A model speech for Buhari at meeting with Niger Delta Reps
The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Representatives and Nigeria’s former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, former minister Broderick Bozimo, Your Royal Highness, King Alfred Diette Spiff, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. I welcome you all to Aso Presidential Villa in continuation of the conversation begun informally with some of you in the […]
The leader of the Pan Niger Delta Representatives and Nigeria’s former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, former minister Broderick Bozimo, Your Royal Highness, King Alfred Diette Spiff, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.
I welcome you all to Aso Presidential Villa in continuation of the conversation begun informally with some of you in the previous months regarding how best to calm nerves in the Niger Delta and bring peace to the region and to Nigeria.
You may not imagine how surprised I am at seeing Chief Clark at the head of this important delegation. This is because of the fact that old people in this country have been ridiculed and dismissed as failures, so I just wonder why Chief Clark has been drafted as leader by those young people out there if truly we are solely to blame for the current state of the nation (general laughter). So, where are the chaps who say they want to lead? (General laughter). Despite the fact that I went round every corner of this country in a gruelling presidential campaign, I am told that I have gone past the years that I can lead the country (laughter again).
Ladies and gentlemen, the Niger Delta is indeed a very important part of this country not only because of its petroleum or mangrove forest resources but also because it was about the first point of contact between our people and the Europeans at the coast and I am aware the people gave a good account of themselves.
However, as we are all aware, months of wanton destruction of national oil assets has drastically reduced the amount of money available for the provision of services by both the federal government and the states; it has negatively affected power supply, stalled further investment in our oil and gas industry, degraded the environment and given outside world the wrong impression that our country is unstable. Officers of the various arms of Nigerian security services have had to pay the supreme price and others maimed in needless and unprovoked attacks launched against them by militants.
Such state of affairs is not in the overall interest of Nigeria and cannot continue. The government will not fold its arms and allow the reign of anarchy in any part of the country. I urge all of us – militants and non-militants, young and old, of whatever political persuasion to work together to maintain peace. All of us stakeholders – political leaders, oil companies, youth associations, service providers, communities, security services – must do whatever is necessary to normalise the situation in the Niger Delta.
We have no interest in militarising the Niger Delta as some people have alleged. However, we have come to a point where we have to strengthen the security architecture in the region in order to protect law abiding people as well as vital national oil assets. Ultimately, the oil companies will have to bear responsibility for the integrity of their installations as the government can only supplement their efforts.
Over the years, the federal government has activated many intervention programmes, which I am not going to recount here, to ensure the welfare of the people of Niger Delta. We shall explore a more efficient use of the 13% derivation funds by states; we want to ensure a synergy between us and states of the Niger Delta so that by the time we wind up the amnesty programme in 2017, better resource use can bring tangible benefits to oil producing communities instead of just using the proceeds to balance annual budgets.
We are going to spend billions of Naira in the Niger Delta to provide safe drinking water, motorable roads, a modern railway, youth empowerment and micro-credit loans scheme all of which will improve the material conditions of the inhabitants. The details of this will be given to you shortly when you meet government’s representatives at the talks.
I’ve viewed the despoliation of the Niger Delta as represented in ‘Oloibiri’; I’ve also watched a clip on the high volume of environmental degradation, some as recently as last week, caused by the activities of restive groups sworn to reducing our oil export to zero, according to them and I ask: in whose interest?
Ladies and gentlemen, the government is firmly committed to diversifying the country’s economy. We are taking steps to revitalise agriculture and open the mines. We are building new power plants and railway system and I can assure you the Niger Delta will have its own fair share. It is no longer wise to rely on only one commodity to run an economy for 180 million people.
I would like to enlist your support for government’s commitment to the elimination of corruption from all facets of our national life. Corruption has stunted our development and tarnished our reputation abroad. So far, we have recovered humongous amount of money and other assets illegally acquired by some public officials and we are still counting. I want you to understand that this fight against corruption knows no friend or foe.
I have followed media reports about the difficulty you had in assembling this delegation and hope that you will have a fairly balanced team that takes care of all shades of opinion from the region when you sit down for talks with us. I do also hope that you will now appreciate the difficulty government faces every time we want to forge a consensus on matters of national importance.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a day for long speeches, but let me assure you that our government will continue to ensure judicious use of our national resources. Please tell the youths of the Niger Delta and everywhere that this government will work for them and indeed all Nigerians. They should therefore give us a chance.
I thank you for listening.”