The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has said the ethnic group would vehemently resist any attempt by the National Assembly to expand the coverage area of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to include non-oil producing states.
Recall that someSouth-South senators, including the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, George Sekibo and Matthew Urhoghide had kicked against a bill by the Senate seeking the inclusion of some states into the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Reacting to the development, Publicity Secretary of INC, Engr. Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, while speaking to journalists in Warri, Delta State, said there was no iota of truth in that claim that some states had discovered oil.
According to him, “Niger Delta region is geographically defined, well established and as contained in the report of Sir Henry Willink commission of 1957, therefore, one wonders the motive of the Senators to include states that were not in the Niger Delta region to the jurisdiction of the interventionist agency.
“This is a despicable move, it is absurd that a Senator, who is believed to be abreast of the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended and a lawmaker for that matter, will come up with such a bill to include states in the North and West as part of the Niger Delta, just on a claim of discovery of oil in such states.
“It is essential to emphasize that the NDDC was established to address the age long impact of oil exploration and exploitation on the region and the degradation that such activities have caused.”
Oyakemeagbegha accused sponsors of the bill as possible beneficiaries from the crises happening in different parts of the country.
“Such Senators might be benefitting from the crisis and unrest in some parts of the country. Including the listed northern and western states as part of the Niger Delta region is capable of igniting unrest in the country.
“Recalled that only recently, the Senate passed the Petroleum Industry Bill and robbed the host communities by reducing funds accruing to them from 30 percent, which they demanded to three percent and redefined host communities to include communities with no trace of oil production. The current move is a further aggression, which will be highly resisted.
“I am sure these people are taking our meekness for weakness, but that is certainly not the case because when you don’t want to allow a sleeping dog lie, then be ready for its bite.
“President Buhari and the nation should hold Senator Adeola Solomon and his cohorts responsible for whatever action that we may be taken as a consequence of their move. Enough is enough,” he added.
