The ex-militants who
arrived the seat of power around 12pm in white T-shirts with the inscription,
“Disarmament of Agitators, Powered by the Niger Delta Youths Volunteer Peace
Advocacy”, chanted Niger Delta songs. They also castigated oil companies
operating in their communities for their insensitivity to the plight of their
people.
In the presence of security
agencies comprising the police, the Army, the Department of State Services and
the Civil Defence Corps, the Deputy Chief of Staff to Okorocha and the
Chairman, Disarmament Committee, Mr. Kingsley Uju, said that the occasion was
in response to the mandate given to the committee by the governor to find a
lasting solution to youth restiveness in the oil-bearing Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta
local government areas of the state.
Uju, an indigene of the
Ohaji Egbema Council Area, however, regretted that since 1953 when the oil
giants commenced operations in the communities, they had failed to address the
yearnings and aspirations of the indigenes, hence the frequent outburst of
youth restiveness in the areas.
He also regretted the
people’s predicament which arose from their wanton neglect by the oil companies
that had often led to violent confrontations. He commended the youths for
finally embracing peace by laying down their arms, as directed by the governor.
The aggrieved youths, who
later spoke through their respective leaders, accused the multi-national
corporations of criminally precipitating confusion among their people. They
said there was neither pipeline surveillance nor a Niger Delta Development
Commission’s presence in their areas, unlike what happened in the neighbouring
Rivers and Delta states.
They further pledged that a
oilfield had come to prevail in the troubled oil communities but pleaded with
the state and the Federal Government to prevail on the oil companies to
urgently address their grievances. They also implored the Imo State government
to release their members still languishing in detention.
On his part, Okorocha
commended the youths for their “rare display of patriotism”, after he received
the surrendered arms and ammunition. He assured them that security agencies
would no longer invade their areas.
He also said that their
demands, grievances and agitations would be articulated and forwarded to the
appropriate quarters for prompt attention.
Source: Punch
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