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There is simmering tension in the Niger Delta involving the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Pan Niger Delta Peoples Congress (PNDPC) that now threatens to impede the peace course of action and spark fresh violence in the area.


Sharp variations in opinion, and distrust among some prominent leaders of PANDEF has led to a break up of this broad alliance of leaders of believed from the Niger Delta, and this is gradually pushing the peace talk involving the Federal Government and militants to the brink, a improvement that has further deepened the crisis in the area.


The disruption of PANDEF meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State by security operatives in October, and the subsequent threat afterwards by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to resume the total destruction of oil installations, are pointers that the simmering tension and anger in the area could possibly burst soon.


Within PANDEF, a wide range of problems are accountable for the cracks. They range from the fear of Ijaw ethnic domination, to perception that some prominent leaders of the group being sympathetic to the Peoples Democratic Celebration, as effectively as the alleged overbearing influence of elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark.


There are fears too that the All Progressives Congress government from the zone are in a frenzy to take over the soul of PANDEF.


Taken aback by the furious resumption of attacks on vital oil and gas installations by the NDA in early 2016 that lowered oil production to about 800,000 barrels per day, the Presidency set up a committee comprising of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and National Security Adviser (NSA), Main Basic Babagana Monguno, to liaise with leaders across the Niger Delta, below the aegis of PANDEF, to mediate involving citizens and government, in a bid to end hostilities and restore peace.


PANDEF’s intervention and intense negotiation with NDA, stemmed attacks on oil installations, and lead to improve in crude oil production. This feat led to the November 1, 2016 meeting involving President Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja and PANDEF leadership comprising of Clark, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, King Alfred Diete Spiff, former MOSOP president, Ledum Mitee among other individuals, exactly where a 16-point agenda titled, "Solving Niger Delta Difficulties by Dialogue," was presented to the Federal Government.


In response to the 16-point demands, the Federal Government set up an inter-ministerial committee comprising of directors from a variety of federal ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) - the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs Ministry of Petroleum Sources Ministry of Environment Ministry of Power, Operates and Housing NDDC and the Presidential Amnesty Programme, to take a vital appear at the demands and advise how it must be implemented.
Furthermore, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo initiated a series of higher-level political engagements with a number of government and non-government leaders across Niger Delta states.


Following constant complaints of inaction by PANDEF, the inter-ministerial committee in July 2017, made the Strategic Implementation Perform Program (SIWP), which focused on the strategic objectives raised in the Federal Government’s 20-Point Agenda and PANDEF’s 16-Point Agenda.


According to the government, SIWP is a strategic framework for coordination of investments into development and stabilisation interventions in the Niger Delta that is expected to gulp a whooping N2, 065, 140, 035, 959 expenditure on 457 projects.


Although the Federal Government is however to commence the implementation of SIWP with core business focus on the petroleum business creation of about one hundred,000 jobs across each state over the subsequent five years investments in gas and power huge civil infrastructure initiatives environmental remediation and cleanup Niger Delta Improvement Fund state amnesty programmes youth organizations community-based policing among other individuals, cracks are already emerging in PANDEF.


A source in the group told The Guardian that prior to now, efforts had been made to handle perceived differences in the group, but shortly right after the SIWP draft report was released, dissension arose sharply.


According to him, an aspect of the bigger approach to whittle down PANDEF’s influence was efforts produced by some political actors from the Niger Delta, who are serving in the Federal Government.


It was amid the glaring dissension that potent political forces in the region got into the mix and capitalised on the scenario, and the improvement led to the emergence of Pan Niger Delta Peoples Congress (PNDPC), led by former National Chairman of the Classic Rulers of Oil Generating Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON, Charles Ayemi-Botu, and a new militant group, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) also came into becoming.


RNDA, which NDA spokesman, Murdoch Agbinibo, has described as "non-existent," had promptly accused Clark and PANDEF of contributing to the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta, hence, lacking the credibility to negotiate and speak for the individuals of the oil-wealthy region.


RNDA spokesperson, Johnmark Ezonbi, additional mentioned the so-referred to as 16-point agenda that PANDEF submitted to President Buhari was drafted at Clark’s Abuja property, and does not reflect the wishes of the individuals of the area since they never ever went round the a variety of ethnic groups in the region or/and visited the creeks to meet with the individuals ahead of it was drafted.


Similarly, the PNDPC via its national coordinator, Mike Loyibo, had earlier urged the Federal Government not to negotiate with PANDEF mainly because it is just one particular of the quite a few groups in the area.


According to him, any agreement reached with PANDEF can under no circumstances be binding on everybody in the area.


"There is no need for the Federal Government to negotiate with any group, rather, the Presidency should go back to the individuals in their respective communities, just the same way that the Acting President went round to seek their get- in. Immediately after all, it was not PANDEF that secured peace in the region.


They have consulted widely and a road map has currently been fashioned out. The Federal Government really should not allow any group to slow it down, rather immediate action really should be taken to tackle already identified difficulties," he mentioned.


But spokesperson of the NDA, Agbinibo, who castigated PANDEF for ignoring its warning against the antics of the government is insisting that there was no militant group going by the name, "Reformed Niger Delta Avengers" in the Niger Delta.


"The Intelligence Unit of the NDA has gathered from our sources in the Nigerian government that operatives of the mentioned Reformed Niger Delta Avengers are some fraudsters from the Niger Delta region functioning with government functionaries in offices like that of the Director Basic of Division of State Services (DSS), Workplace of the National Security Adviser, and office of the Minister of Transport," he said.


Attempts by PANDEF to hold its basic assembly in Port Harcourt last month, exactly where it would have received and ratified its draft constitution, was aborted by a combined team of the Police and DSS operatives.


The PNDPC on that occasion had justified the action of safety operatives based on warnings by RNDA to attack the meeting.


Some of these that security operatives prevented from meeting integrated Clark, Diete-Spiff, former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), former military administrator of Kwara State, Col Peter A.M. Ogar (rtd), initially military administrator of Abia State, AVM Frank Ajobena representative of Edo State governor, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, and Sara -Igbe, amongst other dignitaries.


Clark, who reacted to the botched meeting had observed that the attempts by agencies of the Federal Government to forcefully cease such a higher-level gathering of leaders of the Niger Delta region was a flagrant denigration of the country’s constitutional guarantees on the suitable of peaceful assembly and free of charge movement.


He explained that the aborted meeting was targeted at fostering peaceful coexistence, inter-ethnic harmony and understanding, as effectively as the use of lawful and non-violent signifies for justice and equity for individuals of the Niger Delta, their progeny.


PANDEF stated it considers the Federal Government’s action as insensitive since at the height of resumed militancy in the Niger Delta in 2016, and its negative effect on the national economy, it was the timely intervention of PANDEF that ensured the return to peace and stability.


"This brought about a surge in production of oil to the present level of 2.35million bpd, and the totally free flow of gas to our energy plants and industries. This, at present price tag brings in over USD115 million (about 36 billion naira) everyday."


Even though crossed by the action of affected government agencies, PANDEF had implored the individuals of the Niger Delta, in distinct, the youths, to remain law abiding and keep calm regardless of the acts of intimidation and provocation.


It was only eight days following the Port Harcourt clampdown on PANDEF, that NDA spokesperson, declared that halt on "Operation Red Economy" was officially over, adding that it has lost faith in former Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Commander, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly identified as Tompolo, and PANDEF, and vowed by no means to heed any such retrogressive calls, or advise from them in the future.


Agbinibo stated that the recent disruption of the PANDEF’s 1st National Assembly, by the Nigerian government was the final evidence NDA required to conclude that the Federal Government reserves not an iota of respect for Tompolo and Niger Delta elders below the aegis of PANDEF.


Agbinibo, who mentioned NDA was tracking and monitoring when Egina FPSO constructed in South Korea, by Samsung, to be operated by Total Nigeria would arrive oil fields of the Niger Delta, vowed that militants would not allow the oil facility to operate.


"Our next line of operation will not be like the 2016 campaign, which we operated successfully without having any casualties this outing will be brutish, brutal and bloody, as we shall crush every little thing we meet on our path to totally put off the fires that burn to flair gas in our communities and cut each and every pipe that moves crude away from our area. We can assure you that each and every oil installation in our region will feel the warmth of the wrath of the Niger Delta Avengers," he stated.


When PANDEF and PNDPC engage in a war of attrition, the 16-point agenda, which integrated the demand for the commencement of activities at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, has been virtually abandoned. Even the peace speak involving the government and the militants brokered by PANDEF is on life support.