, on equal terms, those who gave him only five per cent of their votes with those who gave him over 97 per cent of theirs.

“This may account for his government’s refusal to appoint an Igbo as head of any of the security services. A review of this ill-advised policy will go a long way to neutralise the growing influence of IPOB among Ndigbo, both at home and in diaspora.

“The Federal Government must go beyond the arrest of Kanu and pay greater attention to the more serious security challenges threatening to cripple the country completely.

“The apparent failure of our security forces to deal decisively as the president so often commands them to do, with these security threats is obviously due to the acute shortage of manpower and equipment.

“These deficiencies have resulted in the thin spread of our forces and lack of timely rotation in areas of conflict. Government must massively increase security manpower and equipment. As we have seen, mere change of service chiefs would appear far from being the solution.”

Mele Kolo Kyari, the NNPC boss may have incurred the wrath of oil communities by asking the National Assembly to peg at 2.5 percent oil profit payable to host communities, according to the Petroleum Industry Bill.

While the House of Representatives in the version of the bill passed provides 5 percent to the communities, the Senate put it at 3 percent.

Both chambers are scheduled to meet this week to harmonise the two bills before it is passed for President Buhari’s signature.

But Kyari at a forum in Abuja on Monday, urged the National Assembly to lower the share of oil producing communities to 2.5 percent.

“It was a very, very considered proposal from the executive that we should make it 2.5%,” Kyari told an oil summit in Abuja, adding that it makes business sense and would be “sufficient to deliver value to these communities”.

He warned that too large a stake would drive big oil companies out of Nigeria, leaving a gap that local producers would struggle to fill.

“We are at the verge of losing them. That is the truth,” he said of the oil majors.

Senator Sabi Abdullahi, speaking on behalf of the Senate president, said the two chambers would agree on a finalised package before recess this month.

“It is not possible for us to abandon this before we go on vacation,” Abdullahi said.

But Kyari spoke on a day that the umbrella political group for the oil producing region of Niger Delta, PANDEF, demanded 10 percent.

Chief Edwin Clark, leader of the group, whose speech was delivered in Abuja, described the PIB, satanic, unjust and embarrassing to Niger Delta.

He said it has dashed the hope of the people of the Niger Delta region.

Clark said the provision that allocated a huge 30% of profits for further frontier oil exploration in the north was a source of concern.

He said it is an absurd provision especially in a fast changing world as investment shifts away from fossil fuel.

Clark declared that the region has had enough of the post-colonial oppression and will be resisting it.

He said the bill does not reflect the long clamour by the people of the region for equity, fairness and justice.

He warned that Niger Delta will take their destinies in their hands and deny International Oil Companies (IOCs) entry into the region should the National Assembly fail to reverse the passed bill.

“Given the depth of ingratitude expressed and delivered after decades of exploitation and neglect of the region, the entire people of the Niger Delta region, for and on behalf of the host communities, vehemently reject the following aspects of the bill: the 3% and 5% of Operating Expenditure granted to the Host Communities; the fraudulent and provocative 30% provision for the Frontier Exploration Fund.

“And now demand: the PIB must be reversed, reviewed and amended to ensure that the Oil-Bearing Communities must now receive not less than 10% of Operating Cost.

“If this is not done, the Niger Delta people may be forced to take their destiny into their own hands and all IOCs may find themselves denied access to their oil activities in such communities.”

Governors of Southern states at a Forum in Lagos on Monday supported 5 percent share for oil communities.

“The Forum rejects the proposed 3% and support the 5% share of the oil revenue to the host community as recommended by the House of Representatives;

“The forum also rejects the proposed 30% share of profit for the exploration of oil and gas in the basins”, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of oil producing Ondo state said.

Annkio Briggs is an environmental and Niger Delta activist. In this interview monitored on African Independent Television (AIT), she speaks on President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent interviews, rising secessionist agitations in the country, South-South and South-East relationship, restructuring, among others

What is your reaction to President Buhari’s comment on South-East and south-South in his recent interviews?

Just before the Democracy Day, the President made two statements which are really amazing when you realize that this is our president who does not speak to Nigerians.

So, to make those statements back to back, three days in a row, it means that the president wanted to say something to the South-South and to the South-East.

Almost everything he said, I view them and understood them to be threats and not really talking to the people of South-South or the people of the South-East, who are really people from the old Eastern region that the Nigerian government engaged in a war almost six decades ago.

Everything for me was a threat. There was nothing said to indicate that the President understood or wanted to understand what the people of the South-South and South-East have been saying. And even the whole southern region, which include Yoruba people as well and by a large extension the Middle Belt people.

We do remember the president saying that he belongs to everybody and does not belong to anyone in particular from his first term in office and this is happening now where references are made for a particular part of the country being a dot in a circle, how do you review that from a man who said he belongs to everyone?

I have always spoken from a platform of being aware of how we got independence and when our national anthem was something of brotherhood, though tongue and tribe may differ but in brotherhood, we stand. That is the Nigeria I’m speaking from.

Two, looking at what the President said ‘I belong to no one, I belong to everybody,’ which was also something that he picked up from another president, but he debunked that immediately he was sworn in, which was one of the phrases in his ceremonial speech.

And he travelled to America and when he was asked what he intended to do about the agitation of the Niger Delta people if you could recall that the president immediately made it very clear that there were people he regarded as 97 per cent Nigerians and people he regarded as five per cent.

Now, 97 plus five is actually 102 and so maybe the other extra were people that were going to come into Nigeria.

What kind of interpretation do you make of that comment; ‘Dot in a Circle’?

Well, unfortunately, or maybe historically as someone who witnessed the war and I’m a victim and some of my family members were victims of the civil war. I recall the civil war, I understand the civil war, I know what led to the civil war.

The President in that interview was peaking as a warlord. He was speaking as a general at war with a country.

That was the way he spoke. He referred to the Igbo people because I don’t know how many people from my community or state, who have businesses in Kano, Kaduna or Lagos. He was referring specifically to the Igbo people and reminding them that they have a lot of property and investments outside the area he has described as dot.

The whole of Igbo nation is not Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). IPOB is a movement headed by a group of people. IPOB is not an identity of nationality. The President made a claim which made me to react.

The President made a claim and said that he heard and pointed to his ears and said ‘nobody told me, I heard that leaders, elders and youths of South-South have promised that this time…’

What is this time? It means he is anticipating a war. He said this time there will be no access to the ocean. What does he mean?

The war was not about access to the ocean and it was not fought in the ocean. The war was fought on land that is today South-East and South-South. And the majority of the damage was done to the people and land of these areas.

We were formerly of the Eastern Region and I want to make this clear. My people of the Niger Delta Region, particularly the Ijaws, did not wage war against the Igbos, it was the Federal Government that waged war against Ndigbo.

How do you define the president’s state of mind right now because as we used to say that it was the presidency, not the president, but now, we have heard from the President and his body language and state of mind looks like a man who knows what he is talking about?

I totally agree with you. From the moment he gave that first interview, I said, now we have a president who wants to tell Nigerians something.

The Nigerians he is speaking to are the Nigerians who are being attacked and killed. He is speaking to Nigerians that he believes are conquered people. Now, you asked me of my take.

This is my take: I’m old enough to be responsible and to have the responsibility to speak the truth both to myself and to anybody who cares to listen. I hate to speak about anybody’s body language but the President’s so-called body language is one of war, is one of disdain and disregard.

It is an oppressive position to take against the people of South-East and South- South, and actually jamming the heads of the most critical people today in Nigeria, the South-South and the South-East.

You talked about restructuring, but it is very obvious from the body language of Mr. President that he will not consider that. What do you think is the danger ahead?

The danger is so blatantly clear and I’m surprised that we are even discussing it because for the past six years, this government came into power, telling Nigerians who voted for them, I didn’t vote for them that they understood what restructuring is.

And they campaigned on restructuring but some of us know having listened to the President in the past before he became president that he doesn’t believe in restructuring. He said that he will not even look at the 2014 National Conference and he was not going to do anything about it.

DEMANDS BY NIGER DELTA AVENGERS: PRESIDENT BUHARI’S RESPONSE

The media was Sunday awash with threats and demands by a group, Niger Delta Avengers, to embark on economic sabotage through bombing of critical oil and gas installations unless certain demands, including development of the Niger Delta, and restructuring of the Federation, were met.

It is, however, curious that the threat was coming less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the leadership of the Niger Delta and Ijaw National Congress (INC), at the Presidential Villa, and the germane issues had been responded to, especially call for restructuring of the Federation, and the inauguration of a Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

For clarity and record purposes, below is full text of the speech by President Buhari on Friday, June 25, 2021, which renders any sabre-rattling rather unnecessary:

“I warmly welcome all the Elders of the Niger Delta and particularly the National Executive of the Ijaw National Congress, under the leadership of Professor Benjamin Okaba. I thank you for paying this courtesy visit not too long after your election in April, and swearing-in last May.

“I also want to congratulate you all for your election and to add that a lot of responsibility is placed on your shoulders, especially coming from the fact that the Ijaw National Congress was almost without leadership for some time.

“As the symbol of the collective voice of the Ijaw people, which is one of Nigeria’s main ethnic groups, the existence of a focused and people oriented leadership would go a long way in articulating the demands of the Ijaw people and making sure these demands are made part of the national discourse.

“I particularly note your ten point demand to the Federal Government in your inaugural speech and assure you that this administration is frontally addressing them.

“I am equally concerned about the rate of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and as you are aware the HydroCarbon Pollution Remediation Project has started work with remediation efforts in Ogoni land and I have directed the Minister of Environment to ensure that the projects are implemented with a high percentage of local content and inclusion of the surrounding communities.

“Similarly, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, under the same ministry of Environment is working to make sure that oil spills are reduced and new ones prevented. As you are also aware, all the responsible agencies of government have been directed to ensure that they enforce compliance by the International Oil Companies to international best practices.

“In addressing your call for immediate restructuring, the National Assembly whose responsibility it is to ensure that our constitution responds to the call for a restructured Nigeria, has already concluded regional consultations and as soon as they finalise the process, necessary action would not be delayed on my part.

“In the same vein, your call for creation of two additional states and more local government areas for the Ijaw people is a legislative matter, which should naturally be handled by the National Assembly and seeking concurrence at the state levels.

“I completely agree with your call to allocate operational licenses for marginal fields to Ijaw people. However, like you know, the process of granting licenses is guided by laid down rules and regulations, most of which even favour local content and local contractors. I see no reason why they should not be granted such licenses if they qualify.

“On the issue of fair and balanced appointments to reflect federal character principles, I re-affirm that this has always been my focus and would continue to be because I have always seen Nigeria as a country where everyone should be given equal opportunities.

“A contentious issue that has been a subject of discourse amongst the Ijaw people of recent has been the need for the Niger Delta Development Commission to live up to its billing by delivering the required succour to the people of the region. Based on the mismanagement that had previously be-devilled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021.

“I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board would be inaugurated. However, I would like to implore you that the Ijaw National Congress should play a more active role in making sure that the mismanagement that occurred in the past is not repeated.

“I am particularly happy to note your call for promoting ownership of modular refineries by the Ijaw people and I will urge you to interphase with your sons who are involved in the processes of establishing these refineries, especially the Honourable Minister of State Petroleum Resources to actualize this quest.

“Like you well know, completion of the East-West Road is top on my infrastructure agenda and I will look to its speedy conclusion. Again, the occasional disturbance by youths in some communities along the route to construction work would require your close attention and guidance.

“Furthermore, we have made considerable progress with the construction of the Bonny to Port Harcourt Bridge.

“I am very happy with the recent affirmation of your belief in a United Nigeria and while I thank you for standing with me, I will also implore you to use your leverage in making sure that we keep working together to keep this country a united, indivisible entity, so that we can tackle our problems together and overcome our challenges together.

“I would like now to commend Professor Okaba for your emphasis on supporting the fight against insecurity by developing internal control mechanisms as well as working with other institutions in the country to address our current security challenges.

“While I thank you once more for this visit and I will continue to count on your support as we work towards resolving our current challenges.

“God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”


Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media and Publicity)

June 27, 2021

Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has said that the country accidentally discovered 206 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves while in search of crude oil.
Sylva, who disclosed this in Abuja at a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum, said that the country could discover an additional 600 trillion cubic feet reserve to enable it achieve the desired development required of a gas nation.

“We have a lot of gas in this country. We have 206 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves.

“This number is already discovered in gas reserves and this 206 trillion cubic feet reserve was found while looking for oil, so it was accidentally discovered.

“We were actually going to look for crude oil and we found gas, and in that process of accidentally finding gas, we have found up to 206 tcf.

“So, the belief is that if we really aim to look for gas dedicatedly, we will find up to 600 trillion cubic meters of gas,” he said.

According to the minister, the country’s transition from gas to renewable fuel will be gradual when it has fully utilised the benefits associated with gas.

“We are also transiting and that is why we are talking about gas. We are seeing gas as a bridge to renewable fuels.

“We came from coal which is solid, to crude oil; now we are moving to gaseous gas and then to renewables.

“The belief in the industry is that if we have this kind of vast resource and we have not tapped it, why should we abandon it and move to renewables.

“We have not used gas to drive our cars and few people use it to cook; we have not used gas to generate electricity or used it to fire our fertiliser blending plants, then why should we abandon it and move to renewables?

“What we are saying is that the western countries are in a position to move to renewables after using coal and crude oil to stabilise the electricity in their areas and everybody there enjoys it.

“But we have a situation in Nigeria where a lot of people do not have access to electricity yet.

“So, what we are saying is that we agree to transit but let us use our gas first to develop our country and get the benefits of development, that point where everybody has electricity, then we can transit to renewable fuel,” he added.

Sylva explained that so far gas was being used as a transition fuel, as Nigeria and Africa as a continent does not contribute more than one per cent of global warming as carbon emission.