Seeks
support of Britain, France, US, China and EU Stakeholders sue for peace, insist
on dialogue
Tompolo has not fled anywhere—Akpodoro
WARRI—THE Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA, yesterday, said that the people of Niger Delta want to assume
ownership of their resources, and urged the international
community to support
the quest.
In the last two weeks, the Avengers had bombed pipelines in both
Delta and Bayelsa states, forcing Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC,
Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC, and others to
shut down operations.
However, a member of the Delta State House of
Assembly, Daniel Yingi, national coordinator
of Centre for Peace and Environmental
Justice, CEPEJ, Sheriff Mulade, and other stakeholders, cautioned the militants
to embrace dialogue with government, while former chairman of Delta Waterways
and Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, Chief Ayiri Emami, said criminality should
be separated from agitation for resource control.
Holding the country to ransom
Meanwhile, National President of National Coalition of Niger Delta
Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A, Israel Akpodoro, yesterday, insisted that no group,
including the Niger Delta Avengers, should hold the country to ransom.
He also faulted the claim by Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force JNDLF, that ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, had fled the country to Libya, saying it was a red herring.
NDA in a statement by its spokesperson,
Brig.-General Mudoch Agbinibo, said: “Since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914
to date, our resources have been used to sustain the political administrative
live wire of Nigeria to the exclusion of the Niger Delta.
“We are calling on
the international community to come and support the restoration of our right to
peaceful self-determination from this tragedy of 1914 that has expired since
2014. We want our resources back to restore the essence of human life in our
region for generations to come because Nigeria has failed to do that. The world
should not wait until we go the Sudan ways.
“Since the day crude oil was
discovered in commercial quantity in
Oloibiri, present day Bayelsa State, what we have been asking successive
governments in Nigeria is potable drinking water, electricity, roads,
employment, quality education/educational facilities, resource control,
participation in the oil business and inclusive government that will engender
substantial freedom.
“The reverse has been the case: from Oloibiri, Brass LNLG
and export terminals in Bayelsa; Bonny LNLG and export terminals in Rivers
State; ExxonMobil in Akwa Ibom; Escravos EGTL/ Tankfarm and export terminals;
Forcados Tankfarm and export terminals in Delta State operated respectively by
Anglo-Dutch Shell, Chevron/Texaco Overseas, Agip ENI, ExxonMobil.
Communal life
and terror of poverty “The history of our communal lives is terror of poverty,
inhumanity and desolate living conditions. However, when you move into these
facilities operated by the multinational oil corporations, they are living like
Kings and Presidents.
“For over five decades, we had given multinational oil
corporations and their collaborator, the Nigerian state peace, cooperation and
love for the crude oil to flow unhindered from our land.
“The continuous
tranquility is only manifesting in the development of mountains, rock, valleys,
deserts and lagoon, but the Niger Delta
territory continually alienated from all types of development and all essence
of quality human life, while all successive governments worship the crude oil
taken from the region. Our communities and the people are only good at securing
the pipelines, oil and gas facilities.
“We are calling on the international
community, especially Britain, France, the United States of America, Russia,
China and European Union to speak up against this ongoing terror and come to
the aid of the Niger Delta, as witnesses to this grave inhumanity and history
of terror perpetuated against the people of the Niger Delta daily.
“This history
of terror, we the Niger Delta Avengers will resist and correct with every means
necessary. We have nothing to lose in the battles ahead; justice, they say is
only found within the structure of a nation state.
Military might “Rather than
provide this justice the Nigerian government has decided to mobilize her
military might to intimidate, torture, maim, victimize and bombard a section of
the nation state and her citizenry to allow the free flow of our oil.
“Some
persons, groups, and commentators may ask what the people of Niger Delta want?
We are not like some of these personalities who run champagne parties or turn
Rivers State Government House into a house patrimony of godsons.
They say the
progress and success of a nation state is the reflection of her constitution
that is not manufactured to favour some section and excludes the yearnings and
aspirations of others; but the indwelling spiritual and historical development
of its people.”
Stakeholders insist on dialogue On its part, Mulade, said: “We
commend the Federal Government for initiating the ceasefire in the creeks of
Delta State after months of military onslaught against rampaging Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA.
“It is a welcome development, but government should not
politicize the dialogue to be led by the National Security Advisers, critical
stakeholders from the core oil producing communities should be included in the
process, otherwise the impact would not trickle down to the grassroots,” the
group said.
Sensible decision— Okorotie Ex-Chief Whip in the Rivers State House
of Assembly and chairman, Bayelsa Development Forum, Chief T.KO Okorotie,
said: “As far as I am concerned, it is a
welcome development because the region has been under siege and it’s been a difficult
situation.
We have all been apprehensive for a long time now because we cannot
afford any war at this time.” Dialogue with Avengers ’ll fail— Emami Chief
Emami, however, said: “Dialogue will not work because the issue of criminality
has not been separated, which is why they are emboldened to act the way they
are acting.
“Criminals must be treated like criminals, I hear the position
of governors of the South-South,
excluding Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State
is that corruption charges be dropped across the region, particularly
those on EFCC wanted list, if that is the case, how will the criminality
stop.?”
Avengers threatm empty— Akpodoro National President of the National
Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, Israel Akpodoro, who the Niger Delta
Avengers had threatened to kill, some days ago, maintained, yesterday, that no
group could hold him to ransom.
Tompolo has not fled anywhere On the report by
the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, that former militant leader,
Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a Tompolo,
has fled the country, the Urhobo-born ex-war lord, said: “Such deliberate falsehood is meant to
mislead the Nigerian people and for the law enforcement agencies to divert
attention from the Gbaramatu -born militant.
“Tompolo is still in the country.
This kind of falsehood was circulated when the former President Olusegun
Obasanjo led government declared him wanted whereas Tompolo was in Agbarho all
through that time while a section of the Nigerian media was used to spread
falsehood on his whereabouts.”
