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”
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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.