Host communities in the Niger Delta region have demand inclusive participation in the oil industry as well as ownership of oil assets as one of the conditions in resolving the crisis in the area.
Others include ‘the need to domicile security surveillance and protection of oil gas infrastructure in the host communities.
In a speech presented at a town hall meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), the group said there is the urgent need to ‘’tie supply in the region to gas supplies.’’
According Idongesit Nkanga, a retired Air Commodore and former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, the group is determined to work with government at all levels as well as relevant stakeholders towards ensuring the attainment of sustainable development peace and development in the region.
“It is on record that the 16-point dialogue issues submitted by PANDEF to President Muhammadu Buhari on November 1, 2016 constitute the broad spectrum of demands in the region for which the oil and gas producing communities in Akwa Ibom State are squarely covered,’’ he said.
Nkanga who is a member of the central working committee of the group said there is need also to embark on full implementation of clean up in Ogoni land and other polluted environments across the Niger Delta including host and impacted communities in Akwa Ibom State.
The group thanked the Federal Government for the upgrade of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron to a degree awarding institution of a University status for which a bill is before the National Assembly for a speedy consideration but appealed to it to ‘review the privatisation of the Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALS CON) in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State so as to create employment opportunities for the youths and enhance the economic activities in the region.
The group said the same approach should be applied to the Newsprint Manufacturing Company at Oku Iboku in Itu local government area of the state.
The group which also called for the speedy completion of the existing East-West road and the implementation of the proposed East West coastal road project stretching 704 km along the Atlantic coastline from Odukpani junction in Cross River State passing through Akwa Ibom State and connecting over 1000 communities up to ibju on the Lekki-Epe expressway in Lagos.
It also demand that the multinational oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta to relocate their head and operational offices to the region.
There were also presentations by representatives of the host communities and interest groups.
