COLLAPSE OF CEASEFIRE: MEND issues two-week ultimatum

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PAGE 12—SUNDAY VANGUARD, JULY 10, 2016 I foresee crisis of catastrophic dimension in the N-Delta — Pere Ayemi-Botu, ex-TROMPCON Chairman By Emma Amaize AFORMER National Chairman of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Producing Communities of Nigeria, TROMPCON, and paramount ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom, Delta State, His Majesty, Pere (Dr) Charles Ayemi-Botu, says he foresees “looming crisis of catastrophic dimension and uneasy tension” in the Niger Delta. The monarch, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to nip the looming disaster capable of throwing Nigeria into serious in the bud. Ayemi- Botu, aka Lion of the Niger, said: “Wise counseling suffice that both the Federal Government and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and other militant groups should, as a matter of urgency, embrace peace without further delay and resort to dialogue in order to save Nigeria from avoidable crisis.” Only true and massive development can resolve N-Delta crisis – Pa Uvwoh President Buhari has been urged to jump-start the resolution of the Niger Delta crisis by initiating tangible development of the embattled region. “For the past months the oilproducing Niger Delta has been embroiled in renewed multiple crises with oil/gas installations being the main targets in an avowed attempts by rampaging militants to bring Nigeria to its knees with zero-oil production. This, no doubt, has brought more hardships to a country that is not only reeling in dwindling oil prices but is now hemorrhaging from untoward destructing of oil/gas pipelines and installations from several sides, all at the same time”, a community leader/ political activist, Pa Sandys Omadeli Uvwah, said in an open letter to the President. He made this plea, according to him, in the spirit of finding a mutually acceptable solution to the crisis in the region despite several attempts in the He warned that Nigeria should not turn itself to an object of ridicule in the international community or create an avenue for some countries to sell weapons, adding that before his last medical trip abroad, Buhari ordered a two-week ceasefire and instantly set up a negotiation committee for dialogue with Avengers and other militant groups. The monarch, who held a press conference with the United States of America Consul General, Mr. John Braye, when he visited him in his palace annex in Warri in May 2016, calling on the Federal Government and NDA to embrace dialogue, said he was disturbed at the emerging signals in the region. He said the expectation was that, on his return to the country, the President would put the machinery in motion to kick-start dialogue with the NDA by nominating people, after consultation, with governors of the affected states past. To Sandys, the past was never ready for the resolutions of the problems because there were selfserving interests built in by several stakeholders which he called ‘the dubious and suspicious triangle’ – past Federal Governments/NNPC, the International Oil Companies, IOCs, and greedy, self-centred community leaders who collectively undermine the overall interests of the indigenes of the hosts communities. Amongst others suggestions of ground-breaking initiatives that can quickly and rapidly take the Niger Delta out of the woods, Sandys told Buhari, is to continue works on the multi-billion Dollars Ogidigben, Ugborodo (Escravos) Export Processing Zone, EPZ, which has been commenced by the Federal Government with site clearing. This dream project, which has been classified as one of the largest in both Africa and the world, is proposed to be home to several oil/gas facilities and inaugurate the committee with a deadline to submit their report. “It is highly likely that he will not renege from his avowed promise to implement the peace process in the Niger Delta as he had already started cleaning up the long awaited environmental pollution in Ogoni and hopefully extend it to other affected areas such as Delta, Bayelsa and Akwa-Ibom states”, he said. “But a situation whereby the media is being used to canvas your (Buhari) terms of settlement demonstrates a high degree of unseriousness in such a complex and volatile issue. It seems like a child’s play”. The royal father added: “We had some rays of hope when the Minister of State for Petroleum and former Group Managing Director, GMD, NNPC, Dr. Ibe Kachukwu, went on consultative mission to Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Delta states, and that can drive both domestic and export markets thereby reviving the backward Nigerian economy in very many telling ways. With a proposed capacity to improve the formal and informal business sectors and engage hundreds of thousands of formal and informal labour, the EPZ will not only raise national revenue tremendously in the face of dwindling oil revenues but mop up for good the ‘idle minds’ that voluntarily and involuntarily put fire to issues in the region. Other projects Sandys recommended to Buhari are: The resuscitation of the comatose Delta Steel Company, DSC, Aladja; the revitalization of the dying Warri Port, the commercialization of the standard railway line between Itakpe in Kogi State and Aladja in Delta State, in a North and South passengers/goods movement; the quick delivery of the railway route proceeded to meet other stakeholders in the creeks to interface with them through the President’s directive. “Though, some positive development was in the making, suddenly, he was dropped as GMD NNPC, apparently it’s a mission unaccomplished. “There are rumors in the print, electronic and social media that militants will deploy or launch missiles on targeted cities and the Federal Government, on its part, has supposedly concluded plans to engage Saudi Black Water Mercenaries to fight pipeline vandalism. “I do not know how true the report is but that would cost millions of dollars. Apparently, all these are unnecessary beating of the war drums. It is a proven fact that it is better not to war-war but to jaw-jaw and no problem can be completely resolved through the barrel of the gun but through intensive dialogue”. between Calabar and Lagos; the resolution of the controversy and commitment to the establishment of the Maritime University in Okerenkoko; and the initiation of a holistic orientation programme for the Niger Delta region. On the issue of whether to dialogue between the stakeholders of the Niger Delta, Sandys called for the quality exercise of discretion on the part of the Federal Government that holds the majority stake in the matter. He stated that the absence of dialogue can only lead to ‘violence begetting violence’ and ‘blood calling for blood.’ He, however, did not give the direction the required dialogues should take especially with the benefits of the failed attempts to do this in the past. He requested Buhari to pay a GOODWILL VISIT to the people of the Niger Delta and connect directly with them for their good and that of Nigeria as a whole. MEND issues two-week ultimatum Continued from page 11 avenging for their private pocket and that is why government is not talking with them”. In an electronic mail to Sunday Vanguard, the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders said: “ What has just happened now is to let the entire world, the Nigerian nation and the Niger Delta nation to know that it is no longer business as usual. We want to tell the Niger Delta region that we are proud of the Niger Delta Avengers and urge all Niger Delta to reciprocate the same in their respective towns and villages that oil exploration is going on. “We are sounding it as a warning to the military personnel and sympathizers working with the Nigerian nation residing in the Beniseide region that their safety is no longer guaranteed. We are warning them because our mission is not to take innocent souls, but if they take our warning as an act of weakness, we feel very sorry for their wives and children whom they shall leave behind to mourn them.” “As revolutionary crusaders, we believe in God for true justice and equity, which is why we are giving them the opportunity to evacuate from the area (Beni-e seide flow stations, Ogbotebe, Tunu) immediately because of their wives and children. Our seal team will not spear any act of defiance by the federal troops or expatriates after the expiration of this ultimatum.” “We are conscious and conversant with all escape routes and hideouts, so please be warned, as we are always in your midst. “We stand with the Niger Delta Avengers to say we want a lasting peace in our oil-rich region, or what just happened is just a tip of the iceberg. We are in solidarity with the Niger Delta Avengers whose sole aim is the emancipation of the Ijaws the total control of their God-given black Gold, resource control.” Govt contradicting itself – IYC Spokesperson for IYC, Eric Omare, in a statement, yesterday, said: “The Federal Government, in the past week, has displayed obvious inconsistencies and lack of commitment towards finding a solution to the renewed hostilities in the Niger Delta. “It would be recalled recently President Buhari while meeting with some political and religious leaders pleaded with militants to give peace a chance and in another occasion said that the federal government was in the process of identifying the leaders of the different militant groups with a view to dialogue with them. “Also a few days ago, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abdullahi Muhammadu told Nigerians that the issue of militancy would soon be a thing of the past as government was already discussing with the militants. “However, it shows obvious contradiction and lack of commitment for Vice President Osinbanjo to state on Friday, July 8, 2016 at Akure that the Federal Government is not discussing with the militants because they are economic saboteurs and not freedom fighters. “The IYC is constrained to ask: What is the correct position of the Federal Government on efforts at resolving the current hostilities in the Niger Delta? Is the Federal Government of Nigeria a boat without a captain for different officers of government to take different position on same issue? “These contradictions clearly show that the Federal Government lacks any commitment towards resolving the current hostilities in the Niger Delta. The two-week ceasefire that was earlier declared seems to be a smokescreen to create the impression that government is committed to resolving the issues through dialogue whereas there is no such commitment. “The IYC wishes to state for the umpteenth time that for there to be any meaningful resolution of the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta, President Buhari like his predecessors must provide leadership. Clash of centrifugal, centripetal forces “ The clash of centrifugal and centripetal forces within his government supporting and opposing efforts at resolving the current Niger Delta hostilities are playing out because of his failure to provide leadership. “For any federal government effort at resolving the impasse to achieve the desired result, President Buhari must give a clear direction in order to gain the confidence of the people of the Niger Delta region and for officers of his government to key in.”
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COLLAPSE OF CEASEFIRE: MEND issues two-week ultimatum

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