The Nigerian Guild of Editors has expressed worry over the
threat by the Niger Delta Avengers to resume attacks on oil facilities in the
oil-rich Niger Delta region.
The Guild calls on the Avengers to drop the threat and
embrace dialogue in resolving their grievances.
The Guild urges the Federal Government not to resort to the
use of force in resolving the matter, stressing that the use of force has never
solved any problem. As stakeholders in the task of nation-building, the Guild
is worried by the recent show of military force in the quest to neutralise the
threat of the militants. This move has done little to calm the tension, instead
it has aggravated it. We urge caution and restraint.
The Guild urges the government to dialogue with all
stakeholders, including the aggrieved militants to resolve the problems in the
region, insisting that the only path to peace is dialogue. The Guild notes that
renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta will reduce Nigeria’s daily oil output,
which will in turn deny the country the benefits of the current marginal
increase in the price of crude. Anything that's capable of returning Nigeria to
economic recession should be avoided.
We seize this opportunity to appeal to traditional rulers in
the region to use their offices and goodwill to call the Avengers and any other
militant group in the region to order. As royal fathers and leaders of thought,
we urge them to play a leading role in the resolution of any breakdown in
communication between the Federal Government, oil majors and the militants. We
cannot afford another bout of force majeure by oil majors on account of
insecurity in the region.
The Guild also notes the increasing crime rate in the
country, especially kidnappings and communal clashes and calls on security
agencies to rise to the occasion. The Guild urges the Federal Government to
deploy the relevant security agencies to check the pervasiveness of these
crimes.
The widening spread and growing frequency of kidnappings and
allied criminal acts do not only threaten the nation’s socio-political
stability, they also rob Nigeria of income as potential investors are scared of
coming into the country while in some instances, existing investors are being
forced to leave the country. Either way, the nation loses.
On the 2018 budget proposal currently before the National
Assembly, the Guild is concerned about the size of the recurrent as against the
capital expenditures. This trend, which
is inimical to any country's development, has continued for so long. We urge prudence and innovative budgeting in
order to achieve a reversal in the nearest future.
On the state of the media, the Guild is worried that inspite
of the country exiting economic recession, the media industry is mired in
distress. We recommend that stakeholders should come together to seek the way
forward.
Funke Egbemode
Victoria Ibanga
President
General Secretary
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