By Paul Osuyi and Ben Dunno

AFTER about a year of sustained attacks on oil facilities by militants in the Niger Delta region that brought the nation’s economy almost to its knees, a sort of fragile peace appears to have returned to the troubled region.

There has been an uneasy calm in the creeks as economic activities gradually pick-up, just as there also appears to be a lull in the various camps of militant groups.

Niger Delta watchers are quick to attribute the development to the intervention of leaders and elders of the region who have been midwifing a dialogue between the Federal Government and Niger Delta stakeholders.

Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the group that started the resurgence of hostilities in the region, had in the thick of the economic sabotage agreed to a ceasefire, and nominated the Chief Edwin Clarke-Pan Niger Delta Elders’ Forum (PANDEF) to negotiate peace on its behalf.

Although, other militant groups faulted these decisions on the grounds that Chief Clark cannot be trusted to lead negotiation on behalf of the neglected region, they only carried out pockets of attacks on oil installations in the region afterwards.

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), which has Aldo Agbalaja as its spokesman particularly kicked against the nomination of Chief Clark, saying that the former Federal Minister of Information would be representing a selfish interest.

Also, another militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) vowed to launch six missiles against military forces, as well as continue the economic sabotage to totally cripple the nation’s economy.

JNDLF further vowed to declare an independent state of the Niger Delta by October 1, 2016 after they must have launched the missile on June 7, 2016, obviously in a daring move to break up the country.

But these threats were not carried out as a statement from the camp of the flagship of the militant groups, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) appeared to have placated the aggrieved militants and calmed frayed nerves.

NDA’s spokesman, Muddoch Agbinibo faulted the use of missiles, saying that agitation for the liberation of the region has not reached such unprecedented level, and urged all militant groups not to attack soldiers deployed by the Federal Government to the region.

Agbinibo appealed to his fellow freedom fighters to resist any form of provocation from the Nigerian military, adding that on no account should they attack workers but that the struggle was against oil installations to cripple the nation’s economy.

Meanwhile, ever since the new found peace, there has been talks about developing the Niger Delta region which is the major demand of the militants. Hope about such development was heightened with the recent visits of the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to states of the region.

But attempts to contact the various militant groups were unsuccessful as messages to their emails and Twitter handles were not replied.

Why there’re no bombings

However, close sources attributed the prevailing peace in the region to the combined efforts of the Federal Government and the activities of the military in the region. President of National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators (NCNDE-A), Israel Akpodoro said the peace initiative of the government coupled with the presence of the military have calmed frayed nerves in the region.

“The negotiation move of the Federal Government is working. Mr. President mandated the Vice President to calm them down.  Also, the security agencies are fully ready, anybody that messes up will be dealt with.

“The government equipped the security agencies to deal with anyone found wanting. The militants are now aware that if they do anything, they will be fired. Security agencies in the area now are very ready for the unrepentant militants.

“The JTF commander, one Suleiman does not take anything from anybody. He is there for the job. This has actually reduced the rage of the militants, because that man does not negotiate with anybody. If you mess up, he crushes you. Since he came, the place has been calm because the fear of Suleiman is the beginning of wisdom,” he said.

But Comrade Sherif Mulade, coordinator of Centre for Peace and Economic Justice (CEPEJ) disagreed with Akpodoro, contending that the militants have not been dismantled by the military but were only calm to give the Federal Government the opportunity to deepen the dialogue process and produce results.

Mulade said: “It will not be right to say that the militants have been dismantled by superior military power. Not at all. The powerful Nigerian military has not been able to hold any genuine militant commander or any genuine freedom fighter.

“What they have been doing is that in the process of trying to get to the real militants, they have been having some restive youths who they tag as militants and showcase or parade as arrested militants.

“You know in the Niger Delta, everybody is looking for supremacy, so some greedy individuals also set up themselves especially as the foot soldiers of the militants but the real militants, real commanders, none of them has been pinned by the Nigerian security agencies.”

Mulade however attributed the calmness in the region to the visit of the Acting President, saying that the militants were only giving government “this opportunity since it has been requesting for time for peace to reign to enable them carry out the needful.

“So since around October, November, last year, the militants from the various camps have been calm, and the presidency, in turn, has been engaging with stakeholders, meeting with leaders. I believe that is one of the reasons why the Niger Delta is calm.

“And secondly, the stakeholders and leaders of the region are also pleading with the militants because the agitation of the militants is not selfish, it is not personal, it is for the interest of the Niger Delta.

“Therefore while you are fighting for us, while you are agitating for us, you are also destroying the environment, destroying the Eco system and you are making the region look like we are at war with the Federal Government. Hence you need to drop your arms so that we engage the government constructively. So every side is working effectively for a common goal.”

Mulade was quick to add that credit about the on-going peace process should be given to the United States of America (USA) mission to Nigeria headed by the Consular-General for engaging stakeholders in the region even before the Federal Government took the initiative.

“The U.S. Embassy has been engaging stakeholders in the region even before the FG. They had also advised the presidency that from their findings, it shows that the people are protesting because of lack of development, lack of sense of belonging, lack of social amenities in the area.

“That government needs to really go there and see for themselves. In fact, the kudos for the calmness will be given to U.S Mission in Nigeria especially the U.S. Embassy of the Consular-General,” Mulade added.

Already, the calmness in the region is yielding positive economic results. According to the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, oil production has risen to over 2,000 barrels per day.

Hence, stakeholders in the region are urging the Federal Government to consolidate on this gain by doing the needful including re-opening of the Nigerian Maritime University, as well as activate the EPZ Project and the Deep Sea Port with other projects in the region that have been pronounced by government.

This step, according to stakeholders, will go along way in engaging most of the army of unemployed youths in the neglected region, such that no militant commander will have the opportunity of luring anyone to criminally breach pipelines.

Besides, Comrade Mulade advocated the need for the payment of the 13% derivation directly to various host communities as one of the surest ways to permanently end militancy.

“One of the sure means to end militancy or pipeline vandalism is by paying the 13% derivation directly to the various host communities and not to state governments. State governments have been embezzling this money, they have used it as a form of security vote for themselves which are unaccounted for.

“So this money should be paid directly to host communities with appropriate structure. We have thousands of host communities, it is not that you are going to pay to each host community, you need to organize a structure like a cluster of communities.

“For example, Gbaramatu Kingdom, all host communities in the kingdom should be under the same structure, and this is the percentage of money that is accruing to the kingdom. And for the kingdom to access the money, the traditional ruler will be a signatory, the state government will have a representative as a signatory.

“Then government will now appoint an independent NGO that will be monitoring and evaluating that body. There will be like three to four signatories without three to sign, the money cannot come out.

“And before embarking on any project, it must go through a process because the man representing government as a signatory will also take it to the governor of the state to say this is what this kingdom wants to do with their money.

“Secondly the condition is that if there is any form vandalism or illegal bunkering or disturbance of operation within an area, that kingdom stand to lose or forfeit the monthly allocation. You will see that nobody will come out to go and destroy any pipeline in any area because communities have been given sense of belonging.

“Security is already in their hands, they can now guarantee security of oil facilities in the area. The people will come out and protect it. Then within the kingdom, they will have the governing council which will comprise of the major oil producing areas presided over by the king. Even the king does not the authority to influence projects, the project must be collated from these areas.

“So, the king will then responsible to government. At that point, I don’t think there will be issue of militancy. It will be a thing of the past. What is festering militancy is lack of government presence, failure by government to give sense of belonging to the people and carry them along.”

Despite the peace process however, residents of some of the communities are anxious that if the government does not act fast to march words or promises of development with action, the aggrieved militants might take advantage of the foot dragging to re-launch hostilities.

According to a resident in Kokodiagbene, one of the communities under Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, “if hostilities resume in the region, locals are the worst hit for it, as military will invade the towns in futile search for militants.”

Saturday Sun gathered that Kokodiagbene community plays host to the single largest oil producing field in the West Africa sub-region that produces over 250,000 barrels of oil per day, besides having about 100 oil wells.

This endowment makes the neglected community a critical and major stakeholder in the sustenance of the nation’s economy, and locals are unanimous in their opinion that the community is in dire need of development to avoid resurgence of hostilities.

A native of the town said: “These militants are calm today because of the peace process but government is not taking advantage of it, so we the people from the community are not comfortable with government.

“What we expect, all these fact finding mission embarked upon by the Vice President and other stakeholders, they should come up with a blueprint. By now the Vice President is supposed to have made some pronouncements of projects of development that will kick-off.

“Assuming that there are pending projects, we expect to hear that some of them have been considered, and that they are including them in the supplementary budget for 2017. Then you have given hope to the people.

“Of course in government you cannot just take a decision now and expect it to materialize immediately, you need to put it into budget. The people of the Niger Delta are not comfortable with the peace process by the Federal Government.”

We can see better signs

Immediate past president, Ijaw Youth Council, (IYC) Worldwide, an apex body of Ijaw youth organizations, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, who has been at the forefront of all the agitations and negotiations for a better Niger Delta region since 2004

said the peace currently being enjoyed in the region is as a result of a combination of some factors.

According to him, “I think it is the engagement from IYC, the understanding of the people and sincere approach of the Acting President who has shown a high level of sincerity, going round the region, carrying out encouraging statements that appease the conscience of the people and that is what our people want to see and hear. Our people are very gullible to follow and at the same time tough in resisting people. The President of this country was more aggressive. It was in those days when we see soldiers we run away but these days, even children are no longer scared and this is to the extent that when they see a soldier they want to feel the fabric, which was used to sow the khaki they are wearing.

That is to tell you that the society has changed. Society is all about goodwill, when you push a man to the wall, he bounces back and hit or injure you. Once you push us (Ijaw) to the wall, we will resist you, that is how our Ijaw people are,  so the best approach is to midwife them and befriend them and that is what the Acting President is doing. A lot of kudos to him especially the Petroleum Minister in making the Vice President come and see for himself. When he went to Gbaramatu to see the feasibility of the Maritime University, he said this institution is having infrastructure that most degree awarding universities in Nigeria do not possess.”