User talk:Ononawarmate

Comrade Omona Richard Warmate is  one of the positive Niger Delta activist who has distinguished himself  with his life-touching campaign for the  down-trodden people of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

A believer of non-violent approach to the resolution of the Nigeria’s most nagging issue-The Niger Delta, Comrade Omona Richard Warmate has a strong conviction that the issue could be resolved if a non-hypocritical approach is given to it. A philanthropist,an author,a messenger of Peace and Hope and a man who believes in dialogue,He has  and is still advocating for a fair treatment of the people of the Niger Delta region.

It is true that there is chaos, violence and the collapse of formal political authority in the Niger Delta. But it is also true that there exists a pool of people of goodwill in the region, who, given moral encouragement and practical support, could emerge as the core of a new social and political movement that will return the Niger Delta to the path of sustainable peace. Here must be counted community leaders who over the years have distinguished themselves in honest and selfless service to the local people, in helping them to solve their social and economic problems, in criticising the policies of the government and the oil companies, and also calming the youths when, visited with yet another act of violence by the government.This is a well-educated, politically-astute, and inspirational group, some of whom have assumed legendary status in their communities with considerable following. One of such person not a group is Comrade Omona Richard Warmate. Comrade Omona Richard Warmate is a credible agents of peace in the Niger Delta, rooted organically in the social fabric of the people. The challenge is to work out a strategy, along with these agents and the representatives of the local people themselves, to begin the work of teasing out what the conditions and ingredients for peace are, and working with the various interest groups in thrashing out a deal that would be acceptable to all, most importantly the local people themselves who ultimately, are the guarantors of whatever agreements would be arrived at.

Comrade Warmate believes the lack of responsiveness on the part of the oil companies and the federal government have eventually precipitated active and sometimes violent confrontation with the state and oil companies, as well as with other communities. As a result, oil production has been hamstringed as disaffected youth or organisations deliberately disrupt oil operations in attempts to effect change. These disruptions have been extremely costly to the Nigerian oil industry, and both the multinationals and the federal government have vested interest in permitting uninterrupted extraction operations; the NDDC is a result of these concerns and is an attempted to satisfied the demands of the delta's restive population.

Nigeria should be paradise. A land of plenty. The finest schools and hospitals, gleaming infrastructure that shames the West, a place where wealth literally oozes out of the marshy undergrowth.

This was the dream, anyhow. To say it has turned into a nightmare doesn't do justice to the horror that the Niger Delta has become; it doesn't even begin to describe just how disastrous the discovery of oil more than 50 years ago has been for the people who live here.A sweaty, heaving melting pot of 30 million people from 40-odd ethnic groups speaking more than 200 different languages, the Niger Delta lies on the southern banks of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

But while they  have been using the oil to drive their cars, fuel their aeroplanes, and keep the wheels of our economy turning, those in the Delta have had their land, their lives, their dreams destroyed.

Oil spills have polluted their rivers and land, making fishing and farming impossible. Flares, burning constantly, have filled their air with soot. Billions of dollars have been pumped out of their land with nothing in return. Even the jobs the oil industry promised have gone elsewhere, to well-paid foreigners and Nigerians from less marginalised parts of the country. For those who live closest to the oil fields, the best they can hope for is casual labour: when there is a spill or a pipeline bursts, locals are employed for pennies to clear it up. Oil has polluted the Delta beyond recognition.

Unfortunately the struggle has gotten out of control and the present phase of the struggle has become militant in nature. Nigeria needs to stay strong and united and the government needs to help solve the Niger Delta Crisis.

Comrade Omona Richard Warmate
Comrade Omona Richard Warmate is  one of the positive Niger Delta activist who has distinguished himself  with his life-touching campaign for the  down-trodden people of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A believer of non-violent approach to the resolution of the Nigeria’s most nagging issue-The Niger Delta, Comrade Omona Richard Warmate has a strong conviction that the issue could be resolved if a non-hypocritical approach is given to it. A philanthropist,an author,a messenger of Peace and Hope and a man who believes in dialogue,He has  and is still advocating for a fair treatment of the people of the Niger Delta region.

It is true that there is chaos, violence and the collapse of formal political authority in the Niger Delta. But it is also true that there exists a pool of people of goodwill in the region, who, given moral encouragement and practical support, could emerge as the core of a new social and political movement that will return the Niger Delta to the path of sustainable peace. Here must be counted community leaders who over the years have distinguished themselves in honest and selfless service to the local people, in helping them to solve their social and economic problems, in criticising the policies of the government and the oil companies, and also calming the youths when, visited with yet another act of violence by the government.This is a well-educated, politically-astute, and inspirational group, some of whom have assumed legendary status in their communities with considerable following. One of such person not a group is Comrade Omona Richard Warmate. Comrade Omona Richard Warmate is a credible agents of peace in the Niger Delta, rooted organically in the social fabric of the people. The challenge is to work out a strategy, along with these agents and the representatives of the local people themselves, to begin the work of teasing out what the conditions and ingredients for peace are, and working with the various interest groups in thrashing out a deal that would be acceptable to all, most importantly the local people themselves who ultimately, are the guarantors of whatever agreements would be arrived at.

Comrade Warmate believes the lack of responsiveness on the part of the oil companies and the federal government have eventually precipitated active and sometimes violent confrontation with the state and oil companies, as well as with other communities. As a result, oil production has been hamstringed as disaffected youth or organisations deliberately disrupt oil operations in attempts to effect change. These disruptions have been extremely costly to the Nigerian oil industry, and both the multinationals and the federal government have vested interest in permitting uninterrupted extraction operations; the NDDC is a result of these concerns and is an attempted to satisfied the demands of the delta's restive population.

Nigeria should be paradise. A land of plenty. The finest schools and hospitals, gleaming infrastructure that shames the West, a place where wealth literally oozes out of the marshy undergrowth.

This was the dream, anyhow. To say it has turned into a nightmare doesn't do justice to the horror that the Niger Delta has become; it doesn't even begin to describe just how disastrous the discovery of oil more than 50 years ago has been for the people who live here.A sweaty, heaving melting pot of 30 million people from 40-odd ethnic groups speaking more than 200 different languages, the Niger Delta lies on the southern banks of Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

But while they  have been using the oil to drive their cars, fuel their aeroplanes, and keep the wheels of our economy turning, those in the Delta have had their land, their lives, their dreams destroyed.

Oil spills have polluted their rivers and land, making fishing and farming impossible. Flares, burning constantly, have filled their air with soot. Billions of dollars have been pumped out of their land with nothing in return. Even the jobs the oil industry promised have gone elsewhere, to well-paid foreigners and Nigerians from less marginalised parts of the country. For those who live closest to the oil fields, the best they can hope for is casual labour: when there is a spill or a pipeline bursts, locals are employed for pennies to clear it up. Oil has polluted the Delta beyond recognition.

Unfortunately the struggle has gotten out of control and the present phase of the struggle has become militant in nature. Nigeria needs to stay strong and united and the government needs to help solve the Niger Delta Crisis.