Niger Delta Royal Fathers Spoil For Oil War

Niger Delta Royal Fathers Spoil For Oil War

Demand $2.00 Per Barrel For Communities

ROYAL fathers of the Niger Delta are currently spoiling to join the fray in the volatile oil and gas region, as they are perfecting plans to press for a minimum of $2.00 for the oil-bearing communities for every barrel of oil drilled in their areas.

At the current production level of around two million barrels a day, this will amount to $4.00 million daily to the oil-bearing communities.

The latest development was made public by the Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Chukumela Nnam Obi II. He said they want the Federal Government to implement the payment of $2.00 per barrel of oil drilled in host communities to them as recommended by the Ledum Mitee-led Technical Committee on the Niger Delta.

Eze Nnam Obi made the demand yesterday while speaking at the 77th Quarterly Meeting of the State Council of Traditional Rulers at the Council Secretariat in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

He said the Federal Government should demonstrate commitment to addressing the Niger Delta problems by equally implementing the 25 per cent derivation fund as recommended by the technical committee and the establishment of institutions to deal with the issues as well as infrastructural intervention in the region.

The royal father also appealed to the Federal Government to look at the imbalance against the Niger Delta people in the allocation of oil blocs, oil lifting contract and the allocation of marginal fields

Eze Nnam Obi II also urged the federal government to have a rethink on the removal of oil subsidy as that would have negative multiplier effect on the survival of the ordinary people, which if combine with the economic meltdown, would bring harsh economic realities on the nation.

Earlier, the Rivers State Government assured the traditional rulers of its unrelenting support to enable them carry out their functions effectively.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who gave the assurance while declaring open the 77th Quarterly General Meeting of the State Council of Traditional Rulers in Port Harcourt, explained that the need for such support become imperative in view of the crucial role traditional rulers play as custodians of the people’s culture and by their closeness to the rural populace which constitute the majority of the citizenry.

The governor, who also assured the traditional rulers that he would look into their requests, urged them to avoid issues of controversy.

He however noted that the present administration is committed to running a government that is propelled by

ENDS

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