East-West Road: Ogoni gives FG 14 days ultimatum

The Ogoni Peoples Assembly (OPA) in Rivers State has issued two weeks ultimatum to the  Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to commence work on the deporable Eleme-Onne section of the East-West road, as failure to do so, will lead to a non-violent mass civil action.

Ogoni people gave took the decision when they addressed journalists at Ken Saro-Wiwa Hall of Fame, Legacy Center D/Line Port Harcourt, yesterday.The group led by Probel Williams, and Demua Ledee, Mike Lude, Paul Obea, Celestine Akpobari as members, expressed disappointment with the minister for the state of the road.

Williams declared: “Enough of the deceit; enough of the suffering, we are suffering and sleeping on the road on daily basis. The refusal of the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs to do anything about this particular Eleme-Onne section of the East-West road has caused the Ogoni people and other Nigerians travelling through that axis, untold hardship and total crippling of their businesses as a journey of just 45 minutes now takes as much as 24 hours.

“The Aleto bridge is fast becoming a death trap as trailers and tankers fall inside the river daily”.

Also, the body demanded commencement of work within the two weeks ultimatum. Williams said: “The Ogoni Peoples Assembly demands that the Honourable Minister for Niger Delta Affairs returns the deporable Eleme-Onne section of the East-West road back to the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund or look for money to commence this work within 14 days from the 7th July.

Failure to do this, we would be compelled irresistibly to embark on a non-violent mass civil action without further reminder or extension of time”.On the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), the group described the 36 percent as insulting and embarrassing.

Williams continued: “After 20 long years of playing politics with it at the National Assembly, we consider it an insult to allocate a paltry 3 percent to host communities and 30 percent of NNPC profit for oil exploration and exploitation in frontier basins.

“The three percent becomes more embarrassing when we remember the total loss of livelihoods of our people in the Niger Delta, while individuals and communities in Zamfara are going home with100 percent of every gold mined on their land.“More annoying is the gas flaring and its negative consequences on the health of our people and the Niger Delta environment”.

The group urged President Muhammadu Buhari to refuse the assentment of the bill until issues concerning host communities and ending gas flaring are properly addressed.“We want to see an achievable roadmap to end gas flaring in Nigeria by 2030. We also want Mr. President to reject the allocation of 30 percent NNPC profit to explore for oil in the frontier basins, especially as the world is already moving away from fossil fuel”.