Niger Delta Monarchs State Conditions for Peace in the Region After Meeting with FG...See Details

Posted by Thandiubani on Thu 25th Aug, 2016 - tori.ng

See details of what the Niger Delta monarchs are demanding from Buhari as condition for ceasefire in the volatile region.

The Niger Delta traditional rulers and stakeholders met with the Federal Government

Traditional rulers and stakeholders from the Niger Delta on Thursday met the Federal Government and read out terms that would build confidence as well as restore peace in the region, Punch reports.

According to a statement read at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Abuja by the Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Wellington Okirika, the traditional rulers listed six things the Federal Government should do in order to build confidence and stop the destruction of the country’s oil assets by militants in the region.

They said, “Having acceded to the call for a ceasefire by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on August 4, 2016, the buck has now been passed to the table of the Federal Government as driven by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources – a representative of the Federal Government.

“For the purposes of building confidence in the system, we wish to state here that as a matter of urgency the Federal Government should appoint/constitute a Federal Government dialogue team; release the 10 innocent school children arrested by the Nigerian Army on the 28th of May, 2016 in Oporoza and others in detention on trumped up charges.

“Return the Golden Sword, being the symbol of authority in the Gbaramatu traditional institution; return the three traditional council speed boats in custody of the Nigerian Army; cessation of hostilities perpetrated by the military in the Niger Delta region; and equally important, the Federal Government should make a categorical statement about the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko Delta State for academic activities in the 2016/2017 session.”

It would be recalled that the latest development became possible after the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups in the region on August 21, 2016 announced a ceasefire with the government.