U.S., Norway sue for peace
By Francis Obinor (Lagos) and Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City)
THE United States (U.S.) government yesterday advised the President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua administration to exercise restraint in the ongoing military action in the Niger Delta.
Instead of the military option, Washington has advocated a peaceful resolution of the range of contentious issues to address the development of the oil-rich region.
Through its Ambassador to Nigeria, Robin Renee Sanders, the U.S. government said since "the hallmark of democracy is protecting the lives of civilians," the exercise should not violate this core tenet of ensuring the well-being of the people.
Sanders, who spoke in Lagos yesterday at the end of a workshop on capacity-building for civil society groups on electoral reforms, insisted that the most feasible way to end the crisis was genuine dialogue among all the parties in the conflict.
She said: "We call for the peaceful settlement of the range of issues to address the development challenges in the Niger Delta region. We recognise that the actions of all parties involved in this conflict are affecting the lives of innocent civilians and contributing to civilian casualties."
The envoy and visiting civil society expert, Dr. Julie Sullivan, also spoke on the role of civil society in a democracy. The duo highlighted the importance of a peaceful environment for democracies to flourish.
Sullivan, daughter of the late activist, Rev. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, highlighted her civil group's conflict mediation and abatement programmes in the Delta region through peace clubs and other conflict management approaches.
Also, the Norwegian government has expressed support for the Federal Government's development efforts in the Niger Delta.
The country's Ambassador to Nigeria, Nedrebo Tore, said in Benin, Edo State yesterday, that the nation's oil revenue could help her attain sustainable economic development if its leaders were accountable and prudent in the management of resources.
Tore spoke at a workshop on "Oil revenue management in the region," organised by the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in collaboration with the Norwegian government.
He said Nigeria could meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through the present administration's Vision 20-2020 if the oil revenue was well managed, adding that income from the sector was substantial to enhance national development.
He said his country had invested much in infrastructure, stressing that Nigeria needs good leadership to actualise its potential.
Earlier in his address, ANEEJ Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor, said the workshop was designed to strengthen oil revenue management in the region through various projects spanning six years with the latest support by the Norwegian government.
Edo State Deputy Governor, Dr. Pius Odubu, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Epken Akenzua, commended the efforts by ANEEJ and the Norwegian government in finding solution to crisis in the region.
He attributed the present crisis to years of neglect and lack of development in the oil communities but expressed the hope that the project would refocus development in the area.
Similarly, the Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Tony Nwaka, said the state had passed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, stressing that success in the management of revenue should be anchored on moral regard for a collective approach to public funds.
A U.S.-based rights group, Amnesty International, yesterday said it had received reports suggesting hundreds of people, mainly civilians, might have been killed in the week-old military offensive in the Niger Delta.
Amnesty said the highest death toll was believed to have come when the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) used helicopter gunships to attack communities around a major militant camp close to Warri last Friday.
"According to reports received by Amnesty International, hundreds of bystanders, including women and children, are believed to have been killed and injured by the JTF (military) and by the armed groups while shooting at the JTF," it said in a statement.
The military has repeatedly denied using excessive force, claiming that no innocent civilians had been killed or displaced.
"We are applying minimum force," military spokesman Col. Rabe Abubakar said on Wednesday.
Amnesty said thousands of people had been forced to flee their communities, echoing reports from Nigerian rights groups.
"Many houses have been set on fire and destroyed by the military. People are still in hiding in the forest, with no access to medical care and food," the group said.
The group estimated that 20,000 people in the area were trapped by the military offensive, unable to use their usual mode of transport - travel by boat through the creeks - for fear of being targeted by the military or militants.
