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 PANDEF backs oil communities’ demand for justice

PANDEF backs oil communities’ demand for justice

PUNCH NEWS

THE Pan Niger Delta Forum said on Thursday that it was backing the demand for justice and equity by oil producing communities and ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region.

PANDEF specifically expressed its support for the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, the Itsekiri and Urhobo groups over their recent position on the neglect and exclusion policies against oil producing communities and the Niger Delta region in general by the Federal Government.

The forum’s remarks contained in a statement titled, ‘End Audacious Injustice, Now, FG can’t continue to treat the Niger Delta Region with cruel levity’, cautioned the Federal Government to realise that the people of the oil rich region would soon run out of patience with the government.

According to the statement signed by PANDEF’s Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, “The current uproar, necessitating the oil and gas-producing communities and ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region to issue ultimatums and warnings, to the Federal Government, is therefore, not unexpected.

“We had warned that the people would, sooner than later, run out of patience with the government. The country should not be surprised to see more oil and gas-producing Communities and ethnic groups embark on similar actions.

“The Buhari administration cannot continue to go on like this, and expect the people to remain quiet forever.

“PANDEF fully backs the demands by the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, the Itsekiri and Urhobo groups as germane and congruent to the increasingly untenable development in the country.”

The forum also said it was depressing to note that in all these, the Federal Government’s attitude had been “a heedless detachment, carrying on with callous eases,” adding that its 16-point agenda had long been forgotten by the government.

It added that the narrative of the Niger Delta region would have been different if the Buhari regime had given the needed attention to the issues concerning the region.

“Unfortunately, the government, instead of reciprocating the conciliatory gesture of the people of the Niger Delta, by attending to the 16-point demand, has continued to demonstrate vexing nonchalance to Niger Delta issues,” the statement read.

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