DOWNLOAD Niger Delta militants not ready for dialogue –Presidency (zip/mp3)
The Presidency has said that despite the Federal Government’s effort at pursuing dialogue with the Niger Delta stakeholders, militant groups have not reciprocated the government’s gesture towards finding peaceful solution to the crisis in the oil-producing areas of Nigeria.
A statement issued on Wednesday quoted the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, as making the observation in an interview he granted to a Kano-based radio station, Express Radio.
The statement read in part, “Despite the government’s demonstration of goodwill by bringing stakeholders to the roundtable, militant groups have continued to blow up national economic assets.”
Shehu said the continued destruction of oil installa-tions had frustrated peace talks.
Shehu appealed to Niger Delta leaders to facilitate the stoppage of violence and economic sabotage in the area.
“We must keep national interest above all else and give priority to eschewing violence and destruction,” he said.
Shehu also said the Federal Government was facilitating development by speeding up ongoing projects and investing in construction and repair of highways, railways and electricity plants.
According to the presidential spokesman, a number of projects that existed only on paper are being executed.
“Kano-Katsina dual highway was awarded three years ago by the last administration. They didn’t pay a kobo for its start-up. President Buhari just paid money for the first tranche of 75 kilometres and work has begun,” he added.
Shehu underscored the essence of infrastructure in the country’s economic and industrial take-off, describing it as playing the same role that the arteries play in the human body.
“Without infrastructure, the country will not witness growth,” he noted.
…FG rebuffs our moves for peace –Bakassi militants
A leader of the Bakassi Strike Force, Benjamin Ene, on Wednesday indicated that moves by his group to end hostilities in the Bakassi area of the Niger Delta had been snubbed by the Federal Government.
The group restated its readiness to lay down its arms and work with the Federal Government to ensure that the problems faced by the Bakassi people were addressed.
Ene, also known as G1, had on November 8 returned a General Purpose Machine Gun and AK 47 rifles to the officials of the Department of State Services.
He also said that his group had turned down offers by foreign and local organisations to destabilise Nigeria.
In a statement made available to journalists through his counsel, Mr. Ozinko Ozinko, the militant leader, who is currently on the wanted list of Nigerian Army, said the group had over the years been sidelined in the Federal Government Amnesty Programme.
He said, “As a mark of good faith and demonstration of seriousness, on November 8 by 16.30 hours, we returned weapons our fighters seized during our last confrontation.
“We call on the whole world and the United Nations to note this declaration of ceasefire and the return of weapons while we remain vigilant and wait for the response of the Nigerian government.
“For now, we shall maintain our independence and refuse to take up offers we have been receiving to team up with other international groups and local freedom fighters for more effective confrontation and destabilisation of Nigeria.”
Ene said the group, which consists of over 1, 000 foot soldiers, would name its representative when the Federal Government showed seriousness and readiness to end the war in Bakassi.
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- BREAKING: Niger Delta militants frustrating government’s dialogue option – Presidency
The militants under the aegis of Ultimate Warriors of the Niger Delta said their patience was running out since government had refused to discuss with them in a ceasefire that elapsed on Monday. UWND in a statement its Media Director, Sibiri Taiowoh also pledged affiliation with the rampaging Niger Delta Avengers. The group threatened to embarked on full-scale destruction of oil installations in the days ahead. The group in the statement titled, ‘If you make the peaceful change that we seek impossible, we will make violent change possible’, stressed, “We are sounding this as a last warning before the whirlwind gets down. The tsunami that would descend in coming days would be severe for the current government to handle. “We bet you this government wouldn’t be able to handle what would happen in the Niger Delta in the days ahead. When it gets down, they would say the opposition is behind it but we don’t care. All over the world, militia groups emerge for a reason and we have made our reasons clear and vivid.” According to them, instead of the government to open doors of discussion, its senior ministers were busy throwing punches at each other and playing politics with the core issues relating to the region. It added, “Two week of ceasefire had gone without any tangible effort by the government. No roundtable dialogue has kick started, instead, government officials are quarreling over critical issue of national important. “Our patience is running out and we have decided to let the world know our grievances pure and plain again. The operations that would follow these plans are strategic and all operations would be codified as our goals have been codified in a one line mission statement.” “Our mission is simple; give us our rightful due as producer of Nigeria oil wealth. We would not give you the peace you want to continue the exploitation of our people if we don’t see proactive government action on major federal government projects in the Niger Delta like the multibillion dollar Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project and the already approved Federal University of Maritime in Okenrenkoko, Delta state. “For us, this is not about Jonathan, not about Tompolo and any other person they are pointing fingers to as master mind of this well planned attacks. This is about us-the indigent people. This is about our mothers and children you are being ripped off. And some have said why now; it is simple. There is time for everything; this is the time for change and we want the change in the Niger delta now!”, the statement further stated. It however distanced itself from some militant groups demanding the FG unfroze some suspected corrupt politicians’ account or halting the prosecution of any person under investigation saying they were not going to be part of any dialogue process lacking transparency and sincerity. It stated further, “We are of several units in the region and we have commanders, willing soldiers across the region who are waiting for the next line of action to strike. Our mission is to drive government attention to act fast because dialogue-upon- dialogue has failed us. We will ruin the Nigerian oil wealth until Nigeria is restructuring to reflect a true government of the people. “The federal government cannot continue to give us crumbs. We own the oil, we own the wealth, we will no longer accept outsider’s controlling oil blocs that are in our land. We want 60 percent of it for our people because we own the resources that sustain the country. “If the federal government cannot call itself to order by visiting the Niger Delta Master Plan or commence immediate implementation of the portion of the 2014 National Conference which created a new road map for the speedy development of the region, then Buhari should expect violent change for his first four years in office. “We are giving the National Assembly ultimatum to act in this direction towards the Niger Delta region. We cannot have you and still be suffering annexation, deprivation and gross injustice in the hands of the Nigeria state. By the time we are through with total blowing up or shutting down of all oil installations in the core oil producing states of Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers, Ondo, where willing men have been positioned, the members of the legislature who failed to act decisively when we needed them most in this crisis would be our next targets. The institutions will follow”, it added.
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