Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Olu of Igbokoda in Ondo State, H.R.M. Odidiomo Afolabi Oladimeji, has warned that hunger, underdevelopment, deprivation and economic hardship in the oil-rich Niger Delta region will continue to fuel restiveness and conflicts in the region.
The monarch said this in Port Harcourt on Tuesday during a capacity-building program on conflict management and peacebuilding organized by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, with the theme “Inclusive Approach to Conflict Management and Transformative Dispute Resolution.”
Oba Oladimeji dismissed the NDDC’s peace-building initiative, arguing that economic hardship and injustice—not a lack of dialogue—are the root causes of conflicts in the region, adding, “If conflict resolution was that simple, Gaza and Israel would have made peace by now.”
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the capacity-building program, the monarch described the NDDC initiative as a mere jamboree, insisting that peace cannot be achieved without addressing the widespread poverty and deprivation among oil-producing communities.
“There is no smoke without fire. If there is fire, you are saying let’s douse the intensity, but have you addressed the cause of the fire itself?” he asked.
The traditional ruler criticized the federal government’s control over oil resources, lamenting that while Nigeria depends on oil revenue, host communities remain neglected and impoverished.
“Nigeria depends on oil. Now, the federal government makes a law that oil belongs to the government, but the same government gives oil wells to their friends and cronies, excluding the host communities that bear the environmental burden of extraction. Meanwhile, our people are left in poverty, suffering in a land flowing with milk and honey.”
He further accused the NDDC of failing to prioritize the needs of host communities, alleging that its budgetary process is detached from the realities of the people it is meant to serve.
“The NDDC was set up to alleviate the problems of Niger Deltans, but they draft budgets without consulting the people, and then they execute substandard projects that serve no purpose. And you expect people to fold their arms and remain peaceful?” he stated.
The monarch also dismissed the idea that conflicts in the Niger Delta can be resolved through theoretical discussions.
“If resolving conflict was this easy, Gaza and Israel would have gone for peace. It’s not about talking; it’s about addressing the real issues—poverty, joblessness, and the exploitation of host communities.”
Earlier, NDDC Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, called on Niger Delta communities to embrace intellectual engagement rather than violent agitation in addressing their grievances with the government.
“The time for carrying guns and vandalizing government installations is over. Now is the time to engage the government through intellectual agitation. When we do that, we will get better results,” he said.
Ogbuku emphasized that the peace-building initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at ensuring long-term stability in the region.
Ogbuku, however, admitted that the Niger Delta faces challenges such as ecological degradation and underdevelopment, but insisted that peaceful engagement, not violence, would bring meaningful solutions.
“We don’t need to wait until conflict arises. Let us be proactive. To be proactive is to arm our community leaders—traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth, and women—with the knowledge and tools to manage crises before they escalate.”
Meanwhile, Princess Chinwe Njoku, the Coordinator of Niger Delta Women, Imo State Chapter, pointedly accused the NDDC of being the primary cause of conflicts in oil-producing communities.
“70% of conflicts in oil-producing states are caused by NDDC. They leave host communities behind when executing projects, award contracts to outsiders, and employ people from non-oil-producing areas. That is why we have so many agitations.”
She called for a complete overhaul of NDDC’s project allocation process, demanding that oil producing communities be given first priority in employment, infrastructure, and economic empowerment.
