Let States Control Their Resources And Contribute To The Federal Government: MSDND.

 

 

 

A Group, Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) on Monday said that it allignes with the position of the Ex-warlords that various states of the federation should control, manage their natural resources and contribute to the federal account.

The group also agreed with the positions of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo and some eminent ex-Niger Delta warlords on the need for Federal Government to arrest the current economic hardship in the country lamenting over the percentages of crude oil stolen from the Niger Delta region.

Obasanjo had during a book launch in Abuja stated that the poor state of Nigeria’s economy to the nation’s intentional poor record keeping of the production capacity of crude oil had contributed to the poor economy adding that 80 percent of crude oil produced are stolen thereby depriving the nation from attaining its OPEC quota.

In a statement by MSDND, through its Publicity Secretary, Kelvin Orughoe, it pointed out that the position of former president Olusegun Obasanjo was a clear statement made based on intelligence and in-depth knowledge of the failed battles against crude oil theft in the country stating that “It is time for President Bola Tinubu to take the cue and take the bull by the horn.

The group called on the Federal Government to immediately embark on a process to increase the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation in all its exports, stating that Nigerians are starving and dying.”

MSDND however agreed that politicians are responsible for the rising cases of economic sabotage adding the nation had no reason to be suffering in the midst of the abundant natural resources in the country.

 

The statement stated " We agree with the position of the Ex-warlords that it is time for the various states of the federation to begin to control and manage their natural resources and contribute to the federal account.”

“The people stealing our crude oil are not along the creeks and waterways of the Niger Delta region. The crude oil theft is being coordinated and carried out by cartels collaborating with both state and non-state actors. Our investigations have revealed that Senior officials at the NNPCL know exactly what is going on and they have lots of questions to answer.”

 

“If President Tinubu is serious about combating crude oil theft, he should immediately request to meet with these ex-Militant leaders because they have the master-plan in their possession on how to resolve the menace of crude oil theft across the Niger Delta region within thirty (30) days at zero cost to the federal government.

 

“President Bola Tinubu had said that his administration is making efforts to raise at least $10 billion USD to increase FX liquidity to stabilise the naira. This was the same story that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) used to justify its involvement in the controversial $3.3 billion crude oil pre-payment loan it signed with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in August 2023 which did not work as planned, because we are all witness to the fact that the forex exchange rates has worsen.”

 

“There is no need for Nigeria to keep borrowing in order to weaken our economy. The Niger Delta ex-militant leaders have a master-plan on how Nigeria can increase our crude oil, gas production and export within thirty (30) days which will increase our annual revenue by over $10 billion USD at no cost to the federal government.”

 

“We all know that these cartels that are stealing our nation’s crude oil are no match for these ex-militant leaders that together control over 200,000 angry ex-militants across the region. They are ready and capable to tackle and eradicate this menace.”

 

 

“It is very clear that there is no way we can survive without an increase in our production so that our exports will outshoot our imports.