The statement signed by Nubari Saatah (president), Kemedengiyefa Opia (Secretary general), and Mudiaga Ogboru (Spokesperson) stated that there is degeneration in the region.
The Niger Delta Congress (NDC) has lamented the poor socio-economic development experienced in the region, lampooning government negligence.
The statement signed by Nubari Saatah (president), Kemedengiyefa Opia (Secretary general), and Mudiaga Ogboru (Spokesperson) stated that there is degeneration in the region.
“The Niger Delta Congress (NDC), as a representative organisation of the over forty eight (48) indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta region have observed with dismay the gradual degeneration of the socioeconomic and sociopolitical lot of the Niger Delta Peoples over time, with a disturbing passivity and nonchalance by the political leadership of the various Niger Delta State Governments, and the Federal government, to stem this downward spiral. The Niger Delta has been reduced to nothing but a shadow of its potential.”
It was noted that economic indices in the region call for serious concerns while infrastructure is nothing to write home about.
“As at today, the socio-economic indices of our region gives serious cause for concern which makes silence no longer tenable. Our current reality is such that not only do we account for some of the highest unemployment rates in the country; our teeming population now live with having the least access to quality healthcare, and consequently, the lowest life expectancy in the country.”
“On the other hand, infrastructure in the Niger Delta has all but collapsed; our ports are barely functional, our refineries have become museums of twisted metal, while the East-West road which serves as the main transport artery connecting our various communities have become a graveyard for our people claiming the lives of over 75 persons this year alone.”
They also wondered that despite promises of intervention, pollution in Ogoni land remains rife.
“Our environment still remains one of the most polluted anywhere on planet earth, with the 2011 UNEP Report on Ogoniland pointing to groundwater pollution with Benzene over 900 times above WHO levels, while the Bayelsa State Environmental Commission Report of 2023 reveals groundwater pollution 1,000,000 times above WHO levels alongside pollution from poisonous heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and Nickel which has no safe levels.”
“As these toxins have permeated our soil, groundwater, air and aquatic and animal lives, so have they been found in the blood stream of our people from various health impact studies carried out. In a 2012 research carried out by Swiss researchers Bruederle and Hodler on Effect of Oil Spill on Infant Mortality in Nigeria, it was revealed that over 16,000 Niger Delta children had died in their first month of being born.”
“Extrapolations from this report shows us that as at 2024, over 124,000 Niger Delta children would’ve died in their first month of birth while 70% of them would’ve survived if there had been no oil spill within a 10km radius. The devastating economic and health consequences of this pollution can only be imagined.”
The group wondered why the Niger Delta region was neglected despite contributing over 70% of Nigeria’s national budget.
“For a region which has served as Nigeria’s major economic pillar since independence, and today, contributing over 70% of Nigeria’s national budget, and the Federal Allocation distributed to the thirty six (36) states of the federation, we find this reality not only denigrating to our people but also derisive of the contributions of our people to the Nigerian Federation.”
“Sociopolitically, the Niger Delta Peoples continue to be marginalised in government institutions and agencies vis-a-vis the larger nationalities with an overwhelming preponderance in government institutions and agencies.”
They also claimed that the government had failed to fund the Niger Delta Development Commission.
“In spite of this, the Federal Government has refused to fund the NDDC and other interventionist agencies to meet up with its responsibilities to our people. Another example of this is the failure of the Nigerian government to pay its own part of the funding needed by the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) to actualise its founding goals on cleaning up Ogoni, while also ensuring majority of awarded contracts are awarded to incompetent non-Ogonis and non-Niger Deltans.”
They demanded that “1999 Nigeria Constitution be revised without delay to capture the demands of the Niger Delta Peoples on self determination, resource control, and political autonomy.”
Others include immediate assessment of the entire Niger Delta environment, compensation of all oil impacted communities in the Niger Delta, while” all monies received by the Nigerian Government from the exploitation of our natural resources, and deprived the people of the Niger Delta under the guise of “derivation formula” be returned to the Niger Delta.”
They also demanded an audit of all NDDC and HYPREP contracts to ascertain the beneficiaries.
Others include; declaration of a State of Emergency on the East-West Road, while a Special Fund immediately be set aside and announced for its completion.