OpeOluwani Akintayo
Lagos — The group, Leadership for Peace Development Security and Humanitarian Rights Association of Niger Delta has threatened to exploit all legal measures including protests and rallies to ensure that justice is done if the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC does not relocate the N21 billion medical facility it considers building in Kaduna to the Niger Delta.
The group stated in its protest letter that it is absurd for NNPC as the head of all the international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to think of first siting such a project in Kaduna when there is none in the Niger Delta states where crude oil is being produced.
According to it, such project is needed more in the region to cushion the adverse effect of oil production.
”…there is no region that needs medical facilities from NNPC more than the Niger Delta region where people are exposed to all kinds of pollution from cradle to grave”.
“lt is not good for the prince to trek when the beggar is riding on a horse or to work like an elephant only to eat like an ant,” the statement read in part.
Comrade Tiemo, the Group President however, stated alternatively that the proposed NNPC N21 billion Medical Facility in Kaduna should be executed across the six geopolitical zones at the same time for justice to prevail.
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Tiemo maintained that Mallam Melle Kyari ,the NNPC Group Managing Director GMD should as a matter of urgent importance, direct that project to be sited in the Niger Delta to uphold the existing peace and tranquility that is prevailing in the Niger Delta in particular and Nigeria in general.
Bishop Godwin Pinawei, the Group Vice President added that government needs to avoid this type of pitfalls because the past Niger Delta crises he recalled, was triggered by the outburst of accumulated grievances of marginalisation, deprivation, ostracisation and various degree of abnormalities and injustice of past administrations by undermining the fundamental interest of the Niger Delta people as critical stakeholders in Project Nigeria.
Speaking further, Bishop Pinawei affirmed that tribalism, corruption and nepotism- the three major stumbling blocks which have kept Nigeria backward should be jettisoned from national life so that Nigeria can move forward in the community of nations.
Speaking in the same vein, Comrade Lucky Ovigue Owhawha , the Secretary General and Comrade Durojaiye Ogunsemore, the PRO of the group in their separate reactions concurred that the NNPC proposal to build a N21 billion naira medical facility in Kaduna without preference to the Niger Delta region is a direct way of telling the people of the region that their destiny will be decided by the Northerners.
Mr. Owhawha the Group Scribe and Comrade Ogunsemore the PRO who described the scenario as a new bug that is bound to sting like a snake caught by the tail, warned that it is better for Aso Rock to do the needful by directing NNPC to kick start their medical project from the Niger Delta region before going across the other geopolitical zones in fairness to the goose that lays the golden egg.
While emphasising the group’s readiness to challenge the project with everything legally possible at their disposal, they asserted without any reservation that the proposed N21 billion NNPC medical facility in Kaduna is a clear policy blunder deliberately orchestrated by the Northern cabals to achieve regional interest against the spirit of one Nigeria.
The group leadership stressed that the call to relocate the project became paramount and imperative due to the devastating effect, hazardous situations and the predicaments the Niger Deltans are exposed to as a result of the Companies operations and activities that prompts persistent air and environmental pollution and the existing oil Companies Gas flaring in the Niger Delta region.
Conclusively, the Group called on President Muhammadu Buhari , the Senate President Senate Lawan , The Minister for Justice and Attorney General, and all relevant Agencies of Government to tackle the issue decisively by directing NNPC to “retrace it’s footsteps”.