Niger Delta elders accuse FG of blackmail

Niger Delta elders are expected to meet with President Buhari to discuss issues after the region

–  The elders plan to tell the president the reason they rejected his investment package

– They also called for the Maritime University not to be changed to a polytechnic

Niger Delta leaders and stakeholders have rejected the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government’s $10 billion (N4 trillion) infrastructural rebirth investment programme,

This revelation is coming just as the Niger Delta leaders are expected to meet President Buhari at the presidential villa on Monday, October 31.

Vanguard reports that the elders are expected to tell the president of their decision to reject the package as they were not consulted before the decision was taken.

The meeting was necessary following the continued bombing of oil and gas pipelines by militants in the region that has crippled oil production and reduce the country’s exportation.

The minister of state for petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu had announced the multi-trillion naira programme which was described as part of the short and medium term priorities to grow Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Industry (2015 to 2019) and tagged the ‘7 BigWins’\

The leader said the programme was private sector driven and that the government does not have the money to finance it.

“At the end of the day, other Nigerians will say why complain when you have $10 billion and the money is not there in the first place. If the companies have such money, they should pay the money owed the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, rather than blackmail the region with such money.”

This decision was reached at the end of a meeting held at the residence of the convener, Chief Edwin Clark at his 43, Haile Selassie Street, Asokoro in Abuja on Saturday, October 29.

They said the people in the region who understand the problem were not carried along which is tantamount to blackmail.

They said the people of the region are suffering from oil exploitation, while nobody is being harassed as mining is going on in the North.

They also called on the president to drop the idea of turning the Maritime University in Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu, Delta State to a polytechnic