Oronto Douglas, Mediator for the Movement for the Emancipation of Nigeria Delta (MEND), yesterday stressed that only a government team with a clear mandate can dialogue with Niger Delta representatives.
He spoke ahead of today�s meeting between President Olusegun Obasanjo and representatives of the region, which several of them have threatened to boycott.
Douglas, in a report presented to reporters in Abuja, advised that prior to the dialogue the government should begin the immediate implementation of the recommendations made by the Special Security Committee on Oil Producing Areas, led by Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Alexander Ogomudia.
The committee was inaugurated on November 8, 2001, and in its report submitted on February 19, 2002, recommended, among others, an upward review of the minimum 13 per cent derivation to not less than 50 per cent, training of Niger Delta indigenes for employment in oil companies, provision of infrastructure such as electricity, water roads, repeal of the Land Use Act and the Petroleum Act.
Douglas lamented that apart from memoranda to government committees and agencies, there are about eight proclamations by peoples of the Niger Delta on claims of ownership, resource access and control, environment justice and true federalism.
For the restoration of lasting peace in the area, he recommended, among others, �the setting up of a dialogue team with an undiluted mandate to discuss with representatives of the Niger Delta by the Federal Government; an urgent meeting of nationalities of the Niger Delta to nominate credible persons not more than three per nationality to a central Niger Delta Dialogue Team to meet with the Federal Government team.
�A strong political will at the federal level to bring into fruition the dream of a greater Niger Delta that is peaceful, prosperous and pleasant to its inhabitants and dependants; and the federal government should invite as observers representatives of the international community, labour and human rights community to the dialogue�.
Some Ijaw leaders have restated their resolve to stay away from the meeting today.
However, pressure has continued on Edwin Clark to attend.
A communiqu� issued at the end of a meeting of Ijaw Interactive Assembly held at his country home in Kiagbodo on Sunday said the Ijaw would not participate in the meeting as presently constituted.
The communiqu� was signed by Clark and Kimse Okoko, President of Ijaw National Congress.
It urged the government to seek a more meaningful approach to the resolution of the conflict by engaging the Ijaw in a dialogue to address the decades of denial, neglect and abandonment.
But it was learnt that less than 24 hours after the Kiagbodo meeting, Bayelsa State Governor, Goodluck Jonathan, and his executive council visited Clark and appealed to him to attend the meeting in Abuja.
Jonathan urged him to see the reason with the government on the need to hold the meeting, but Clark was said to have declared that there is no going back on the stand taken by the Ijaw.
After the departure of Jonathan, the Presidency sent an invitation to Clark and the logistics for his ticket to the meeting.
Clark confirmed on Tuesday that he is under severe pressure to attend the meeting but that he would not budge.
The proposed talks had raised hopes that the government and Ijaw militants were moving towards a negotiated truce that could allow oil multinationals to restart 630,000 barrels per day of output closed by violence in the swamps.
“The problems of the Ijaw can never and will never be solved at the jamboree�, said Clark in a statement.
He was among a small group of Ijaw leaders who handed three foreign oil worker hostages to the government last week after five weeks in captivity.
His criticism of the proposed meeting was echoed by other delta groups.
“We know that with the size of the meeting … no meaningful discussion is possible within just one day,” said Ledum Mitee of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People.
“If there is to be a stakeholders� meeting it should allow adequate time and structure for views to be expressed and there should be evidence of a willingness to act on any presentations�.
Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, added that what the people want to see is a practical development and interventionist efforts from the federal authorities.
He described the problems of the region as well known to everybody and said there are no new demands to make at such a meeting but to ask that the people of the region be made to feel the impact of development from the resources taken from their soil.
He spoke on Tuesday at a stakeholders� meeting attended by traditional rulers in Port Harcourt where he expressed outrage at the �continued arrogance of those who contribute nothing to the national purse�.
By Iyobosa Uwugiaren, Daily Independent (Lagos)