Niger Delta And National Conference

As the various stakeholder groups
in Nigeria commence preparations
for the forthcoming National Conference, the people of the Niger Delta should not fail to take advantage of the conference to find solutions to the numerous challenges in the region.
Although leaders of the South-South met in Port Harcourt before the Federal Government released guidelines for the conference, the level of preparation of the people of the region for the conference still appears sketchy.
Even as representation at the National Conference is not based solely on ethnic nationalities as many earlier canvassed, the interest of the Niger Delta needs to be clearly articulated to enable would-be conferees from the region to pursue same with one voice.
Already, the Federal Government has set the stage for the conference and very soon, names of delegates from the various interest groups will emerge. It is also speculated that the 3-month conference may take-off soon. The Niger Delta should do the needful in a painstaking and purposeful manner.
The first hurdle is the selection/election of the persons that will represent the region. While it is already clear to all that this must not be dictated by partisan politics, those to represent the Niger Delta must be capable, experienced and focused. They must be brought out through transparent process.
We expect that such persons would be known to understand the peculiar challenges of the Niger Delta, the socio-economic history of the country and the genuine aspirations of Niger Deltans. They must not be persons that can be intimidated, blackmailed or compromised in anyway. They must drop the toga of minority complex and put across views that would give the region the needed attention.
That is why the first thing that the region should ask for is what has come to be known as true federalism. With this, there will be fiscal federalism, resource development and control, elevated autonomy, self-determination and the production of more revenue sources.
The beauty of this demand is that it would afford all the federating units the opportunity to draw from their natural resources and comparative strength to develop something for themselves. It will open the economy to healthy competition and growth as well as eliminate most of the issues that generate political tension in the country.
With that same demand, some oppressive laws will give way. Clearly, the Land Use Act that vests the land in the President or Governor will go; the Petroleum Act will go and all the laws having to do with sharing of federal allocation, derivation and the like will become history.
For many people in the region, the mere fact that the oil and gas firms may have to answer to the states and the communities is the high point. This is because the firms can be held to operate with utmost safety measures and easily clear pollution when they happen. Also expected is the return of the employment opportunities that had always been hijacked in Lagos and Abuja.
While the adoption of federal principles may appear to serve the lot of the people of the Niger Delta, it serves largely to unlock the potentials of the country. Nigeria must resist the temptation to perpetually skew the country towards stagnation, corruption and avoidable political wrangling. That the country and its peoples are not fulfilled is only self-inflicted.
That is why the Niger Delta must be clear on what it is taking to the conference. The rights of the communities and states on the seas are still issues. Also critical is the proper demarcation of states and delineation of electoral wards. There are more that only the people can bring up.