14012020 - 50 years after: Let's revisit issues that caused Civil War

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28—Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, , 2020 VOL. 1: NO. 222 TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020 Complete Imiringi Bridge before you leave, community begs Dickson By Samuel Oyadongha I M I R I N G I — EXPECTATION that the construction of a new unity bridge to replace the collapsed one linking Imiringi, an oil and gas-rich settlement in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, will be completed in record time has turned a mirage. The bridge, which is the fastest route connecting natives and visitors from the Kolo end of Ogbia Kingdom to the community, was swept away by the devastating flood of 2012 that wreaked havoc across the state. The locals are worried that nearly eight years since the sad incident, the new bridge being constructed across the water inlet that bifurcates their community by the outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson administration has remained a dream. Though the bridge has crossed the creek, awaiting proper alignment to the road at both extremes, the people of Imiringi are eagerly waiting 100 percent completion of the project, which the government had promised to deliver in June 2018. Pitiable situation A native, who gave her name as Gift, told NDV: “It is pathetic that our people and visitors/ strangers heading to the old Imiringi settlement, while driving from the Kolo-Emeyal end, have to make a 360-degree turn to access the community through a narrow steel bridge (barely accommodating two cars travelling in opposite directions at a time). “But for this steel structure built by Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, to enable its personnel access her many oil facilities in the area, we would have been cut off from the rest of the state.” Another resident added: “Our community is endowed with oil and gas resources and we have made enormous sacrifice for the country and state. It might interest you to note that we have at least 15 oil wells and over nine gas wells, which are enough for the government to have accorded the bridge project the deserved attention. “We had thought the project would be completed in June 2018, as promised by the government due to the pace of work at the project site then. But to our surprise the target could not be met. As we speak, we are only hoping that the incoming administration will take over the project and ensure its speedy completion. Our people, who are mainly farmers, are having a tough time conveying their farm produce to the market.” Shocking Also lamenting the fate of the community, renowned environmentalist, Alagoa Morris, said: “My concern is that the bridge was one of the major infrastructure that got damaged during the 2012 unexpected flood, which we all know was not man-made. It is also painful when you consider the fact that the Imiringi- Otuasega Road was also completely destroyed by the same flood and the Federal Government through FERMA and other agencies repaired that road. “Even the bridge along the road that was completely destroyed has been repaired by the Federal Government. “It is, however, surprising that the state government that took about three years to go into the replacement of that unity bridge at Imiringi main town, after the devastating flood, is yet to complete the project. When we were thinking about two years ago that they were about finishing it for us to clap for them and celebrate it, it has been abandoned since then. “It is a very big surprise, especially when the bridge (collapsed structure) was constructed by a local government in the old Rivers State. It was Brass Local Government that constructed that bridge for Imiringi people. “It is on record that the state government started an upgraded one as a replacement for the collapsed bridge. ” ‘Must be some form of punishment’ Continuing, he wondered “whether it is a kind of punishment or anger for government to have abandoned the project because they cannot tell us it is money, since it is beyond 90 percent completion. It is just remaining the area to align with the road on both sides. “If this project is abandoned and handed over to the incoming administration, it will be very bad for the Dickson administration, which has been in the saddle for eight years. I want to appeal to them to complete that bridge before they leave office considering the fact that Imiringi has several oil wells and gas facilities within their environment. “Not only because they have oil and gas, but as an integral part of the state, they should do it for the community. “Imiringi is not only for Imiringi people. A lot of strangers are also living there and a lot of Bayelsans are buying land and living there so they should help us and complete that bridge so that we do not add it as abandoned project of the Restoration Government. “If an oil and gas-producing community like Imiringi has no visible presence of state government in almost the eight years of Dickson-led restoration government could be treated this way, how else should one describe the way the governor has turned his own community (Toru Orua) around, if not nepotism? That is why some of us are preaching the gospel of Okiloism.” Last year, at a media chat in Yenagoa, Governor Dickson promised to revisit the abandoned Imiringi Bridge project as well as collapsed Elebele Bridge, but nothing had been done since.
Niger Delta Voice, TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, , 2020—29 Scramble for new NDDC Board: Buhari puts oil states in suspense RIVERS… TREASURE BASE OF THE NATION By Emma Amaize, Editor, NDV PORT HARCOURT— PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s decision, last month, to reconstitute the Governing Board of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has thrown up a fresh lobby for Chairman and Managing Director of the Commission with some of the oil-producing states, ethnic groups and influential political leaders in the region at each other’s throats. Though the President indicated that the new Board would be inaugurated after the forensic audit of the Commission, which may take the next three to six months or more, interest groups and lobbyists have intensified their plots and counter-plots to get the Presidency to dance to their respective tunes. President Buhari has kept everybody in suspense since he announced that the Governing Board of the Commission would be reconstituted. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, is one of the powerful leaders that other cream of the crop want to outmaneuver in the NDDC power scramble, but by virtue of existing power sharing indices among the core four oil states— Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Rivers— his state, Akwa Ibom is not in contention for next Chairman and Managing Director because the last substantive managing director, Nsima Ekere (2016- 2019) hails from the state. Power struggle However, due to the politicisation of NDDC appointments in recent years, Ondo State government, whose indigene, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, is currently Minister of State (Niger Delta Emma Amaize - Editor Samuel Oyadongha - Yenagoa Jimitota Onoyume- Warri Gabriel Enogholase- Benin City Festus Ahon- Asaba Egufe Yafugborhi- Port Harcourt Emmanuel Una- Calabar Akpokona Omafuaire- Warri Paul Olayemi- Sapele Harri Emmanuel- Uyo Chioma Onuegbu-Uyo Ike Uchechukwu-Calabar Davies Iheamnachor-P’Harcourt Emem Idio- Yenagoa Brisibe Perez- Ughelli Theresa Ugbobu- Agbor Ochuko Akuopha- Oleh Chancel Sunday - Bomadi Alemma Aliu- Benin City Nath Onajoke- Asaba Chijioke Nwankpa- P'Harcourt Affairs) is laying claim to the position of managing director, while Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State also maintained that it was its turn to produce the managing director. Senator Ita Enang from Akwa Ibom State, a top aide of President Buhari, is making a case for his state to clinch any of the two Executive Directors of the Commission. The latest scramble for NDDC top positions has pitted mostly influential All Progressives Congress, APC, politicians against the other. In three of the states, three former governors are fighting to protect their interests. The contention of the four principal oil states is that the position of managing director is exclusive to Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Akwa Ibom while the chairman is rotated among the nine states alphabetically and it started with Abia state. Sizzling fight in Delta The battle it is more intriguing in Delta State with Urhobo and Itsekiri ethnic nationalities practically fighting dirty. Mr. Bernard Okumagba, Managing Director designate in the disbanded Board is an Urhobo and his people want his appointment upheld because it is the turn of Delta to produce managing director. While Itsekiri Oil Minerals Producing Communities representing Itsekiri tribe agreed with Urhobo that it was the turn of Delta to produce both Chairman and Managing Director of the Commission, the group maintained that Itsekiri, not Urhobo was the qualified tribe to produce the next managing director, being the current highest oilproducing area in the state. Chair of the organisation, Mr. Edward Omagbemi, in letter to President Buhari, said his government would be breaching the provisions of NDDC Act by appointing a non-Itsekiri as managing director of the Commission as “Itsekiri alone produce over 40 percent of the total oil production in Delta State. “The Itsekiri are first in oil production in Delta State, Ijaw are second and Urhobo come a distant third.” The group also alleged that Itsekiri ethnic nationality was being marginalised in the Buhari administration in which an Urhobo son, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is Deputy Senate President; Mr. Festus Keyamo(SAN), also Urhobo, Minister of State (Labour); Stella Okotete, Executive Director, Nexim Bank; Austin Enajomo-Ifire, Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund; Frank Ovie Kokori, Nigeria Institute of Labour, and Onoriede Ewubare, Group Executive Director, Upspring Sector, NNPC. He declared: “The Itsekiri do not occupy any position in this government. The Itsekiri being the highest producers of crude oil in Delta State and are, therefore, entitled to fill the position of managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission.” Chairmanship since inception On the Chairmanship of the Board, the Itsekiri group said following the rotatory alphabetical order established among the member states, “Chief Onyema Ugochukwu of Abia State became the first chairman followed by Chief Sam Idem from Akwa Ibom. When he was removed in 2007, Mr. Dan Abia also from Akwa Ibom was appointed chairman to complete the tenure of Akwa Ibom.” In 2009, Air Commodore Larry Koinyan (retd) of Bayelsa State was appointed chairman and when he was removed after two years, Mr. Tarila Tepepah, another Bayelsa indigene was appointed as chairman to complete the tenure of Bayelsa state. “In the year 2013, Mr. Bassey Henshaw, an indigene of Cross River State was appointed chair of the board and when he was removed in 2015, another indigene of Cross River State, Senator Ndoma Egba(SAN), was appointed in 2016 and he occupied the seat till 2019. Managing Directors of NDDC since 2001 The first substantive Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer is Godwin Omene from Delta State (2001- 2003) and was succeeded by Emmanuel Agwariavwodo, also from Delta State (2003-2005). Agwariavwodo continued from 2005-2006, when Timi Alaibe from Bayelsa State took over till 2009, while Chibuzor Uguoha from Rivers state reigned from 2009-2011. Christian Oboh, also from Rivers State was in charge from 2011 to 2013 and Dan Abia (Akwa Ibom) was the managing director from 2013 to 2015. Nsima Ekere from the same state took over as managing director from 2016 to 2019 after the transition interregnum of Ibim Semenitari (Rivers) as managing director (2015-2016). NDDC had since 2009, when the late P. Z. Aginighan from Delta was appointed as acting Managing Director, been managed by interim managements. For instance, Osato Areyenka-Iyasere from Edo State was acting managing director in 2011, Christy Atako (Rivers) 2013, Nelson Brambaifa (Bayelsa) 2019. The current acting managing director, Dr. Joi Nunieh, is from Rivers State. Standing All the four core oil-producing states have held the position of managing director, which is based on oil production quantum, but not all have held the position of chairman, which is rotated alphabetically according the names of the state. Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River have held the position and the next state alphabetically is Delta, which is why the state protested the appointment of former deputy governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, as chair in the disbanded board. Edo is supposed to take its turn after Delta before it revolves to Imo, Ondo and Rivers states.
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