Niger Delta ex-agitators reject October 1 protest, endorse Tinubu’s reforms

Some ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region have supported President Tinubu’s administration, distancing themselves from the planned protest.

Over 30,000 ex-agitators from the Niger Delta region, in Warri, Delta State, have thrown their weights behind the President Bola Tinubu’s administration, distancing themselves from the protest planned for October 1.

The former agitators, drawn from across the region, including Phases One, Two and Three and from other groups at the end of a three-day stakeholders’ forum organized by the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) held in Warri at the weekend, are certain that the region’s challenges would be addressed by the Tinubu administration.

They also resolved that it is important to give the present administration more time to tackle the nation’s challenges, as their position was anchored on the belief that the present administration has been fair to the region in terms of appointments and promised infrastructural development in the region.

The Administrator of PAP, Dr. Dennis Otuaro, had told the gathering that the federal government had awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the East-West Road to a Chinese construction company, and work would commence soon.

According to Dr. Otuaro, while reiterating the importance of maintaining peace in the region, urged the people to resist calls for protests, as peace and stability of the Niger Delta, with constructive engagements with the government remain the best way to achieve progress and development.

His words: “The East-West Road, a major artery in the Niger Delta, has been awarded to a Chinese company, and anytime soon, they will resume work. The president means well for the Niger Delta, and we must support his efforts to bring development to our region.

“The Niger Delta people will not be part of any protest. The problems of the Niger Delta will be resolved by the President, but it is up to us to ensure our region is not used as a base for protests,” Otuaro said.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that our region is peaceful. It is in our hands to keep the Niger Delta secure and support the federal government’s efforts to improve our communities,” he added.

The leader of the ex-Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) from Bayelsa State, Paul Elvis, popularly known as General Ogubos, called for peace in the Niger Delta region, stressing that war was not the solution to the region’s challenges.

The former militant leader, who urged stakeholders to prioritize peaceful resolutions to grievances, emphasized the importance of dialogue and cooperation in resolving conflicts adding, “Peace cannot be attained in a place of war.

“We must understand that violence will only lead to more destruction and suffering in our communities”. Our people have legitimate concerns for demands, but we must channel these grievances through dialogue, not violence,” he added.

Another prominent Niger Delta leader, Mr. T.K. Ogoruba, while urging the federal government to address the longstanding demands of the region to avoid renewed protests, noted that protests have been a consistent response to neglect since April 1949.

His words: “We must maintain peace in the region, but let us not forget that protests have been ongoing since 1949. The signs are clear, and protests will continue if nothing changes.”