The senators made this demand in press statement they titled ‘This Amnesty Must Not Fail,’ which 18 of them presented to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday.
They said they believe that Mr. Yar’Adua is sincere in his concern for the zone and will give ‘his all’ to ensure comprehensive resolutions of the issues facing the zone.
“It has, however, become evident that there is a troubling disconnect between Mr. President’s good intentions and recent actions and events,” Victor Ndoma-Egba (Cross River PDP), the leader of the caucus, said.
Mr. Ndoma-Egba said during the brief tenure of Mr. Lukman as minister, several decisions which are against the Niger Delta have emanated from his office and that these threaten the sincerity of Federal Government’s vision for the region.
“The Niger Delta region remains the poorest oil producing region in the world and the PIB seeks to retain this unacceptable status quo,” he said. “The bill neither addresses the fundamental issues of the degraded environment of the region nor the participation of its people in their God given endowment. This we totally reject.
“It is our position that an oil industry bill at this time must encapsulate the amnesty and indeed, provide a legal basis for the amnesty. The current bill, instead, negates the amnesty and seeks to preserve the objectionable state of degradation and deprivation of the region.” The senators also said that the recent re-organisation of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation is lopsided and disfavours the Niger Delta.
“Its timing, when a strategic and sustainable approach to the amnesty and post amnesty environment should be the immediate concern, is arrogant, cynical and insensitive,” they said.
List of wishes
They also rejected the recent downgrade of the Petroleum University at Effurun-Warri, for which a Vice Chancellor has already been appointed.
“While we do not begrudge the upgrade of the institute in Kaduna, we insist that what is good for the goose is good for the gander,” they said. “We believe that Mr. President means well for the region and fortuitously he has a rare opportunity to etch his name permanently in the hearts of the long suffering people of the region.”
“To reassure us, the people of the Niger Delta, about your sincerity”, the senators tasked Mr Yar’Adua to do the following:
1. Immediately withdraw the PIB, and personally ensure that it makes provisions to address the agitations of people of the region, particularly with regards to the issue of royalties to the oil producing communities, and remedying and protecting the environment of the area.
2. Relieve Rilwanu Lukman of his responsibilities as petroleum minister as he has become a needless cog in the wheels of progress of Mr. President as we seek true and lasting solution to the Niger Delta issue.
3. Develop through robust consultation with governors and stakeholders of the region, strategic and enduring framework for a post amnesty era.
4. Urgently implement the report of the Niger Delta Technical Committee, headed by Ledum Mittee.
They also adopted the position of the Niger Delta governors on these issues and demanded the federal gpvernment should revisit the recent re-organisation in Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and the policy reversal regarding Petroleum Training Institute, Warri.
They said: “The amnesty must not fail. The consequences of such a prospect are dire and unfathomable. It must not happen. All Nigerians must do whatever needs to be done to make this amnesty work. It must work for our sakes, for prosperity and for history. Therefore, no effort, contribution, and sacrifice will be too much to make and we must make them.”
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