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Author: Comrade Sunny Ofehe
Posted to the web: 5/8/2006 7:49:03 AM

COMMUNIQUE OF THE INAUGURAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “CURBING YOUTH RESTIVENESS IN THE NIGER DELTA” HELD ON THE 29TH APRIL 2006 IN ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS.Hope for Niger Delta Campaign, HNDC : A Netherland based non-governmental and non-profit civil organization with primary commitment to the restoration of hope to the people of the Niger Delta of Nigeria through a systematic sequence of mass enlightment and sensitization campaigns aimed at better understanding of indigenes rights and privileges. The HNDC probes and queries and attempts to take a critical and unbiased view of the problems facing all stakeholders in the Niger Delta region, with a view to presenting fair and balanced criticism and commendation as often as the need may arise and proffering tangible and credible solution to same and by so doing forestalling the ever present threat of violence in the region. As part of HNDC humanitarian and charitable work, it carries out community development program by preserving the environment, enhancing education and creating HIV/AIDS awareness.The HNDC has as its secondary objective, the rigorous pursuit of equal opportunity, freedom of expression and association, and good governance for all spectrums of Nigerians. It aims to interpret government policies and trends and assess their immediate and remote impact on the lives of the Niger Deltans and Nigerians as a whole.The HNDC was founded 28th August 2005 and has as its president Comrade Sunny Ofehe a Nigerian born social critic and civil rights campaigner. HNDC has it’s headquarter in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.HNDC inaugural conference tagged “Curbing Youth Restiveness in the Niger Delta” was held on the 29th April 2006 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The conference which included a late panel discussion was held with more than two hundred (200) participants drawn from a wider spectrum of the international community: civil society, human rights organization, government, youth leaders, media representatives, women and religious leaders across Europe and from Nigeria.Sitting on the panel table which included the speakers and discussants were Mr. Lionel Martijn, Social & Economic Department, local government council Rotterdam. Mr. Ledum Mitee, the President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP). Madam Alice Ukoko, Chief Executive Officer Women of Africa, United Kingdom. Rev Daniel Eze, Founder The ChapelsGates The Netherlands. Mr. Felix Tuodolo, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC). Mr. Elvis Irruh, Publisher The Voice Magazine, The Netherlands. Mrs Marleen Van Ruijven, Amnesty International, Amsterdam. Mr. L.T Badeafuye, Nigerian Embassy, The Hague. The Host Comrade Sunny Ofehe, President/Founder Hope for Niger Delta Campaign, The Netherlands.Several presentations were made by speakers who have been experts and are grounded in the problems that have plagued the Niger Delta region. Papers were presented on issues relating to security, sustainable peace, community development, youths empowerment, human rights, government commitment and international co-operation between the Rotterdam council and the Niger delta region.The conference and its dialogue agreed on the following points: Participants confirmed the gains of the conference in providing the people of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Nigerians in Diaspora and foreign nationals to express their views. It also expressed its gratitude to the conveners and that the theme “Curbing Youth Restiveness in the Niger Delta” which was timely owing to the series of kidnapping and bombing of Oil facilities by militia. The major aim of the conference was to highlight the causes, effects and possible solutions to this youth restiveness in the Niger Delta region. Participants confirmed that the conference did achieve the desired result. Viable solutions were proffered and participants agreed to take the solution to their various departments.Participant requested more of such conference and further requested the conveners to extend it to all other European countries. Participants requested the international community to mount pressure on the Federal Government of Nigeria to respect the social-cultural, economic and environmental rights of the people of Nigeria’s Niger Delta and that the international community should assist the people of the region to control their resources for their benefit and that of Nigeria and the world at large. Participants affirmed that sustainable development can only be achieved in a just, fair and peaceful environment where the present generation of mankind is able to meet their genuine needs without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs as well in the course of economic development efforts and the protection of the global environment.Participants affirmed that the peaceful co-existence between the oil/gas companies and communities is an ideal relationship that must be pursued vigorously through community participation in the relevant decision making processes aimed at adequate environmental protection and sustainable development and further urged the multi-national corporations domiciled in Nigeria’s Niger Delta to extend to the people of the area, social infrastructures enjoyed exclusively by the multinational corporations such as power and other utilities and also assist in mechanizing agriculture for food sufficiency and independence on the oil/gas sector as the means of foreign earnings.Participants urged the mult-national corporations domiciled in Nigeria's Niger Delta to provide employment and economic empowerment to the people of the region especially for the youths and women at the rural areas to douse not only the prevalent restiveness but rural-urban drift.Participants urged the governments to set up enquiries into the issues of tension and contradiction such as marginalization, domination, inequity, inequality, fairness and justice amongst the ethnic groups of Nigeria's Niger Delta, government, oil/gas exploration companies and host communities and within the various host communities and further requested the Federal Governments and the multi-national corporations, states and local government councils to be transparent and accountable to the generality of the peoples in executing projects in the area. Participants urged Nigeria's Niger Delta youths to imbibe peaceful qualities such as tolerance, patience, forgiveness and self control in all their endeavours and further condemned the use of violence by the people of the region especially the youths in agitating for their perceived rights. Participants urged the elites of the region to desist from subverting and/or diverting social and economic amenities of the area and assist the governments and people of the area in alleviating the plights of the region and its peoples and further urged the governments to institute development programmes to cater for the grassroots people.Participants also urged the Netherlands government to help alleviate the plight of the people of Niger Delta who have found themselves in Diaspora as a result of the displacement necessitated by oil exploitation in their region. Recommendations were made on how to integrate the Niger Deltans in Diaspora and make them productive in the socio-economic structure of their various European host countries.Participants commended the government in its anti-corruption crusade but insisted that it should not be selective in the campaign. The instrument should not be a witch-hunting exercise to punish those perceived to be against the policy of the government. The government was further urged to broaden their anti-corruption crusade to fish out those in the Niger Delta who have stalled development in the region.Participants also urged the government to ignore its systematic scheme of amending the constitution to allow a third term for the president and state governors. They urged the government to stop with immediate effect any further hearings in the upper house in regards to constitution amendment. Any tenure elongation will amount to the betrayal of the trust Nigerians once placed on democracy in 1999. They further urged the president to know that those behind this unpopular demand does not mean well for him and democracy but rather out to consolidate their corruption enlargement and political popularity. The president was further advised to bow out honourably at the end of his tenure in 2007 and be regarded as a statesman.Participants commended the effort and wisdom of the President/Founder Comrade Sunny Ofehe for the initiative that led to the founding of Hope for Niger Delta Campaign, HNDC. The also applauded the timing of the conference and also the lesson learnt by all participants. Also worth mention was the effort of the PRO of HNDC Mr. Diamond Ugbeya who did an extra ordinary job in structuring the conference organization. Participant further urged HNDC to carry out more awareness campaign throughout Europe.There was the launch of the Campaign for the Survival of Niger Delta (CamSuND) by Madam Alice Ukoko. CamSuND is an umbrella organization that will bring together all organization that is directly or indirectly involved in the struggle to emancipate the people of Niger Delta from economic, environmental and social deprivation. Welcoming the launch, the President/Founder Comrade Sunny Ofehe urged participant to be involved with the campaign, so that the aims and objectives can be achieved.An appeal was made by HNDC to individuals and corporate organizations to support the work of HNDC by funding and donating to their projects. An appeal was also made for anyone interested to join the organization and contribute their own quota in advancing the cause for which HNDC stands for. The occasion was also used to thank Miss Evelien Weller of Pax Christi who represented Mr. Egbert Wesselink for their support. All participants were praised for attending and contributing immensely to making the conference a huge success. The conference ended with a message of thanks to all participants. HOPE FOR NIGER DELTA CAMPAIGN, HNDC. P.O.BOX. 55013 3008 EA ROTTERDAM THE NETHERLANDS.