The Ogomudia SPECIAL SECURITY COMMITTEE on Oil Producing Areas.(setup by the President of Nigeria in 2001 following widespread unrest in the Niger Delta region)
Head of Committe: Lt.General Alexander Ogomudia (then Chief of Army Staff) Secretaries: Mr. M.A.Ofurhue and Mr. C.L.Laseinde, Directors of DPR
Members: - The then chief of naval staff vice admiral S O Afolayan;
- Chief of Air Staff Air Marshall Jonah Wuyep;
- The Inspector General of Police Mr. M.A.K Smith;
- Director General of SSS Col. L.K.K. Are;
- Representative of the National Security Adviser Chief Ben Obi;
- Secretary to the Government of Abia State, Barr. C.S.L Nwosu;
- Secretary to the Government Akwa Ibom Obonganwan Mrs Grace E Ekong;
- Bayelsa State: Senator F Oboro;
- Cross Rivers State: Elder Dr. Walter Eneji;
- Delta State: Engr.J. B. Erhuero;
- Edo State: Mr. Matt Aikhionbare;
- Imo State: Nze Imo Umunna;
- Ondo State: Chief Wunmi Adegbonmire;
- Rivers State: Dr. A.S.P. Sekibo;
- NNPC MD: Mr. Jackson Gauis Obaseki;
- Shell MD: Mr. Ron Van den Berg;
- Chevron-Texaco MD: Mr. J.R.Pryor;
- Exxon-Mobil MD: Mr. Mike Fry;
- Agip MD: Mr. Antonio Vella;
- Totalfina Elf MD: Mr. G. Buresi;
Terms of Reference- identify lapses in the protection of oil installations including causes and sources of facility vandalisation and sabotage and recommend appropriate measures to enhance oil installation security;
- appraise the negative impact of youth and community agitations and recommend measures to reduce youth restiveness, communal agitations, and other incidents of sabotage of pipelines in oil communities;
- identify major interests and beneficiaries behind breaches of normal operations in the oil industry;
- investigate cases of illegal bunkering/vandalisation of pipelines resulting in loss of crude oil and siphoning of refined petroleum products, identify those behind the illegal acts and ensure their prompt arrest and prosecution;
- appraise the role of oil companies and other stakeholders, in terms of community relations and control of criminal acts, in the oil producing areas;
- assess long-term measures ans strategies for protection and safety of Nigeria’s viatal oil resources, on-shore and off-shore, including strategies for improving inter-governmental cooperation and recommend appropriate measures to enhance their effectiveness, and achieve lasting peace and economic development in the area;
- coordinate inter-governmental (federal, State and Local Government) and inter-service operations to restore sanity to the Niger Delta area and reduce the frequency of criminal acts of lawlessness by individuals and groups;
- work out in detail, short, medium and long term security measures to adequately protect oil and gas installations from vandalisation, sabotage, terrorism and all forms of enemy activity; and
- make any other recommendations that may assist in the achievement of sustainable peace and development in the area.
Recommendations(Submitted to the Federal Government, Feb 19, 2002) A) IMMEDIATE OR SHORT TERM MEASURES- Upward review of the minimum 13% derivation to not less than 50%
- Government should enact laws that would make it mandatory for the creation of manufacturing companies to produce local content for oil producing companies
- Communities should be made to diversify into agricultural production unique to their environment
- Civic centres should be created for development of sports and extra curricular activities to engage youths during idle periods
- Mobilisation of youths to form labour vanguard for community developments
- Indigenes of oil producing communities must be trained for employment in the oil companies
- Immediate commencement of trans coastal highway from Ondo State to Cross River State
- Provision of marine/Coastal mass transit transportation system
- Dredging of Eastern Obolo ( Akwa Ibom State), Ayetoro water way and establishment of marine transportation
- Establishment of police stations in oil producing communities.
B) MEDIUM TERM MEASURES- Sand filling of swamps to create new towns.
- Erosion Control
- Control of ocean surge of coastal area
- Provision of infrastructure such as electricity, water, roads etc.
- The National Boundary Commission should embark upon and complete boundary demarcation to avoid conflicts.
C) LONG TERM MEASURES
- Repeal Land Use Act, Petroleum Act, Gas Re-injection Act and other laws which dispossess oil producing areas of their land.
- Industrialization of the area.
Editor's Comment: As at this day June 14, 2008, the recommendations have not been implemented. Instead, the Federal Government of Nigeria is about to organize another talk show on the Niger Delta to be tagged a "Niger Delta Summit." Looks like it is easier to talk away the Niger Delta problems than tackle and solve them. Updated Comment (Sept 6,2008): In response to general public outcry, the federal government has constituted a 40-man committee to review all past reports on the Niger Delta and make recommendations for implementation.
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