The coalition of nine militant groups in the Niger Delta under the aegis of Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA has temporarily suspended and withdrawn the ultimatum earlier declared a month back over #ENDSARS PROTEST and plan to resume hostilities and to attack oil installations in the creek of the region.
,The RNDA, in a statement issued and signed by its coordinator, Johnmark Ezonebi also known as OBAMA, said the decision was made due to the quick intervention of the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ovie Omo Agege who is the highest polical leader from the region, that represented President Muhammadu Buhari and the presidency in a plea for calm and to maintain peace in the creek and that their demands will not be treated with levity or disdain.
According to the RNDA, the Deputy Senate President gave the assurance when the Niger Delta stakeholders and delegation headed by Chief Wallington Okrika the traditional prime minister of Gbaramatu kingdom, and traditional rulers headed by HRM King Diete Spiff Amayanabor of Twon Brass of Nembe Kingdom, the leadership of oil and gas producing communities and high chief Prof Jasper Jombo and other notable stakeholders from the region met with him in Abuja.
The RNDA said, “we want to use this occasion to salute and appreciate the deputy Senate president of Nigeria, Senator Ovie Omo Agege, for his tireless commitment and courageous leadership style of approach in handling the PIB bill that is before the Senate and his resilience to attend to National issues most especially when it comes to issues affecting the overall development of the oil rich Niger Delta region.
“The deputy Senate president treated all the overbearing issues raised very well and promised to engage the presidency for quick resolution and approval without bias and political sentiment which adjudged him as one of the credible best performed senators from the Niger Delta region in the history of senators representing the oil rich region
“The deputy Senate president haven come from an oil producing state and local government, and as a serving Senator that is a host to over 150 oil wells within the Delta Central Senatorial district with bulk of gas stations and numerous uncountable oil facilities in the Uhrobo land that feeds the nation with billions with abundance of natural wealth on daily basis.”
On the position of the Niger Delta governors over the issue of development, the RNDA challenged the Delta State state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, who is the chairman of South South governors forum to show the evidence of the purported massive infrastructural developmental projects he has done with the trillions he collected so far from the 13 percent derivation funds through the federation account over the 5 years of his administration.
“Rather he has plunged the oil rich state into huge financial indebtedness and underdevelopment with darkness, upon the huge amount of billions he is collecting from 13 percent at the end of every month without the interference of the federal government or APC federal might and with billions of Paris Club bailout funds accrued to the state coffers.
“From the information available to us from Debt Management Office DMO, the state debt amount was at 219.94, billion in the year 2015, and risen to 256.66 billion under Okowa..
And over the five years of Okowa in office, there has been worrisome foreign debt increase by a whopping 285.50 percent despite the huge monthly allocations from the federation account.
According to the Bureau of Statistics, Delta State government under Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has collected 432.25 billion and above as income from the federation account including 13 percent derivation fund in the year 2019.
“This is excluding internally generated revenue accrual in the same year 2019, while the total inflow from the federation account is over 432.25 billion in 2019 alone even as Delta State stands as the highest revenue earning state in the country.
