This is as the group lamented the marginalisation of the Niger Delta region
In a statement by Prince Otoks Dan-Princewill, the group said: “Nigerian despots have always tried to deprive the Niger Delta people of their dues regarding petroleum rents.
“Between 1971 and 1992, elements in the Nigerian military introduced the dichotomy between onshore and offshore oil in order to deprive Niger Delta of the larger chunk of profits from petroleum rents.
“Once again, many of the said elements and their proxies were in the Zuma Resort meeting in Abuja hours before the PIB was passed.
“Using the dichotomy, they took the entire 100 per cent of the offshore earning, and slashed the earnings from onshore oil (un)progressively downwards, to 20 percent in 1975, zero percent in 1979, two percent in 1982, one and half percent in 1984 and three percent in 1992.
“In 2021, they are back to the same old oppressive game and have slashed what should be due to the owners of the oil, the oil-bearing communities to three while offering 30 percent to a fruitless search for oil in their frontier basins that has been wastefully going on for over thirty years.
“We must ask, what it will take to get justice for the Niger-delta people? What happened to the oil-bearing communities emanating from the conspiracy of the Northern lobby group hosted at Zuma Rock in Abuja, is emblematic of the type of (in)justice the Niger-Delta has been receiving since oil was first commercially explored in Oloibiri in 1956.
“The Northern lobby group asked for support for frontier oil exploration in the northern basins and troughs and within 24 hours, they got 30 per cent of the oil-rent profits allocated to them, whereas the owners of the oil, the oil-bearing communities sought 20 per cent for about 24 years, were offered five percent instead which, was finally slashed to three percent.
“Where is the justice for the Niger Delta people? What must the Niger Delta people do to get men and women to reason beyond their greed?
“The ambit of tolerance and reason is running out in the Niger-Delta. We urge all men and women who love peace and prosperity to reverse the PIB provocation.”
