N’Delta Crisis: Lawmaker Harps On Wisdom

The Minority Leader, House of
Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor, has urged the Federal Government to listen to the grievances of the Niger Delta militants and to apply wisdom in dealing with the issues.
Ogor who made the recommendation in a recent interview with newsmen in Abuja, said once that was done, the President will be able to apply the principles of negotiation to end the unnecessary destruction in the region.
He said: “it is your core responsibility to call on them and say, my children, what are your complaints? Let me give you a fatherly advice.
“I think Mr. President should look at this possibility because he could achieve more by negotiating, discussing and listening and he will be able to approach the issue with great wisdom.
The lawmaker stated that the Niger Delta Avengers are not staying in town, as they are all living in the creeks, stressing that for the government to start arresting innocent men, women, including chiefs of the communities was a wrong step.
“My appeal to Mr. President is, he should first and foremost adopt the negotiating principles and where they fail, he can probably try the stick and carrot approach.
“Let there be some level of carrot and stick approach, be able to speak to these people because they are all human beings and I’m sure that all this unnecessary destruction that is going on will be stopped”.
Ogor urged the Niger Delta Avengers to bear in mind that their destructive activities could lead to further pollution of the area, a development, which he said, could lead to hunger in the land.
“I have always appealed to the people of the Niger Delta especially the Avengers. I tell them that, this land is your land, the more polluted the land is, the more difficult it will become for us to clean because the ecological system of that land will change forever.
“We cannot get fish from our rivers any more, we can’t farm on our land anymore, the water is polluted.
“So we can’t even drink water anymore and these people that are actually benefiting are not living in these areas.