Politics

Oil Belongs To Nigeria: Storm Rages Over Clark, Obasanjo Row

Published

4 years ago

January 2, 2022

…Kinsmen, Children Should Call ex-President To Order — N’Delta Activists

The controversy generated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s remark that oil in the Niger Delta belongs to Nigeria and not the region seems unending as Niger Delta activists said the ex-President’s children and kinsmen should call him to order.

They also urged Obasanjo to identify the particular treaty that gave ownership of natural resources to the Federal Government.

Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief E.K. Clark, had accused Obasanjo of displaying hatred against the people of Niger Delta during a peace and security meeting convened by the Global Peace Foundation and Vision Africa in Abuja.

The allegations were contained in his recent letter to Obasanjo, titled: “Outburst Against The People of Niger Delta Region.”

However, the former President, in his reply last Tuesday, said it was wrong and unconstitutional for Clark or the people of Niger Delta to lay claim to crude oil or any mineral resources found in their area.

“No territory in Nigeria including the minerals found therein, belongs to the area of location and this remains so until the federation is dissolved,” he said.

But disagreeing with him in separate interviews, activists of Niger Delta extraction queried the intent behind such a remark, saying Obasanjo’s kinsmen and children should call him to order.

According to the spokesman for Niger Delta Rights Advocate, Darlington Nwauju,” the statutes or constitution support the stand of former President Obasanjo. The 1999 Constitution (as amended) gives government exclusive rights over the resources in the Niger Delta region. However, this does not make it right because of the time-tested principle of “he that owns the land, owns everything on that land.

“It is also true that before the military struck in 1967, the revenue sharing formula for groundnut, cocoa, cotton and palm oil was 50 per cent.

“It is wrong for Obasanjo to still believe that we should continue to live with what the military foisted on us.

“Regrettably, bad governance by regional leaders and the elite has rubbished any argument to demand greater resources for the people of the region.

“The bastardization of the region’s foremost interventionist agency, the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is a sad case in point.”

Also, Coordinator, Niger Delta Peace Coalition, Zik Gbemre, said: ”I am highly disappointed in Obasanjo. If he has nothing to say in his struggle to remain relevant, he should remain silent. He is desperate to be heard all the time.

“I have always defended the federal government of Nigeria as a nation, but for a former President who has ruled this country multiple times to make such a reckless statement, it means there is something wrong with black Africans.

“Tribalism has blinded black African leaders from seeing things the way they are. The oil and gas deposits in the Niger Delta belong to Niger Delta people. God put such resources underneath for the people. They own it all.

“An Urhobo man cannot say we own the land in Abeokuta where Obasanjo comes from. If the oil and gas today in the southern minority states were to be in the lands of the tribal majors, the story won’t be the way it is today.

“Because we are minorities in the Niger Delta, everything is forced on us. The constitution Obasanjo referred to was forced on the ethnic minorities by the tribal majors. It wasn’t on mutual consent. Obasanjo must be very ignorant to refer to such a constitution. I am highly disappointed in him.

“Obasanjo is above 80. At his age, what does he want that he has to be economical with the truth?

“Why can’t he for once be truthful? If Obasanjo has personal scores to settle with Chief Clark, he should reconcile with him quietly. He should not play on the collective conscience of the Niger Delta people to settle petty personal quarrels.

“If the oil and gas in the Niger Delta belong to federal government, why are the operating oil companies seeking freedom to operate from host communities? Why is government paying 13 Percent Derivation?

“It is high time Obasanjo’s children and kinsmen called him to order. One thing, Obasanjo said so because we are not practising true federalism in this country.’’

Chairman Board of Trustees of Centre of Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, CHURAC, Mr Cleric Alaowei, argued that provisions of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, which were domesticated in Nigeria, did not vest ownership of natural resources in the Federal Government of Nigeria

“Obasanjo’s reply to Chief E. K. Clark’s letter is unnecessary. The former President relied on the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“For us in the Niger Delta, the military decree did not reflect the will of the people. A constitution is supposed to be the reflection of the people’s will but that is not the case with the 1999 Constitution.

“That is the reason people are agitating for the constitution review. Of course, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo should have known better.

“He should have informed the world that his National Political Reforms Committee, NPC, and the 2014 National Conference approved 18 per cent derivation for oil-producing states.

“If the ownership of the natural resources belongs to the central government as erroneously provided by the military, the constitutional conferences from 2005 to date would not have resolved to increase the derivation in the Constitution to address the yearnings of the Niger Delta people.

“There is a consensus that the natural resources belong to the people whose lands produce them. Obasanjo also relied on international treaties to support his constitutional claim of ownership of natural resources. I stand to be corrected. The provisions of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights which was domesticated in Nigeria did not vest ownership of natural resources in the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“That treaty clearly provided that ownership of natural resources belongs to the people where they are found. Obasanjo should tell us the particular treaty that gives ownership of natural resources to the federal government.”

The Manager, Urhobo Historical Society Headquarters, Mr Ogheneochuko Arodovwe , said: “It was quite impressive that nature conspired to have the two elder statesmen “quarrel” in public. The two elders traced their management of the affairs of Nigeria to when they first met 46 years ago in Gowon’s government, in 1975.

“Nigeria purports to be a federation but in her actions, she is everything but none. The country has continued as a unitary state in line with Aguiyi Ironsi Decree 34 of 1966. This same clause has been disguised and sneaked into Section 44:6 of the 1999 Constitution while the leaders carry about with the toga of a “Federal Republic. I was appalled by the instance cited by Chief Obasanjo in the event of oil being discovered on his Ota Farm in future.

“Roughly 25 countries are operating federal constitutions in the world. They include some of the largest and most complex democracies – India, the US, Brazil, Germany, Mexico, Belgium, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Australia and others. Obasanjo should have mentioned one of them that hijacked the resources of its federating units, siphons them, drops them on the laps of the Commander-in-Chief, and then shares the booties as bonanza to those around the corridors of power as does Nigeria.

“The fact that he could so defiantly use his Ota Farm as an example, shows how ignorant our supposed leaders and elders are.

“The Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw, Ogoni, Kalabari, Efik, Ibibio among others are the owners of the oil. The term Niger Delta is nebulous and imprecise and has been used as an instrument of deception both by outsiders and their accomplices from within to loot the region dry and do much harm to the people.

“The story of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is just one of such instances.”

(VANGUARD)

Politics

PDP Reacts To Fubara’s Defection To APC

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

The Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi FubaraGovernor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a “self-inflicted injury” and a culmination of choices the governor “willingly embraced.”

Fubara on Tuesday defected from the PDP to the ruling APC.

He announced his decision during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Fubara joins several of his colleagues who have also switched to the APC this year.

Recently, 17 members of the House of Assembly, loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike and led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, announced their defection from the PDP to the APC, thereby altering the balance of power in the legislature.

In a statement issued Tuesday night by National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said Fubara’s exit merely affirmed the legal maxim volenti non fit injuria—”to one who is willing, no harm is done.”

According to the PDP, the governor’s political troubles and eventual departure were products of his own decisions.

“Everyone who has followed developments that culminated in this uneventful defection will recall that the Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination,” the statement read.

“Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party or any person or group of failing to protect him.”

The party insisted that at every stage of the crisis that engulfed Rivers politics over the past year, civil society groups, democratic actors and Nigerians across political divides stood in Fubara’s defence until he “capitulated.”

Politics

JUST IN: Fubara Dumps PDP For APC

Published

3 days ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, dumping the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Fubara announced this at a stakeholders meeting at the government house in Port Harcourt.

“We can’t support President (Tinubu) if we don’t fully identify with him, not just backyard support.

“Our decision this evening is that we are moving to the APC,” Fubara said as he announced his defection from the PDP to the APC.

The development comes amid political tension in the oil rich Niger Delta state.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu on Monday
held confidential discussions the with the Governor.

The engagement, held at the State House in Abuja, came against the backdrop of escalating political friction in Rivers State and ongoing uncertainties regarding Fubara’s standing within the PDP.

Politics

Tinubu, Six APC Governors Hold Closed-door Meeting At Aso Villa

Published

4 days ago

December 8, 2025

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday met with six governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a closed-door session at the State House, Abuja.

The purpose of the meeting was not immediately disclosed, and details of its agenda remained unclear at press time.

In attendance were governors Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Monday Okpebholo (Edo), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Usman Ododo (Kogi,) Aliyu Sokoto (Sokoto) and Dr. Nasir Idris (Kebbi), who arrived at the Presidential Villa separately.

The meeting, held in the President’s office, lasted almost two hours.

Although no Presidency official offered insight into the agenda, the consultations come amid rising security concerns across the country and ongoing political engagements within the ruling party.

The governors declined to speak to journalists after the meeting.

President Tinubu has recently intensified his focus on national security by convening a series of high-level meetings involving key security stakeholders, including the service chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as intelligence coordinators and senior officials from various security agencies.

This increased engagement comes in response to a worrying upsurge in banditry, kidnappings, and violent crimes that have spread across multiple regions, causing widespread public concern and escalating pressure on the federal government for urgent and effective intervention.

These strategic meetings, frequently conducted in secrecy to ensure confidentiality and candid discussion, have aimed to undertake a comprehensive review of ongoing security operations nationwide.

Discussions have prioritised enhancing coordination and communication among military, police, and intelligence units to foster a more unified and cohesive response to security challenges.

In addition, the sessions have explored innovative and tactical measures that leverage intelligence gathering, rapid deployment, and community engagement to dismantle criminal networks and restore order.

Throughout these consultations, President Tinubu has underscored that safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians is paramount.

He has called on the security apparatus to move beyond reactive measures and adopt more preventive, intelligence-driven strategies that anticipate threats before they escalate.

The administration’s renewed approach signals a commitment to reinforcing national security architecture and improving the operational effectiveness of all agencies involved in the fight against crime and insurgency across Nigeria.

In other news, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has expressed optimism that the security challenges – terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crime – Nigeria has been facing for almost three decades now will be overcome.

The NSA described those behind the “painful and unnecessary” challenges as “evil” and vowed they would be defeated.
Ribadu made remarks during the opening of a one-day dialogue organised by the National Peace Committee, in partnership with the delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and the U.S., on “a whole-of-Society Approach to the Prevention of Violence and Conflict in Northern Nigeria,” on Thursday in Abuja.

“This (security challenges) also shall pass. We are going through tough times. This will also go.

“But it’s very, very painful, what we are going through. It’s unnecessary.
They are very unfair to us, those who are responsible for this. They are evil.

“But they will be defeated. It’s a matter of time, and peace will be restored. That one we can assure you. Because there are people who are working, not necessarily making noise.

“There are people who are making sacrifices. Every single day, we go to bury our own deaths. Painful as it is. But most people don’t talk. Sacrifice is ongoing,” the NSA said.