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2004-10-02 Africa: Subsaharan
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Obasanjo vows to crush militancy in oil-rich-Niger Delta
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ABUJA: Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Friday that his government will not tolerate "undue militancy" in the oil-rich Niger Delta or action that would compromise the majority interest, in a speech marking 44 years of independence from Britain.
"Government is taking appropriate steps to stem the tide of undue militancy and we are confident that reason and the law will prevail," he said in a broadcast on television and radio. "Government will not tolerate in any way or form any act that would mortgage or compromise the interest of the majority." He confirmed that government officials were meeting with the head of the Niger Delta rebels who threatened early this week to go to war if their demands for a bigger slice of Nigeria's oil wealth, greater autonomy for their Ijaw people, and a national debate on Nigeria's problems are not met.
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"We are talking to those I describe as rascally elements from the Niger Delta in an effort to open lines of dialogue and peace, as they feel aggrieved by their state authorities," he said of the group led by Mujahid Dokubo Asari. Asari began talks on Wednesday with officials in Obasanjoâs government ahead of an October 1st deadline set by his group for oil multinationals and foreigners to quit the Niger Delta. A statement issued on Monday by Asari advised oil majors to leave the delta region, which pumps the bulk of Nigeriaâs daily output of 2.3 million barrels, and warned that his Niger Delta Peopleâs Volunteer Force (NDPVF) would declare "all-out war" against the government if the demands were not met.
"The obvious assessment so far is that not much impact has been made on the lives and living standards of most ordinary people of the Niger Delta," Obasanjo said in his speech. He urged regional officials "to endeavour to be seen to be more alive to their responsibilities and the plight of the people they are elected to govern."
Obasanjo also warned delta residents that acts of vandalism only serve to damage Nigeriaâs image and undermine economic growth. "I want to appeal to all Nigerians that rascality and vandalism, which are rapidly becoming the hallmark of the Niger Delta, have implications for the production, distribution and pricing of crude oil, for our global economic rating, for investor confidence in our economy," he said.
Crude oil exports account for 95 percent of Nigeriaâs foreign exchange income and about 65 percent of budgetary revenues. The west African country is Africaâs largest and OPECâs sixth biggest oil exporter.
Unrest on Tuesday forced oil futures prices through the $50 dollar per barrel barrier. Oil prices eased slightly on Friday, with traders heartened by Obasanjoâs tough talk against the rebels and his assurance that a "rapprochement" was taking place with Asariâs group at the Abuja talks.
Obasanjo also urged Nigerians to support his governmentâs economic reforms. "Let me urge you all to be patient with our reform agenda. You must believe that government has your best interest at heart but we must realise that the past situations we inherited will take time to turn around for good," Obasanjo said. "Our government is not intent on making life difficult for Nigerians. Our commitment is to steadily wipe off the pain from the faces of all Nigerians," he added.
Since he was elected in 1999 after years of military rule, Obasanjo has tried to push through reforms ranging from privatisation to stabilisation of the naira exchange rate and fighting corruption.
"However we look at it our reform agenda is working," he said on Friday. Agriculture recorded an "unprecedented" growth rate of seven percent last year and "strategic grain reserves reached 150,000 tonnes for the first time in our history", he said. On a recent fuel price hike, he said there has been "some unease about the full deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry".
The nationâs four refineries produce only one-third of the countryâs fuel needs, making it necessary for oil-rich Nigeria to import refined petroleum products.
The judiciary last week lifted a cap on fuel prices, and retail prices for petrol, diesel and kerosene climbed around 25 percent. That sparked outrage and threats of a national strike. Many Nigerians live on less than one dollar a day.
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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-02 2:59:41 AM||
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