Group urges Niger Delta stakeholders to tackle militancy

A socio-cultural group, South-South Solidarity Forum, has urged stakeholders in the Niger Delta to unite and find a way to tackle the resurgence of violence in the region.

The National President of the association, Dr Bassey Umoh, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Sunday.

Umoh appealed to the National and State Assembly members and elder statesmen from the region to convene a summit on the issues of the area and chat the way forward.

He said that the crises in the zone would be better resolved by the people of the region, who would then make their position known to the Federal Government for action.

Umoh said that a peaceful summit by stakeholders rather than military action would be a way to lead to the desired peace in the area.

According to him, the Federal Government must look into the immediate and remote causes of the crises and find lasting solution to the problems of neglect, deprivation and degradation.

“We in the South-South are very worried that there has not been a common platform in tackling these issues and we are not organised as a people.

“If the Federal Government wants to talk to the people of the Niger Delta, who will it talk to as the true representatives?

“This thing has gone beyond engaging few prominent persons from the region.

“If you are a governor today, you are a governor because your state is in Nigeria; if you are a senator you are there because there is an entity called Nigeria.

“If there are crises and secession, would you be a governor or senator or representatives of the people?

“We need a summit that will involve all the governors, senators, speakers and elder statesmen across the region.

“We cannot afford to sit back and watch this astronomical rise of violence in the Niger Delta. The representatives have to form a common front to tackle the problems,’’ he said.

Umoh said that the group was ready to champion the crusade of bringing together the people of the region with a view to finding lasting peace.

He appealed to the Niger Delta Avengers, other militant groups and all aggrieved individuals in the region to eschew violence and embrace peace.

He noted that the resurgence of violence in the region had badly affected the economy of the country.