Niger Delta crisis: Western Delta University proffers solutions

THE Federal Government has been called to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate former militants, redistribute oil assets, improve on infrastructure and reclaim lands that are submerged in the region.

This is just as the state governments in the oil rich Niger Delta region have been urged to make good use of the 13 per cent derivation funds in the development of rural areas.

These and more are solutions proffered to stem the lingering Niger Delta crisis at a recently held roundtable discussions at the Institute of Delta Studies, Western Delta University, Oghara, Delta State.

As no end seems to be in sight in the Niger Delta crisis, a roundtable discourse aimed at harmonising several empirical data inputs by erudite scholars and members of the academia aimed at

Facilitator of the roundtable and Director of the Institute, Prof Daniel Omoweh, said “The roundtable is one of the programmes of the institute, which kick started in 2014 and will end in 2020.”

According to him, it is “aimed at applying critical skills, knowledge and alternative methods in resolving oil and other related crisis across the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.”

Lead speaker at the roundtable, Prof Petterson Ogon, while presenting his paper titled, “Democratising Resource Governance and Peace in Niger Delta,” averred that, “government must address the age-long perception of injustice to the Niger Delta region and diversify the economy of the Nigerian state.”

The discussants added that the region must ensure a democratically elected people who will interface between the people and the various tiers of governments.