11 March 2013, Ughelli – A group that goes by the name, Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, NDIMRC, has called for a re-allocation of oil blocs in the country following the recent allegation that 83 per cent of the oil blocs are under the control of Northerners.
In a statement by its president, Nelly Emma, the group urged President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke to urgently revoke and re-allocate all the oil blocs.
Maintaining that the 83 per cent oil blocs allegedly owned by Northerners was unacceptable to them, the group said: “An urgent step must be taken by the President and the Minister of Petroleum to carry out a proper investigation into the matter.
“If the Petroleum Minister fails to act fast, we are going to carry out drastic action in the Niger Delta region and this may cost the Minister her job and we will not support the President in 2015.
“The oil blocs should be revoked and reviewed, while all other oil blocs to be given out from today should be given to people from the Niger Delta region, whose lives are being degraded by oil exploration.
“The owner of the resources must be respected and we may be forced to ask for total control of our resources. We are set to control our God-given resources and nobody will drill any oil in the Niger Delta region if this situation is allowed to continue.”
