A militant group, Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (NDRC), on Friday threatened to resume violence against oil and gas installations in the region over the three per cent for host communities in the recently passed Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly.
In a statement “We Will Defend Our God Given Resources” by its Spokesperson, W.O. 1 Izon-Ebi, the militants condemned the three per cent as well as the 30 per cent for exploration of frontier basins in the passed bill, stating that its commanders have returned to the creeks of the Niger Delta region waiting to strike.
The statement said it “will fight until the obnoxious sections in the PIB are reviewed by the National Assembly. For 56 years, the region has suffered desecration of its sacred places like worship centres, lands, streams, lakes and the severe environmental degradation without remediation.”
Describing PIB as a coup against the people of the oil-rich Niger Delta by the Nigerian State, it noted that “while the government and people of Zamfara State are allowed to control 100 per cent of their gold resource (fiscal Federalism applying in Zamfara State), what the people of the Niger Delta region could get from their own natural resource is a paltry 3 per cent for host communities and in contrast, a whopping 30 per cent for exploration of frontier basins.
“This is an economic coup against the people of the region; it is an insult, a daylight robbery and betrayal by the Nigerian government.
“The region embraced peace because it was the most civilized thing to do in order to give way for proper dialogue, genuine government commitment and re-ideological construct about the Niger Delta region.
“Unfortunately, about 11 years of giving peace a chance in the region, the Nigerian government has rather become ruthless to the region through obnoxious statutes. This are our genuine concern and our grievances.
“Therefore, we have directed our commanders in the region to go back to the creeks and wait for further directive on the next line of action. We will defend our resources and protect our region from further mindless pillage of our God given resources.”
Leaders and stakeholders in the region, including Governors and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, have rejected the three per cent allocation for host communities in the Bill.
They had warned of imminent crisis in the region if identified and controversial clauses in the Bill were not reviewed by federal lawmakers.