Experts Fault APC’s Meeting With Osinbajo

Environmental experts have condemned the parallel stakeholders meeting organized by the leaders of All Progressives Congress (APC) during the visit of Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to Rivers State last week.
Senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology University of Port Harcourt, Dr. Sofiri Reterside said the Acting President should not have agreed to attend the meeting as it presents the State as having dissenting voices. He spoke during a media interactive programme organized by Silverbird in Port Harcourt.
With elections over, the Sociologist said it was high time opposition politicians understood that politics was over and put their personal interests behind.
He said, “I agree with OCJ Okocha that the elections were over and the need for a unified voice. This state is more important than any individual or group and any political party”.
Dr. Peterside who is a fellow of the School of Advanced Social Science sued for peace and reconciliation of all bodies “we must not see politics as warfare”. He warned that if the dissenting voices continue then it would be difficult to get anything from the Federal government.
In his submission, Environmental Rights activities, Olisaemeka Ogbomakara called for inclusion but regretted that due to political bickering the state has lost so much from the Federal Government.
Olisaemeka said that when decisions on oil and gas are taken the state is denied participation because the people don’t participate.
He picked holes with the Federal Government negotiation team led by the Acting President saying it lacked a cohesive agenda and failed to address the issues of Niger Delta.
Meanwhile, one of the representatives of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Nans Sara-Igbe has faulted the Federal Government for reducing the budget of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Niger Delta Ministry.
Chief Sara-Igbe advocated for a unified voice among the Niger Delta States and stressed the need for a joint negotiation team with the federal government.