President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday told oil companies they “could and should do more” to help upgrade living conditions in the “long neglected” Niger Delta.
He urged that treatment befitting fellow humans be meted to those who could neither farm nor fish owing to oil deposits.
Obasanjo said Bonny would have been a haven if Shell were to operate in a similar location in the United States or the United Kingdom.
“I think Shell got it wrong �,” he noted. “It ought to apply the America strategy here. If Bonny were to be in America, it would have become a beach and a place for all. Let us treat the people as human beings.
“Oil is capital intensive. I also believe that Shell is capital intensive, technology-intensive and should and could do more to help the region. We should treat the people of the region as fellow human beings.”
He spoke at an account-rendering meeting of the Council on Niger Delta Development, inaugurated to right the wrongs done in the region by the government and oil companies.
Present were all Niger Delta governors, except Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom), who was represented by his deputy; Nigerian National Petrolelum Corporation (NNPC) Managing Director, Funsho Kupolokun; representatives of oil firms and oil communities.
Obasanjo lampooned Attah, yet again, for “thinking we are here to play and wasting our time saying rubbish. What we agreed upon the last time we met was that everyone will come here and say specifically how to create more jobs.
“Now you are here saying something else. I have been here since morning discussing issues. I only got up once, and that was when I went to ease myself. This is supposed to be a serious thing and must not be treated with levity.”
He had criticised Attah at the last edition, where the governor rejected charges of poor performance.
Attah did not attend this edition. His deputy did, and drew Obasanjo’s scorn when he said � during his presentation � “we are going to do this and that,” without stating that a certain number of employment or projects have been created or executed and commissioned.
Then Obasanjo threatened an all-out military operation in the region unless militants recoil from their brigandage.
The salvo was ignited in part by the shutting down on Wednesday of oil installations in Rivers State, and by a member of the audience who said Abuja and oil companies need be truly committed to the cause of the Niger Delta.
Obasanjo reacted: “I have said many times that the problems of the Niger Delta are caused by cumulative neglect of the past, caused by national, state, local governments and by the oil companies. So this must be a joint responsibility, which is why we are here to jointly solve the problems.
“But this will not and cannot be done through intimidation of the Nigerian state or hostage-taking. And nobody should come here to intimidate anyone or ask me foolish questions. I will not condone that.
“You call yourselves militants, militants. You need to stop that. We are ready to dialogue and that is why we call this meeting. But if you continue to take up arms against this country, then you will fail �.
“You will be dealt with if you don�t stop � hostage taking and violence. If you act like � you will be treated as such. Whatever is the problem let us talk about it.”
Responding to a question on the detention of Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), he said no single person, no matter who he claims to be, would hold the nation hostage.
Obasanjo regretted that despite protest from his top aides, he flew Dokubo, Tom Ateke and other militants to Aso Rock where he discussed with them on how to stop violence, only for them to renege on the agreement by taking up arms against government.
“It does not matter who you are and what you claim to be. (During the civil war) some of us fought for the area which you are claiming today. I got wounded there. Five soldiers who were guarding me died on the spot. Where were you?
“If you are going to behave the way you are behaving, the government, under my own leadership, will not be overawed. You alone cannot overawe the decisions of government.
“There is no leader who has done this, but I brought all of you here, Tom Ateke, Asari Dokubo, and the chief of staff said �why am I talking to young murderers?�
“I said I want to hear what they will say, what is their problem, so that we can find a solution. And after two days and two nights, you went out and were carrying arms. For people like that, what more do you want me to do?
“If you are irresponsible, you will be treated as an irresponsible individual. This country belongs to all of us. You cannot intimidate anybody. And if that is the way you want to behave, then let us have it!”.
Those at the meeting included ministers, the management of oil firms, governors and Niger Delta pressure groups.
He promised not to allow the Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) to be embezzled again � in response to a presentation by PTDF Executive Secretary, Adamu Waziri.
Counter allegations of questionable withdrawals from the fund between Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar are being probed by the National Assembly.