RIVERS TRADITIONAL RULERS DECRY MILITANCY IN NIGER DELTA
The Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council has said that it no longer recognizes militancy as a means of struggling for resource control in the region because “such activities are very parochial, uncivilized and only serve the interest of those who engage in them.”
To this end the monarchs want “our youths to rather adopt democratic process, dialogue and public relations approach in agitating for our share of the national wealth”. Such civilized tactics by various groups should be jointly made to achieve the desired results.

A communique after a three-day retreat by the natural leaders in Port Harcourt, condemned “cultism, gangsterism, militancy in any form, hostage taking, kidnapping and illegal oil bunkering as means of struggling for resource control.”

Accordingly, the chiefs said it “observed that these activities enumerated have always impacted negatively on the peoples of the Niger Delta. Therefore, we hereby call on all people of Rivers State involved in such undemocratic acts to stop forth-with and come out from the creeks and other hideouts for rehabilitation”.

In the 29-point communique signed by the chairman of the council, His Eminence Chukumela Nnam Obi 11, Oba (Eze Ogba) of Ogbaland and communique chairman, King Frank Eke, Eze Gbakagbaka, Eze Oha Evo 11, the group said “government should involve the traditional rulers in its efforts regarding the rehabilitation of such repentant youths.

The attention usually given to the youths through the community development committees, CDC, and youths bodies to the detriment of the traditional rulers should stop. Also, the antics of divide and rule being adopted by some organizations should stop forthwith.

A bill should be made in the state Assembly to create oil producing communities which is usually constituted as 60 percent for the state government, 40 percent for the local government councils and out of the 40 percent, 10 percent representation should be for the actual oil producing communities as is the case in some states.

The roles of traditional rulers as those closest to the grassroots people should be entrenched clearly in the constitution so that they would have the legal mandate to govern the people.

Further to these, they said, the “Niger Delta Development Commission should collaborate with the Rivers State Council of traditional rulers to appraise the Niger Delta Master Plan as it affects Rivers State”