Group Sues FG To Fulfil Promises To Youths On Mitigation Of Organized Crime In Niger Delta, Gulf Of Guinea Regions
By Precious Werner Ahiakwo
A non-governmental organization Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), is recently calling on the federal Government make real all its promises to the youths and people of the Niger Delta that can help mitigation organized crime in the region and the Gulf of Guinea.
Executive Director, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (Yeac-Nigeria) FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE made the call during the National Conference On Organized Crime In Nigeria And The Gulf Of Guinea (NACOCINAG) and the Official Launch Of “Network On Organized Crime In Nigeria And The Gulf Of Guinea (NOCINAG) in Port Harcourt.
FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE during his address at the event said the center is worried about the activities of alleged organized crime in various communities and their impacts on the local indigenous peoples and the society at large.
“Thus, we have focused more attention on advocacy and activities aimed at proffering solutions and mitigating organized crimes, its impacts on the people and transiting youths involved especially those engaged in the organized crime of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refining and associated environmental pollution including soot to illegal ventures as alternative livelihood opportunities”.
“We are emboldened to embark on this journey as an organization because from the point of incorporation with CAC in 2017, we knew our mission, vision and critical direction as an interventionist organization to among others mitigate the organized crime of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, artisanal refining and associated environmental pollution including soot. Thus, we approached the Government through Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to give us license “to campaign against Crude Oil Theft, Artisanal Refining and Pollution” and became the first organization in Nigeria to be so authorized to campaign against the organized crime of crude oil theft and artisanal refining with a view of proffering solution to the problems”, he said.
Executive Director, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (Yeac-Nigeria) FYNEFACE DUMNAMENE FYNEFACE explained that the network is aimed at leveraging community resilience in response to organized crime through intelligence gathering and information sharing with security operatives to proactively counter organized crime and violent-extremism in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
He thanked the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) and the Resilience Fund, Austria for sponsoring this event while appreciating their support to YEAC-Nigeria in its efforts to Strengthening Organized Crime Mitigation Mechanisms in our communities, the Niger Delta, Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.
On his part, the Head, Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Professor Fidelis Allen, said “There is a need to expand the policy community that does not depend on state actors alone to drive change. Crime continues to be framed as a policy problem because addressing it effectively has proven challenging for countries. Many countries facing this challenge in the Gulf of Guinea region at the same time are struggling with the problem of violent conflict domestically. They are also struggling with the challenge of corruption and poverty”.
“The transnational nature of many of the crimes committed in these countries also suggests how difficult it could be to successfully address the problem without regional or transnational cooperation between policy communities.In the Niger Delta, analyses have consistently pointed accusing fingers at local and international partners in the large-scale stealing of crude oil. There is collaboration between foreign vessel owners and Nigerians at various levels of official and unofficial authority to steal oil, he said.”
On her part, the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Emem Okon, speaking on the Impact of Organized Crimes on Women regretted that women and the girl-child were the most victims of organized crimes.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari who spoke through his twitter handle on the event, said “I’m pleased with the successes being recorded in tackling piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Nigeria remains committed to spearheading these efforts. Through the Deep Blue Project, launched in June 2021, @NigeriaGov invested $195 million in security boats, vehicles and aircraft”.
“In June 2019, I assented to the Suppression of Piracy & Other Maritime Offences Act, 2019 (SPOMO Act), passed by the National Assembly, which aims to prevent and suppress Piracy, Armed Robbery and other unlawful acts against any ship lawfully operating in the Gulf of Guinea.”