Militant groups from the Nine States of the Niger Delta region known as the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) has again put on red alert the multinationals Oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region on a planned resumption of hostilities in the region, warning them to evacuate its workers from rigs, platforms and manifolds.
They also declared that the safety of foreign nationals working in the region are no longer safe.
The RNDA, a coalition of nine militant groups, had last Monday announced their support for the #EndSARS protesters against police brutality and poor welfare for the citizens in the country even as they threatened to resume hostilities against oil multinationals and oil and gas assets of the country in the region within a stipulated time if nothing is done about their demands.
The RNDA, in the statement issued on Friday night via electronic mail and signed by Major Gen John-mark Ezon Ebi also known as Obama, following the alleged shooting of innocent protesters at the Lagos, Lekki Toll Gate and the mayhem that followed in some parts of the country, said the group has vowed to take the destiny of the region into their hands and kick-start the occupation of all the major oil wells and the oil platforms we will also bring down all major crude oil production pipelines to zero.
The group also announced that in support to the existing demands by the #EndSARS protesters, they have added five new demands that could stop the mayhem on foreign oil multinationals, oil and gas infrastructures and the Joint Military Task Force involved in the Operation Crocodile Smile in the region.
First on the demands of the RNDA was the release and withdrawal of the $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account by President Muhammadu Buhari administration some time in 2019 to acquire heavy weapons to fight Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.
“This is wicked and insensitive to the peace accord signed with the people of the Niger Delta region most especially the RNDA Militant group that accepted the ceasefire agreement on the 21st of August 2016 and nothing has been done so far therefore we l demand for the urgent release of the 98. Billion naira gas flare penalty fund to the Host Communities of the Niger Delta which is our funds domicile into the federation account through the central bank by the IOC’s and the multinational oil companies as payment to compensate the communities being affected in the creek of the Niger Delta due to their environmental pollutions and environmental hazard caused by this IOC, and the multinational oil companies that are operating in the creeks of the Niger the region all this long years which is being part of the ceasefire agreement that led the RNDA militants to embrace peace in 2016 and sustained the fragile peace in the region.”
“Secondly, we demand the total control of our God given resources in the region. If some part of northern states are allowed to operate and will be given license to engage illegal mining and sale of Gold. It means it is time the people of the Niger Delta region, especially the Ijaw Ethnic Nationalities to be given equal opportunity to go ahead with artisan and local refining of crude oil in the creeks without any form of intimidation and harassment from the Nigerian government as well in the creeks”.
“Thirdly, the RNDA reject the proposed N13 trillion plus budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to Nigerians which did not capture any tangible and significant human capital development project for the oil producing communities in the creek of the Niger Delta region. The region whose crude oil will be used to finance the so-called 13 trillion 2021 budget without any proper engagement with the oil producing communities through the leadership of the HOSTCOM and the stakeholders including South-South traditional rulers headed by HRM Diete Spiff the King Of Twon Brass and the Traditional ruler of Ogulagha Kingdom King Elder Captain Joseph Timiyan the host to the Forcados Terminal whose kingdom produces over one million barrels of crude oil that contribute trillions of dollars to the federal government on daily basis without getting any single federal government project in the kingdom, therefore we demand for a road project to connect the kingdom from Warri to Burutu LG headquarters to Ogulagha Town which is a host to the Forcardos terminal which should be included in the 2021, 23 trillion budget”.
Also, the RNDA demanded that the propose 2021 budget which appropriated billions of naira to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) should be withdrawn and put on hold and The Minister of the Niger Delta Ministry should not be allowed to defend the proposed budget until the substantive board of the NDDC is inaugurated and to be sworn in by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We also demand that Senator Godswill Akpabio be mandated to hold a town hall meeting with the traditional rulers, stakeholders and the leadership of the RNDA Militant group in the creek in order to show a genuine intention that the budget proposal will not witness embezzlement and diversion of billions to Akpabio and his cronies pockets without any tangible and practical development in the creeks of the region.”
“And we also demand for the immediate take- off and the re-opening of the Burutu Sea Port by the federal government which should be included in the 2021 budget, more importantly to the RNDA Militant group also call for an emergency review of the revenue sharing allocation formula act in other to give proper interpretation of the 13% derivation funds that will not be deposited in the hands of the so called inhuman wicked corrupt minded Niger Delta governors that has been pocketing the billions of naira on monthly basis from the federation revenue sharing allocation account without getting to the oil producing communities in the creeks of Niger Delta and without any accountability to the long neglected emancipated oil producing communities that are the original owners of the 13percent derivation funds according to section 162 sub section 2 of the 1999 constitution as amended in the revenue sharing allocation formula”
“And so we demand for proper interpretation of this Act by the Attorney-General of the federation as the Chief law officer of the country because the people of the Niger Delta oil producing communities are tired of this perpetual man made injustice caused by the so called Niger Delta callous inhuman wicked and corrupt minded governors”.
“A review of the Four-point agreement with the HOSTCOM, which was submitted to the federal government by the National Chairman, Prince Mike Emuh has not been approved up till date. The provisions of the agreement which include Ten thousand pipeline surveillance jobs to the oil producing communities through the leadership of HOSCOM which has not been approved.
“Yet the NNPC went ahead to award pipeline surveillance contract to one individual, Chief Captain Hosa Wells Okunbor who is the Managing Director of Ocean Marine Solutions Company that is handling the pipeline surveillance security contract worth over 18. 6 million dollars annually just for OML30, which is TFP pipeline security surveillance contract alone not to talk of the Trans Escravos-Warri-Kaduna pipeline which amount to over 20. 5 million dollars annually and that of the Bonny Nembe Creek Trunk Pipeline Surveillance job that is worth over 2.7 million dollars contract in the creek of Niger Delta, while the RNDA and the HOSCOM are not benefiting from this billion dollars pipeline surveillance security contract jobs in the hands of one individual from Edo state which will not be accepted by the RNDA Militant group any more in the creek as far as the pipeline surveillance security contract job is concern”.
“The release of the license of the Modular Refineries which has not been approved up till this moment, therefore, we cannot trust this federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari because we can’t fold our hands while billions and trillions are been approved by the federal executive council meeting in every week in the presidency through the sales of our crude oil on 1.86 million dollars to 2.2 million dollars barrels on daily basis without any tangible development in the creeks of the Niger Delta and the most painful part is the refusal of the presidency to release the 98 billion naira gas flair penalty funds all this while and if this our demands are not meant there will be no more crude oil funds for 2021, 13 trillion budget”.
The Group lamented further:
“‘And it is unfortunate that the implementation of any of the 16-point demands have not seen the light of the day and it is with deep regret that the visit of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to the creek of Niger Delta region was just a joke and ploy to continue to milk the region dry and it was just a laughing stuck to the people of the region as one of their normal usual tricks to fool the people of the region.
We demand an urgent release of the gas flare penalty funds that the federal government refused to release over the years which was part of the HOSTCOM demand for the agreement of the ceasefire in the creek which led us to maintain and sustained the existing relative peace in the creeks from the excess crude oil account for the development of the Niger Delta region and for the payment of the long overdue gas flare penalty fund that is lying down in the coffers of central bank over the years.”
“And failure to do that, the federal government will witness massive destruction of oil pipelines, facilities and installations across the length and breadth of the Niger Delta region in a well-coordinated attack tagged Cripple the Economy with Zero Crude Oil Production and there will be no more oil funds to finance the 2021 budget that will be majorly financed with the daily estimated production rate of 1.86 million barrels daily at 40 dollar per barrel this will be waste of time because our oil will not be available for the National Assembly and the so called heartless ministers and top federal government officials to share into their pockets .Enough is enough of this perpetual injustice.
“We will ensure that anything that stands on our way will be crushed without mercy. All foreign nationals working in the creek with all the multinational oil companies are hereby advised to leave the region as all our unit commanders have put on red alert to resume operation zero oil production in this new fresh demands.
At this end the RNDA call on the international communities such as the United Nation Deputy Secretary General from Nigeria and the European Union the President of the United State of America and a host of other leaders in the global international community to as a matter of urgency call on their fellow citizens that are working with the multinational oil companies to vacate the creek of Niger Delta region before the heavy weight of the RNDA Special Trained Striking Force Unit befall them.”
The oil facilities listed for destruction by the group include: the Chevron Major oil platforms, Shell major oil pipelines and the NNPC gas lines that locate distribution lines from Escravos to-Warri -Kaduna-Lagos and supply gas to Abuja.
”We will bring down all until our demands are met through proper engagement from the federal government and no going back on the 21 days ultimatum issued earlier.
“And we are going to occupy all the platforms, Well Head locations and major crude oil pipelines until we see proper channel of engagement from the federal government through this above mentioned agencies, the GMD NNPC and most especially the newly appointed Amnesty Coordinator who has promised Mr President that he is going to engage all the aggrieved militant groups stakeholders and also promised to carry everybody along in other to restore peace and stability in the creek of the region”.
