The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
The presidency said in a statement that long-standing grievances were being addressed, including the opening of the maritime university by next year and approval of two modular refineries for each of the states in the region.
The annual budget for ex-rebels was doubled while funds have also been approved for the clean-up of devastated Ogoniland.
Yet others are calling for an immediate end to the negotiations and a return to violence.
On Sunday, a new militant group called the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders announced they would begin fresh attacks on September 31, saying that Clark and PANDEF are failing the region.
“Our grievance with government is that after the consolatory statement of the government by Professor Osinbajo, nothing is on ground to show sincerity by government,” the Crusaders spokesman said in a statement
There have been a rising number of attacks on soldiers patrolling the creeks, a violent reminder of simmering tension in the oil rich but poverty-stricken south.
From April to July, five marine policemen and seven soldiers spread across the Niger delta have been killed during attacks, while at least 15 have been injured.
– Stolen crude –
The militants may have stopped their blockbuster bombings but analysts point to a recent increase in crude theft as a concerning development.
“They don’t have the support of communities anymore, so you can’t carry out the militant attacks, you can’t bomb pipelines. So the only option is to steal and we’re seeing a resurgence of that,” said Ecobank oil analyst Dolapo Oni.
“We’re just going to see more of the oil thieves trying to break into the pipelines.”
Last week, Shell shut its Trans Niger pipeline because of a “leak” — the preferred euphemism in Nigeria for theft.
But for the cash-strapped Nigerian government, this smaller kind of sabotage is the lessor of two evils, said Oni.
“We’re relatively ok,” he said, “there is still no threat of any major disruptions.”
