Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa, has reiterated that the rebels in the Niger Delta should not be regarded as terrorists but Nigerians with genuine grievances that should be addressed.
He said in Washington that “whether rightly or wrongly, some people believe that the government has come to their homeland to remove their resources while they are impoverished. Whether they are right or wrong, this is their conception. This is exactly what is causing the friction.
�I believe the government should look into how to help the Niger Delta people, look into how to empower the youths there so that they do not resort to all sorts of violent protest such as kidnappings”.
Udenwa who was in the United States for a follow-up surgery, added that the government should provide jobs and improve infrastructure in the area to give the youths a sense of belonging.
“Most youths are unemployed and believe the trend is intentional on the part of the government. The authorities should address this because it is the only way the tension will be reduced. We should be able to empower them to have a source of existence and power�.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. State of Mississippi, the families of the hostages have made an emotional appeal for their release, saying the group that abducted Cody Oswalt has a just cause, but it is time for him to come home.
“On behalf of the Oswalt family, we make a heartfelt plea for Cody Oswalt, Russell Spell and John Hudspith. Please release our loved ones,” Oswalt’s uncle, Rickey, said.
“We are aware part of your plight for hospitals, schools and housing are just causes. These men were taken so that your demands and your situation be heard by the world.
�Now that the world is aware of your situation, we ask that you release Cody, Russell and John�.
Oswalt, Spell and Hudspith were among nine Houston-based Willbros Group workers abducted in a February 18 raid on an oil barge. Six have since been released.
Spell is an American and Hudspith is a Briton.
On Monday, more than two dozen members of Oswalt’s family braved heavy rains to meet at a South Jackson home where they asked for the release of the three captives. The family had previously denied multiple requests for interviews.
Ricky taped two pictures of his 23-year-old nephew to a garage door in the red brick home where cameras for several local news stations set up.
He said Oswalt is the father of a seven-month-old boy and is in Nigeria in hopes of making a better life for his family.
The Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), which took the men, claims it is fighting to bring impoverished residents a larger share of the vast wealth produced by the oil industry in the region.
A spokesman for the group called The Associated Press earlier this month and apparently put Oswalt on the phone. Oswalt said he had been separated from the other hostages and feared he would be killed.
“I really fear for my life,” Oswalt said during the call. “Something needs to happen to see that their demands are met�.
The spokesman called for the release from prison of jailed Ijaw leaders and for a $1.5 billion payment from Shell before the hostages will be released.
The family said they have no new information on Oswalt’s situation, but believe he is alive.
A Willbros employee, who the Oswalt family identified as Wyvone Kinnis, said she was in Jackson to support the family but had little access to information about the hostages.
She said most captives taken in Nigeria are eventually released unharmed.
Oswalt is a graduate of Forest Hill High School in Jackson and spent most of his life here.
“He loves to fish, he loves to boat, he just likes to have a good time,” his uncle said. “Please release our loved ones. These workers are family men. All we want is for them to be returned safely�.
However, the umbrella of Niger Delta youths, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), has raised an alarm over a new dimension to the crisis and has urged the Federal Government and the international community to act fast.
IYC Secretary General, Niabiye Kuromiema, stated in an interview in Abuja that more Ijaw youths are enlisting in militias, determined to defend the region and their people against military attack.
His words: �I see a group of people who are fed up with the government�s old ways of responding to the Niger Delta question. On our part, we have consistently called for dialogue in addressing the issues.
�That would have paved the way for an agreement that is healthy for the region and also for the nation as a whole. But these young men see that our consistent request for dialogue is becoming a difficult thing�.
Kuromiema blamed the government for the condition of the region. To him, Abuja has had every opportunity to tackle the Niger Delta problem but failed or refused to take it.
�All the peaceful resistance by ethnic groups in the region to draw the government�s attention to the questions of the Niger Delta have always been ignored. And we thought the opportunity created by the last National Conference on Political Reforms would be used to address the issues but the people of Niger Delta who came to the conference were humiliated�.
Relying on intelligence report available to the IYC, Kuromiema said the situation in the region is deteriorating and urged the government and the international community to act fast and stop it from getting out of control.
�We believe that the situation can still be rescued; we don�t believe the military option is the best because it appears the boys have the capacity to defend themselves against any military attack�.
He advised the government, multi-national oil companies operating in the region and the international community to support all peaceful means to resolve the conflict.
The means, he explained, include the political option especially when the group has indicated interest in dialogue, with the appointment of Oronto Douglas as �a mediator� by the MEND.
�The role of Oronto Douglas is to prepare the ground for possible dialogue, if the Federal Government is willing to take that option�.
The U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada have all expressed similar fear.
They stressed that they are ready to support any peaceful resolution.