Date Published: 07/29/09

Nigerian leaders' insensitivity: Threat to national peace –GIPD

The Grassroots Initiative for peace and Democracy (GIPD), a non governmental organization, said on Wednesday that Nigeria’s leaders insensitivity to problems and aspirations of people especially the people of the Niger Delta where the wealth that sustains the country is derived is a threat to national peace and stability of the country .

It also said that such Gross insensitivity and show of impunity in policy formulation and implementation, was antithetic to the current peace – building efforts in the Niger Delta.

Rising from its meeting in Port Harcourt, held to review the amnesty granted the Niger Delta Militants and matters arising there from  at its quarterly meeting in Port Harcourt, the body led by his Executive Director, Mr. Akinaka Richard noted that the nation was drifting towards anarchy.

It noted that in spite of the effort to bring normalcy to the turbulence in the Delta which had been largely caused by the nation’s leaders, they continue to put in place policies that continue to alienate the people of the Niger Delta and other marginalized peoples of Nigeria.

  Richard who addressed Newsmen on burning national issues, said that the GIPD wholly support the south-south Governors’ Asaba declaration on the petroleum industry Reform Bill and the downgrading of the petroleum Training institute (PTI) based in Effurun, Warri.

 Condemning the moving of the institute to Kaduna as petroleum University, Richard noted that the decision, like the petroleum industry Bill, were part of “subtle but deliberate processes fashioned by Nigerian governments that seek to alienate the people of the Niger Delta”.

“At the time the country is fighting inequality, injustice and faulty Federalism, the North is still perpetrating economic, social and political hegemony against the Niger Delta. At a time when both government and Nigerians believe that manpower Development and employment are part of the solution to the region’s problem, the Federal Government is moving a petroleum University far away from the region, showing that Government has been pretentious,” he said

Backing the decision of the south south Govenors to pull out of the amnesty deal over the petroleum industry Bill, Akinaka commended the Asaba declaration.

“The decision of the Govenors though very ironical, is laudable as it marked a shift by the governors from timidity and cowardliness to courage and assertiveness’’ he pointed out.

‘’these are the same governors who had shown no sympathy to the cause of the militants, had not contributed anything materially to advance that cause now turning  militants. Now the scales have fallen off their eyes and we are happy’’, he said .

Richard then ,called for the resignation  of the Minister of Petroleum Resources  or his removal.