Self Determination: NDC unveils Niger Delta Peoples Charter, begins enforcement

As part of strategies to actualize self-determination and resource control, the Niger Delta Congress, NDC, has unveiled the Niger Delta Peoples Charter, with a vow to begin enforcement after series of townhall meetings to be held across states in the Niger Delta.

Video Clip of the unveiling of Niger Delta Peoples Charter

Fresh Angle International can report that key components of the charter, include the need to revise the Nigeria constitution, so as to capture the demands of people of the Niger Delta as recommended in the National Conferences convened in recent times, the immediate assessment of the entire Niger Delta environment to determine the scale of devastation, speedy payment of compensations earlier recommended, complete cleanup of the entire Niger Delta region and return of all monies received by the Nigerian government, from the exploitation of crude oil, due to the Niger Delta people, under the guise of "derivation formula.

In his remarks, shortly before the Niger Delta Peoples Charter was unveiled in Warri, Delta State, Saturday April 23, the National President of Niger Delta Congress, NDC, Comrade Nubari Sataah, declared: “There is nothing we are doing that is bad, we are simply putting machineries in motion to get our right. The National Assembly, started the processes for constitutional review. NDC made recommendations to address control of our resources. None of the Bills so far, by the National Assembly, has captured resource control. The current process by the Senate, has not captured resource control. The resource that the entire country has benefited from (fossil fuel) is almost on its way out, what would happen to the Niger Delta people in the next 20 years? Yet Warri, Bayelsa and other areas in the region are like ghettos.

“The same thing that affects me as an Ogoni man, affects Itsekiri, Ijaw and other tribes in the region. We no longer want to be subjugated. What bothers us is the same. The plan is to unite all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta, even though we have our minor differences. The political trajectory as it is in the country now, is such that nobody is sure if election would hold next year.

“There are IDPs in parts of the Niger Delta and nobody is talking about it. We are fighting for our survival at this point in time, beyond resource control. Today's event is an attempt to guide us on the need to build collective identity as a region, whilst maintaining our individual ethnic identity. We have limited time to set the tone for action!”

Chief Robinson Ariyo, Dr. Oyibo & others

Warri-based legal practitioner and development advocate, Chief Robinson Ariyo, who spoke on the subject: “Ethnic Diversity and the socio-economic development of the Niger Delta”, opined, “it is more difficult to crush a united people than a divided people”.

Chief Ariyo stated: “Imagine a cultural festival of all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta, with different colours/ tradition. Something to be sponsored by the state governors on annual basis. Most of the multinational companies, are relocating from the Niger Delta under the guise of lack of safety. Ethnic diversity in our region, has become a tool for politicians, instead of us to deploy it as our strength. As Niger Deltans, we should make life easy for ourselves. We focus too much in fighting ourselves, instead of the external. These things inhibit the tapping of the potentials in our diversity. The law makes it mandatory for the International Oil and Gas Companies, IOCs to have their major operations in the Niger Delta, but that is not the current situation. The pot must come back to the Niger Delta region. We need to maximize the oil exploration benefits. It is the biggest insult to say Niger Deltans don't go to school. We need to unite. We must begin the processes of building trust among ourselves”.

From left: (Front Row) Comrade Nubari Sataah, Chief Robinson Ariyo, Dr. Oyibo & others, shortly after the unveiling of Niger Delta Peoples Charter

A lecture in the Niger Delta University, NDU, Bayelsa State, Dr. Charles Oyibo, while speaking on “Ecocide, the gradual annihilation of people of the Niger Delta", warned that 20 million people in the oil and gas-rich region, are at risk as a result of environmental pollution, stressing the need to discourage all forms of environmental pollution by the locals and IOCs.

Unveiling of the Niger Delta Peoples Charter, which was done by the Vice President of NDC, Kemedengiyefa Opia, was followed by the declaration of April 23 as NIGER DELTA DAY, after a motion to that effect was moved by the Delta State Chairman of NDC, Comrade Destiny Noritsegho.

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