Posted by From JAMES OJO, Abuja on
The peaceful struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta region has been taken over by hoodlums and criminals, laments House of Representatives member from Ikwere/Andoni Federal Constituency of River State, Hon Andrew Uchendu.
The peaceful struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta region has been taken over by hoodlums and criminals, laments House of Representatives member from Ikwere/Andoni Federal Constituency of River State, Hon Andrew Uchendu.
Uchendu in an interview said it was worrisome that the people of the Niger Delta region noted always for their peaceful nature are now being identified with the criminal activities going on in the area.
'What you see now in the Niger Delta, like hostage taking, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities are not part of the Niger Delta struggle. There was no hostage taking in the days of Adaka Boro, not even in 1967, neither in 1970 nor in the 1980s,' he said.
Hon Uchendu regretted that criminals have capitalized on the struggle to perpetuate all kinds of activities, adding that it was not militants that were engaging in kidnapping of children in the Niger Delta area but criminals.
Speaking further, he said that people that are indulging in criminal activities are not only indigenes of the areas, but people from other tribes residing in the area.
'There have been Ibos among those caught in the act. There have been Yorubas as well as the Akwa Ibom people. So, it is not only Ijaws that are involved, after all, some of them have confessed,'' he said.
Hon Uchendu noted that it was unfortunate that criminals all over the country have shifted base to the Niger Delta, saying that they have even extended to Abia, Anambra and Enugu state, which according to him, was a clear confirmation that kidnapping was not part of the agenda of those who are genuinely struggling for the survival of the Niger Delta people.
He described the Ad-hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives on the crisis in the area as a timely and concrete action to find lasting solutions to the problems of the area.
'It is true that I moved the motion on the Niger Delta crisis but on the floor of the House, it went beyond what I thought. My plans was to asked the parliament to support the President on his programmes for the Niger Delta people but the parliament chose to do it through parliamentary procedure and I hope that will yield fruitful results,''he added.