AMIDST increasing restiveness in the Niger Delta, multi-national oil companies in the country are to meet with the Presidency before the end of this week. They were feelers that may advise the Federal Government against the militarisation of the region.
A group in the region, the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), has also listed demilitarisation as one of the conditions for attending any summit convened by the government on the area.
The oil firms, under the aegis of Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS) of the Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), The Guardian learnt, at a meeting last weekend resolved to write President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua on the situation in the oil- producing region.
Though an oil firm’s official could not be specific on when the meeting will hold, he pointed out that due to the seriousness of the issue, the President is expected to grant them an audience before the end of this week.
The source said that to continue to operate in the Niger Delta, particularly in the deep-water fields, there must be stability else, investment in the area would be threatened.
The industry operators were said to have expressed the belief that if the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was better funded, a lot could be achieved in the zone’s development.
The Oil companies are statutorily required to contribute three per cent of their yearly budget to the NDDC.
OPTS was particularly disturbed by last week’s attack on Bonga Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) leading to a shut-in of about 225,000 barrels per day (bpd).
The meeting viewed the attack as one that could adversely affect investment in offshore operations. Bonga is located about 120 nautical miles offshore Nigerian waters.
The source said that preliminary discussions with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on how to address the problems of the region had started.
According to the source, the oil firms are not favourably disposed to the militarisation of the region, considering the delicate and inflammable nature of oil business.
“The oil firms’ chiefs are always in touch since the unfortunate incident in Bonga. The offshore operations are no longer safe, we do not think sending military to those areas will serve the purpose of peace and stability,” he said.
Rather, the companies executives want more proactive but subtle ways to calm the agitating groups while more attention is devoted to the region’s development.
A top executive in the NNPC also told The Guardian yesterday on phone that everybody is concerned about the increasing restiveness in the Niger Delta.
Following President Yar’Adua’s directive to the armed forces to beef up security in the region, especially on oil installations, the Nigerian Navy now patrols the Bonga oil field with two frigates on patrol near the Bonga Oil field.
According to an online report, the NNS Nwamba and the NNS Ologbo are two small frigates, each mounted with two 30mm canons and a crew of about 50. They were deployed last weekend in waters around the Bonga oil field, which was attacked last Thursday by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
The attack sent shock waves through government and oil circles as the facility, located 120 kilometres offshore, had been considered out of the reach of militant groups.
Yesterday, UNDEDSS said the region would boycott any government-convened Niger Delta Summit scheduled for Abuja or anywhere else until the government begins full, verifiable and immediate demilitarisation of the region.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Annkio Briggs, the group also rejected the chairmanship of Prof. Ibrahim Gambari or any other Nigerian not an indigene of Niger Delta’s moderation of the summit.
The decision, the group said ,was taken after consultations with leaders of ethnic nationalities, prominent elders, youth activists and other stakeholders.
According to Briggs, any Niger Delta summit without the government ceasing all hostilities in the region, withdrawing the Joint Task Force from the towns, villages and creeks, and demilitarising the region, would be boycotted.
It called on the government to fulfil all that it had committed itself to, among them, the restoration of Odi, Odioma, Gbaraun and other communities, invaded by the Nigerian military, which the group insisted were prerequisities for the talks.