To facilitate development in the Niger Delta region, South-South and South
\nEast lawmakers have urged the Federal Government to review the ownership
\nstructure of oil wells in the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people of the Niger Delta region should possess at least 65 percent
\nof the oil wells contrary to the present ownership structure where less
\nthan 10 percent of the oil blocks belong to our people\u201d<\/p>\n
They noted that the region\u2019s development is being hindered by the present
\npayment mode of derivative oil funds.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is an urgent need for the Federal Government of Nigeria to put in
\nplace adequate machinery that would ensure direct payment of derivative
\noil funds into the hands of Niger Delta Benefiting communities\u201d the
\nprincipal officers and members of the Houses of Assembly in the region
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Rising from the first parliamentary session of the South-South and
\nSouth-East Houses of Assembly in Owerri, Imo State weekend, the lawmakers
\ncondemned the criminal and nefarious activities of the so called herdsmen.<\/p>\n
\u201cLegislators of the Houses of Assembly in the South-South and South East
\ncan no longer watch helplessly as our region drifts aimlessly while our
\npeople walk the razor edge under the strain of impoverishment,
\nenvironmental degradation, insecurity and uncertainty on the one hand and
\nthe destruction of oil\/gas installations and the attendant consequences
\nincluding their impact on the ecosystem and the economy on the other hand\u201d<\/p>\n
They urged the youth to shun confrontation, violence and militancy in
\npressing for the redress of the zone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey must embrace dialogue and diplomacy and channel their grievances
\nthrough various constituted platforms\u201d<\/p>\n
The joint session of legislators from the South -East and South \u2013South
\ngeo-political zones not only condemned the evil acts of kidnapping,
\nhostage taking and bursting of oil pipelines but stressed that militants
\nfrom the zones should be constituted into an officially recognized brigade
\nfor the protection of oil installations<\/p>\n
\u201cThey should among other things be charged with the responsibility to halt
\nthe rise of other offensive militant groups who may from time to time
\nthreaten to spring up\u201d<\/p>\n
The lawmakers advised the Presidency to direct the security agencies in
\nthe country to brace up and be alive to their constitutional
\nresponsibility of protecting lives and property.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey must save the people of the geo-political zones from the hands of
\nthe marauding herdsmen. Governments of the South-East and South-South
\ngeo-political zones should set up a high powered joint judicial panel of
\ninquiry to unravel the facts and circumstances surrounding the incessant
\nattacks by the herdsmen and determine the best way to prevent its
\nrecurrence in the zones. They should also establish special task force
\ndrawn from the various security agencies and neighborhood watch in each
\nlocal government to checkmate the excesses of herdsmen and prosecute them\u201d<\/p>\n
The legislators, who called for more proactive measures to address the
\nactivities of herdsmen, restated their commitments to pass bills
\nrestricting cattle rearing, prohibiting grazing of cattle from one
\nlocation to another through farmlands thereby causing damages to farm
\nlands, health hazards and obstruction of vehicular and human traffic.<\/p>\n
The lawmakers while attributing the defective and harsh socio-economic
\nenvironment, lack of employment opportunities, lack of empowerment for the
\nyouth, environmental degradation, lack of infrastructure, general
\nunderdevelopment and inadequate benefit of the resources from the region,
\ndespite being the major source of the economic resources of the nation to
\nthe causes of upsurge in militancy activities in the region, rejected the
\nproposed bill to establish and control grazing routes and reserves before
\nthe National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly.<\/p>\n
They urged the Federal Government to revisit the performance of the
\namnesty programme, the United Nations Environment Programme Report and the
\nHydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project with a view to strengthening
\ngrey areas.<\/p>\n
They also urged the National Assembly to ensure the accelerated passage of
\nthe Petroleum Industry Bill<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Federal Government should enter into peaceful dialogue with the
\ncritical stakeholders in the South-South and South- East in resolving the
\ndispute and operate within the rule of engagement without incurring
\ncollateral damage\u201d<\/p>\n
Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Rivers,
\nCross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu and Imo states were in attendance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To facilitate development in the Niger Delta region, South-South and South East lawmakers have urged the Federal Government to review the ownership structure of oil wells in the country. \u201cThe…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":51236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n