Some former militants and local chieftains in the oil rich Niger-Delta region of Nigeria have warned that there could be a resurgence of attacks on oil facilities if the Federal Government continued to delay in meeting the key demands of the oil producing communities.

They claim that since the town hall meetings with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, little or nothing had been done about the issues raised and that the Federal Government was yet to appoint a full-time negotiating team.

Godspower Gbenekama, a Chief of the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State told journalists that the people of the Niger Delta have what it takes to hold the Nigerian government to ransom if it ignores the agenda of political and fiscal restructuring in Nigeria.

“The People of Niger Delta can hold this government or any government to ransom because we are the people feeding the nation. This peace is a grave yard peace. Nobody can assure anybody that nothing will happen in the Delta,” Chief Gbenekama said.

“We don’t have a very big agenda. The general agenda of the Niger Delta people is the political and fiscal restructuring of this nation,” he added.

In a similar development, Richard Akinaka, a representative of the youth  who had a meeting with Acting President Osinbajo in Rivers State, warned that the region might be forced to start blowing things up since according to him, the government only appears to respond to violent actions, as peaceful activism and protests have achieved little or nothing in the past.

“The government is threading on a path that is disastrous…setting a precedent that they will only negotiate with the Delta when they start blowing stuff up,” said Akinaka who had described the peace meeting with Osinbajo as “bogus.”

As if to underscore the concern being raised by these leaders, new militant groups such as the New Delta Avengers and Niger Delta Marine Force are springing up in the creeks of the Niger Delta. To many observers, the drums which herald violence are beginning to beat once more.

 

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