As militants from the Niger Delta region intensify their attacks on oil installations, an activist and National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Mr. Zik Gbemre, has urged youths in the area to direct their anger and frustration at their past and present political leaders.
Gbemre said rather than attempting to cripple the economy of the country, militant groups and youths in the region should hold their elected political office holders responsible for the misery in the oilrich region.
The activist took a swipe at the past and present political office holders in the region, accusing them of being responsible for the under-development in the region.
He said that they had failed to develop the region despite the huge amount of money they had allegedly collected on behalf of the people of the region.
Gbemre, who spoke with our correspondent in Warri, accused past and present public office holders in the region of colluding with Community Relations Officers of the various oil and gas companies and other officials of Federal agencies to massively misappropriate and steal public funds meant for the development of the region and its people.
The Niger Delta activist stated that the region found itself in its present situation because of the attitude of its past and present political leaders in different strata of governance in the region and the entire nation.
Gbemre, who wondered why a region that is richly blessed with oil could still be wallowing in abject poverty, added that the paradoxical situation had been widely condemned by all Nigerians.
He said, “To every Niger Delta youth, oil and gas bearing host communities, local/stakeholders and militants who have been agitating, fighting and complaining about the deplorable and pathetic under-developed state of the Niger Delta region, we strongly advise that they should channel and direct all their anger, frustration, anguish, complaints, agitation and cries to our past and present Niger Delta political leaders.
“From Niger Delta state governors, Federal and state lawmakers in the region, commissioners, permanent secretaries to local government chairmen, councillors, host communities’ leaders, most of whom were, and still in the habit of colluding with the Community Relations Officers of oil and gas companies, Officials of the Niger Delta Development Commission, the Niger Delta Ministry and other interventionist development agencies like Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) to massively misappropriate and steal public funds meant for the development of the Niger Delta region and its people.”
