Away from the current security challenges in the Niger Delta over compensations, Petroleum experts, yesterday, called on the Federal Government, to adopt strategies implemented by some foreign countries in finding lasting solution to the ongoing crisis in the region.
Making this call at the just concluded Nigeria Annual International Conference and Exhibition, NAICE, in Lagos, the former Special Adviser to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Petroleum Matters, Dr Emmanuel Egbogah, said compensating individuals or community heads won’t resolve the crisis.
He argued that instead, more efforts should be geared towards creating agro-based community empowerment, rather than enriching some individuals in disputes management.
According to him, for lasting solutions to issues currently bedevilling the economy, there is need for “Agro-based community empowerment.” He advised that “instead of settling kings and chiefs, create agro-based community empowerment initiatives as potential panacea to host community challenges.
“It is what solved agitations in Indonesia and in many other countries where there were agitations.” He also added that such scheme will also involve “taking them out for training.” He called for each oil company to embark on agro-based empowerment programmes. “Also, there should be operational land owner’s royalty to host communities. Royalty should vary by terrain; it has been proved successful elsewhere like New Zealand, etc.” On way forward for the downturn in the oil industry, he called for diversification of the economy. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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One of the most sensible comment on this issue so far.You can't reward criminals not to break the law;rewarding criminals will only breed more criminals because young kids growing up will aspire to do d same over time just like the issue of yours in Lagos that was left to fester during the tinubu era.This people have been marginalised by their leaders who have nothing to show for all the allocations they have collected all this year's.Their should be a form of scholarships for all indegene of the oil producing state up to PhD level,their should also be a form of grants to encourage entrepreneurship.All the oil companies must hire a certain percentage of indegene into the work force as well.I believe in showing people how to fish than just handling them fish.Paying jobless criminals #60,000 in a country where the minimum wage is #20,000 is absurd amid all the poverty in that region.
ReplyDeleteThe advise is sound. But will government and the few privileged in the system allow such schemes to be implemented? The problem in Niger Delta is lack of engagement of the youths, not selective but inclusive and encompassing.
ReplyDeleteThe amnesty programme initiated by the predecessor government was only selective, thus the uprise of unrest in the region. Though a lot of people where engaged by the programme but more than enough were sidelined by same programme. Those sidelined in the programme have come of age therefore the agitation in the region.
So my advise to the government is that, what ever programme that is to be initiated in the region should try to avoid the pitfall of amnesty programme. Also the government should have an all-inclusive sustainable long term plan to engage people in the region.
For instance, education should be a must for all people in the region up to the PhD level either through government or company sponsorship. The few available sponsorships are inadequate and do not get to the grassroot communities. Also, the government should persuade companies in the region to engage the youth periodically, and let such data be publish for the purpose of transparency. Lack of unpublished data is also the cause of fraudulent practice amongst actors in the region.
Those who are the fun-star of education can be enagaged in various trades that will be make more productive. According to the bible, an idle mind is the workshop of the devil. Therefore, engaging people in the region will help to furnish their minds with good thoughts.