As the year draws to conclusion, the Niger Delta Advocacy Group which is committed to the actualization of peace and the development of the Niger Delta region has called for support for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led administration.
The National Leader of the group Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe made the call in a press statement reviewing the activities of the government and other endeavors in Nigeria for the year 2024
According to him “ 2024 has been the most challenging year for Nigerians in the fourth republic, and on behalf of the New Era Advocacy Movement, I commend the resilience and steadfastness of Nigerians for weathering the storm in this austerity time of our nation’s history. Together, I’m confident that we shall pursue the new year with greater vigor”
On the state of the economy Ekerefe said, “as Nigerians we shall continue to remain patient and show tolerance to the Tinubu’s administration, the fact still remains that the Nigerian people have not started feeling the positive impact of the economic policies and reforms introduced by his government. The cost of living occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal remains unbearable and the pain excruciating. Sadly, the dollar parity which has depleted the value of the naira drastically remains unresolved. We do hope that in the new year, the naira will be stable and stronger”.
Ekerefe who was a former Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council ( IYC ) Worldwide noted that “the security situation in the country continues to remain worrisome. Though recent progress made by the security agencies and the renewed commitment of the president to fighting insecurity is commendable. But it’s not yet uhuru. Attacks by Islamist groups, counter-insurgency operations, criminal and cult-related violence, separatist movements, and clashes between farmers and herders are still of great concern as they continue to threaten national security, peace and stability of the country”.
On the Tax Reforms Bill before the National Assembly, he added that “the Niger Delta Advocacy Group is following up keenly the debates resulting to the tax reform bills submitted to the National Assembly by the Executive Arm of the federation. While we recognize the concerns of some leaders in some sections of the country over the timing of the bill, we believe that a more robust consultation and detail explanation is needed to alley the fears and concerns of such people. However, a review of the tax laws of the country is long overdue. The era of robbing Peter to pay Paul is over. Taxes should be paid to states where products are consumed and not to states where the headquarters of those companies are situated. Suffix to say that if we are committed to a restructured federal system of government, a robust tax reform law is the gateway to its actualization”.
The Ijaw actvist knocks the 2025 Federal budget as over ambitious, stressing that “the New Era Advocacy Movement as a critical stakeholder in the Nigeria project considers the budget estimate of N49. 7 trillion as too ambitious and wonder if it’s implementation will be realistic.
While we commended the president for prioritizing Defence and Security, Infrastructure, Health and Education, we expected Agriculture, Mines and Mineral Resources and Tourism to be on the priority list. Mr President’s goal for Nigeria to attain self sufficiency in food security should not just be a rhetorical statement, but that which is backed with practical actions going forward.
“As we await the president to sign the appropriation bill into law after its passage by the National Assembly, we call for an upward review of the proposed budget estimate for agriculture, mining and tourism. We believe that for the economy to be diversified, deliberate efforts must be made to invest in the none oil sectors of our national economy”.
On the Christmas Charity Stampedes
“The NDAG-New Era Movement extends commiserations to the families of loved ones who lost their lives during a Christmas charity stampede in some parts of the country which claimed over 67 innocent lives, mostly women and children.”
“We urge those involved in organising distribution of palliatives to take into consideration the security and venue for such exercises to avoid chaos that will lead to stampedes.
“We call on security agencies to investigate the incidents in Oyo, Abuja and Anambra in an apolitical manner and bring those culpable to book as this is a national embarrassment to the country.
On issues about the Niger Delta Region he said that
“The Niger Delta region is relatively the most peaceful region in the entire country. This is possible because of the concerted efforts put in my stakeholder’s to ensure that peace and stability is sustained for development to take place.
“However, it will be a disservice on our part if we don’t appraise and appreciate the efforts of federal government intervention agencies who are doing a great job in the region.
For the NDDC he emphasized that “despite the challenges and pressures that is associated with leading a complex organization like the NDDC, we must say by our unbiased assessment that President Bola Tinubu has gotten it right by appointing a youthful, energetic and astute administrator who understands the dynamics of the region as MD/CEO of the NDDC.
“Dr. Samuel Ogbuku’s leadership has brought a breath of fresh air in the region and NDDC for the first time after years of protracted legitimate leadership crisis is now on the right trajectory.
“Majority of stakeholders are very comfortable and pleased with Dr. Ogbuku’s approach to issues and the development he is attracting to our rural communities, especially the operation light up the Niger delta initiative which is so dear to our people, amongst many other interventions that is visible to the eyes that NDDC under his leadership has embarked on.
“However, this achievements is excluding the institutional reforms that was carried out under his watch that is yielding positive results. Today, NDDC is more organized and stable. It’s reputation and dignity restored and has become more attractive for people to do businesses with.
“We therefore seize this opportunity to pass a vote of confidence on Dr. Samuel Ogbuku’s led NDDC for its outstanding performance and reiterate our commitment and solidarity to his administration’s quest to ensuring that the renewed hope agenda of president Bola Tinubu is felt in all the nooks and crannies of the Niger delta region.
“We equally call on those trying to destabilize the gains of the peace and development recorded in NDDC under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku to have a rethink and join hands with him to build a better region.
While speaking on the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Erefeke insisted “that
the presidential amnesty programme was an initiative well thought by the administration of late president Umaru Musa Yara’dua to give peace a chance in the Niger Delta region for actual development to take place.
“While it’s important to note that successive administrations have grabbled with a lot of issues bedeviling the smooth running of the PAP, Dr Denis Otuaro seems to enjoy tremendous good will from the beneficiaries of the program and stakeholders in the region. Well, we are not surprised as the PAP Administrator is a known face and a prominent figure in the Niger delta pre-Amnesty struggle.
“We commend his commitment and resolve to revitalize the foreign and domestic scholarship program which had not seen the light of day for a period.
“His periodic engagements with stakeholders of the region to consolidate the existing peace in the Niger delta is a testament to his exemplary leadership acumen. We therefore reiterate our resolve to support his administration to succeed.
“We call on those involved in blackmai to delist from it because i would not lead us anywhere”.
He commended the efforts of Tantita Security outfit for increasing the oil production of the country, while calling for collaboration and support to enable the country succeed.
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