Oil Facility Vandalism: Ogulagha Kingdom Assures Otuaro-led C'ttee of Oil Installations Protection

By Bulou Kosin

Delta State Deputy Governor and Chairman of Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, says "Ogulagha Kingdom is critical to national and state economy" while tasking the kingdom to sustain it's "peaceful disposition and collaborate with government to end the recent spate of oil facility vandalism".

Speaking in like manner, Secretary of the Advocacy Committee and former Ijaw Youth Council President, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, who said Ogulagha Kingdom with its oil concerns would have been a developmental wonder if in Europe, also pleaded for support and collective vigilance to stop the bombings. He stressed the need to avoid what he said was looming war from apologists of military option.

The Otuaro-led Advocacy Committee yesterday (Wednesday) visited Ogulagha Kingdom where HRM, Joseph Timiyan, the Pere of Ogulagha Kingdom who assured the Committee: "We'll support Government to stop the vandalism. As a kingdom, we have several oil concerns namely, Forcados Terminal Crude Loading Platform,   South Bank Flow Station, North Bank Flow Station, Estuary Flow Station, Forcados/Yokri Integrated Gas Project, amongst several others. We do not harbour militancy and the oil companies operate in a conducive environment".

The royal father was, however, peeved that despite contributions of his peaceful kingdom to the national economy, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo shunned his palace in his recent visit to the kingdom to inspect oil installations. This, he said, was coming upon sustained political marginalization over the years.

"Ogulagha Kingdom has never produced the chairman of Burutu local government area where we belong. The state government has never seen fit to appoint an Ogulagha son as Commissioner in the State over the years let alone recommendation for federal appointment. We thank the Okowa/Otuaro administration for appointing a Special Assistant from Ogulagha Kingdom. We hope we'll not continue to be marginalized", he said.

While promising to take up to appropriate quarters, the concerns of the Ogulagha Kingdom, which he acknowledged as "one of the most peaceful oil-rich kingdoms", Otuaro solicited support of the Kingdom to protect oil concerns and hence the national economy for development.

"The 2016 National Budget of 6.6trillion naira, Otuaro stressed, is predicated on borrowing, VAT and a 2.2mbd production expectation. A sustenance in bombings without collective efforts to stop same,  he explained, will worsen our already bad economic situation".

The Ogulagha Monarch, who expressed delight that it was the first time a sitting Deputy Governor would visit his Palace, prayed for the success of the Otuaro-led Advocacy Committee in its assignment.

Delta Monarch Says Army Alone Can't Secure Oil Installations

*Assures Otuaro-led Advocacy C'ttee of Support

By Bulou Kosin

Paramount ruler of Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area Of Delta state, HRM Couple Oromoni Mobene III, The Pere-Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri Kingdom has said that the military can't protect oil facilities because of lack of knowledge of Niger Delta terrain" .

The Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri Monarch made the declaration when he played host on Thursday to the Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism led by the Delta State Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, which sought partnership and collaboration in ending the ongoing spate of bombings in the delta.

While condemning the spate of pipeline attacks, the Pere-Amakosu of Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri recommended the formation of Pipeline Guards, which he said should combine efforts of the locals and the Army.

Assuring the Advocacy Committee of support, Mobene III, said: 'There is no youth in the Kingdom that would go out there to commit atrocities and return without information coming to me from my youths many of who sleep freely with me in my Palace".

He advised youths across the Niger Delta that endangering oil facilities was foolish as possible oil company contracts would disappear or relocate with the companies. 

He expressed surprise that oil facilities would be vandalized within metres to the house-boats quartering the military only for the military to vent anger on innocent and defenseless Indigenes. 

The monarch however expressed concern over the recent killing of  a sand scooper by an over zealous soldier who was in their stock of extorting money from locals by intimidation instead of protecting oil installations.

“I hereby call for court-martial of the soldiers in the vicinity of the bombings who now go about causing more havoc on the Indigenes for their own dereliction of duty".

The Ogbe-Ijoh-Warri king however advised that development was key to solving the Niger Delta question, stressing that it was surprising that a school such as the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, which should have engaged idle minds meaningfully in our area was reportedly taken away.

Speaking on the ongoing training of Amnesty beneficiaries, the Ogbe-Ijoh Monarch said; "How can you spend over 30 million naira on a trainee on a course at the Philippines that can take care of 30 persons in Nigeria?".

Saying that training was necessary to avoid relapse of militants to militancy, he said only special courses with proper training not possible in Nigeria should be done abroad.

Earlier, the state Deputy Governor who led the team to the monarch’s palace, said that with a budget hinged on borrowing, taxation and 2.2mbd production expectation, “we cannot afford more bombings and expect to advance the national economy and fulfill our electoral campaign promises”
.

Former Ijaw Youth Council President, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, and Secretary of the Advocacy Committee, reinforced need for every Ijaw Kingdom to collaborate and stand against vandalism and ward off looming danger, rationalizing: "If a man calls for rain, it falls on all". He added: "No war is won at the battlefield, but on the table of dialogue".

Some of the chiefs from the palace who spoke including; Chief Favour Izoukumor, representing Ijaw nationality on the board of DESOPADEC, women leader Madam Queen Azenetolu, youth leader Comrade Christmas Ikare and Barr. Alex Akemotubo, Chairman Ogbe-Ijoh Governing Council had expressed resolve of the Ogbe-Ijoh people to partner with government to stop vandalism of oil facilities.

Pipeline Attacks: Otuaro To Gbaramatu Youths: Peace Is Path To Development

× Youths Cry Out Over military Harassments and Oil Companies Denials

From Bulou Kosin.

Chairman of Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro has appealed to the youths of Gbaramatu Kingdom to rise up to protection of oil facilities in their domain whether or not they were perpetrators of vandalism, stressing that peace by any means remains the platform from which development and progress can be launched.

The Otuaro-led Advocacy Committee, yesterday (Tuesday) , visited Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom where it retired to a Town-Hall meeting with youths and ex-militants in their numbers, after conferring with HRM, Oboro-Gbaraun II, the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

The youth after youth who spoke at the Town Hall meeting, lamented that innocent citizens were being harassed by the military in occupation. A youth leader, Moses Yabrade, apparently hit the bull's eye when he recommended a path to safety of oil installations not implemented by oil companies and government.

He lamented that while the youths were willing to be involved despite their lamentable condition, there was no synergy between the government and its agencies for opting for surveillance, stressing that the arrest and incarceration of 5 persons/agents of the Pipeline Surveillance/Protection Services (PSPS) as confirmed by Chevron was a frightening experience. He advised that the Otuaro-led Advocacy Committee should help create the platform for the required synergy and work.

"In history, violence upon violence has never produced peace. Innocent ordinary people suffer for military harassment and intimidation that has made Gbaramatu Kingdom an endangered species. Gathering and working with intelligence is better", Yabrade said, adding: "Nobody will destroy or allow the destruction of what or where he feeds from".

"If the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) gas line was engaged to generate electricity, for instance, for the communities in its path, no community will allow such vandalism that negatively affects its comfort, without confronting the perpetrators", he continued.

Yabrade added that the Pipelines Products Marketing Company (PPMC) should re-introduce its abandoned but beautiful proposal of development award/projects for  peaceful communities, an idea he said could galvanize communities to active protection of oil facilities.

To the applause of the youths, Yabrade opined that the employment of Niger Deltans and grants of meaningful contracts in the Oil Industry could help motivate communities to protecting oil installations. He said the non engagement of people of the state in pipelines repairs contracts with non employment of youth of the area poses a serious problem for the people. He also said the Federal Government should kick-start the Export Processing Zone(EPZ) project capable of employing over 150, 000 youths.

He concluded that over 80% of pre-amnesty issues were left unattended to by Government.

The youths also expressed concern that people of the region close to the previous Goodluck Jonathan administration were being hunted, like High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, who was zealously protecting oil installations from vandals.

They also recommended that the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, be funded and allowed to kick off to  further engage the youths to meaningful ends.

The Deputy Governor, while agreeing that Gbaramatu Kingdom was 'an endangered species", noted that "war was hardly founded on justification". Otuaro stressed that it was better to pursue peace so that as leaders, even before now in the struggle, we could engage federal government to grant some of the requests you have made.

Otuaro, who told the youths that his Advocacy Committee was open to privileged information even in private, asserted: "We seek your partnership and collaboration to finding a permanent solution to the challenge. It's upon this honour you'll do to us your leaders that we'll engage the federal government to grant your requests. A dead man can't ask for light or employment".

PIPELINE VANDALISM: Gen. Boroh Declines to Accompany Otuaro-led Anti-Oil Facility Vandalism C'ttee to Creeks - Press Release

Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Gen. Paul Boroh (rtd)  said today, that he had confidence in the Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism headed by Deputy Governor, Barr. Kingsley Burutu Otuaro but declined to accompany the Committee to the creeks as expected.

Boroh, who hailed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his acumen on the constitution of the membership of the committee, was also  awaited by the people of Gbaramatu to accompany the Committee to Oporoza.  The Amnesty boss, however, left for Abuja as the Committee took to Gbaramatu Kingdom in its ongoing engagement of the oil-bearing communities to fashion out a way to discontinue the bombing of oil facilities in the state.

"We had audience with HRM, the Olu of Warri and the Agadagba of Egbema. We also had audience with youth groups and ex-militants to gather intelligence on how to end the menace", Otuaro explained to the Amnesty boss, adding: "We'll be going to Gbaramatu Kingdom shortly and will be spending the night working. We will visit Ogulagha and Ugborodo in the days ahead".

Otuaro explained that the State government would welcome any collaboration that will solve the problem of oil facility vandalism that has adversely affected the economy of the nation and Delta state.

Boroh, who himself identified members of the committee said with such membership, the committee's mission of of stopping the spate of vandalism was 90% accomplished.

Commenting on the effect of an atmosphere of insecurity on the nation, Gen Boroh said: "I had discussions with investors from Germany, Isreal, Britain amongst others but they said Nigeria especially the Warri and the Niger Delta region was not safe for business. I am happy Governor Okowa has chosen the right men to help meet the mission and change the negative impression people have of the area"

Otuaro Tasks Olu of Warri on Oil Facility Vandalism

The Deputy Governor of Delta State and Chairman of the Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, Barr. Deacon Kingsley Burutu Otuaro, has called on Ogiame Ikenwoli I, the Olu of Warri, to use his exalted throne to add value to the Committee’s key assignment of ending the menace of oil and gas facilities vandalism in the state.

Otuaro, who said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was worried by the rising spate of oil facility vandalism in the state, made the appeal when he paid a courtesy call on the Olu of Warri,  today Monday, to kick-start weeklong tour of the creeks to engage the locals on how to end the trend that has put the resources of the state at risk.

“As a nation and as a state, we are already in deep economic crisis by virtue of the fall in oil price in the world market, any further attacks on oil facility will worsen our already bad situation”, Otuaro said, adding: “This is why we have come to you as the custodian of the peoples culture and land in your kingdom to help government deepen intelligence towards stopping the bombings.

In his reaction, the Olu of Warri noted: “I will send my chiefs to all nooks and crannies to help resolve the problem”, adding: “The fact that the Governor had to send you, his deputy, to the creeks, shows that the thing is touching”.

The Olu recalled that it was first the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and now it is the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) whose activities have had the economy crippled and hampering government capacity to deliver projects to the people.

“What are they avenging? Vengeance belongs to God. Man’s vengeance is limited”, the Olu wondered, lamenting that “the spate of vandalism was giving the state a bad name”.

Sounding fatherly, the Olu said he remembered that the Deputy Governor, Barr. Otuaro, a son of Warri, joined other Nigerians to grace his coronation, and should always feel free to come to his palace even outside times like this.

Immediately after visiting the Olu of Warri, the Advocacy Committee moved, via Koko, to visit the Agadagba (King) of Egbema Kingdom at Ogbudugbudu community, in Warri North local government area of the state. The committee subsequently engaged select youth leaders in Ogbudugbudu community with a view to fashioning ways to end the worrisome menace of oil facility vandalism.

 The committee, will on Tuesday, continue its advocacy tour to the creeks of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West local government area.