The Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, a militant group in
the Niger Delta, yesterday, joined the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in
declaring its plan to resume fresh hostilities in the Niger Delta,
following the Federal Government’s alleged decision not to dialogue with
the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF.
This came as deputy governor of Delta State and Chairman, Delta State
Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, DSACAOFV, Deacon
Kingsley Otuaro, said dialogue option towards resolving the Niger Delta
crisis was still open, urging militants to abort the plan to recommence
bombing of oil installations.
But NDRC in a statement by its spokesperson, WOI Izon-Ebi, said:
“After a keen observation of our ceasefire, declared on the 17th day of
November, 2016, the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders want to resume
attacks with a warning to the Nigerian government and the oil
multinationals to be ready for the consequences of their oppressive and
devilish politicization of the Niger Delta agitation and failure to
utilize the precious intervention of our distinguished royal fathers and
elders of PANDEF.”
Alleging that the Federal Government had turned the Niger Delta
Development Commission, NDDC, to All Progressives Party, APC,
secretariat, it warned that the Commission “will be the first casualty
of the renewed hostilities in the region because what we have discovered
is so outrageous and shameful.”
The group claimed its findings showed that N80 billion which was
supposed to be used in developing the Niger Delta was used to prosecute
the election of a former South-South governor, while N40 billion was
also withdrawn from the NDDC coffers to prosecute the last re-run
election in Rivers State.
According to the statement: “We want to sound it loud again to the
Federal Government that we are fully in support of the Niger Delta
Avengers’ Operation Wall of Jericho and Hurricane Joshua to knock all
oil operations down in the country because enough-is-enough, our next
line of action is not to warn the federal government again, because we
have the capacity as the gods are with us. We are freedom fighters that
respect our elders, leaders, and royal fathers. But we take our
directives from the gods of the Niger Delta. Any planned humiliation of
our elders, leaders, and royal fathers could give room to the gods to
pour their blessing to all genuine agitators and freedom fighters to
defend their motherland from external aggression that is being
spearheaded by the Fulani caliphate of systematic cleansing and grabbing
of territories.
“We have confidence in the convener/leader of PANDEF, former Federal
Commissioner of Information, Chief Edwin Clark, former military governor
of Old Rivers state, HRM King Alfred Diete Spiff, former governor of
Akwa-Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, both co-chairmen of PANDEF and
other leaders of the group, contrary to the claim of the Presidency that
the group lacked credible leaders. These are well respected leaders
that control respect in the Niger Delta region. So, why is the Federal
Government politicizing and trying to discredit these distinguished
personalities of the Niger Delta for their sincere effort to appease the
agitators and freedom fighters of the Niger Delta to give peace a
chance and halt all hostilities.
“The Federal Government was never sincere, all they were looking for
was just to buy time to enable them prepare, acquire sophisticated arms
to commit genocide against the defenseless people of the Niger Delta. It
has been revealed and every right thinking Nigerian is now aware that
the Buhari -led administration is more clueless then the past
administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.”
On NDDC, it asserted: “The Federal Government has turned NDDC to APC
secretariat, NDDC that was established by the past administration of
Olusegun Obasanjo because of the sacrifice of the Niger Delta youths for
the development of the region and the empowerment of the Niger Deltans,
irrespective of their political affiliation, but it has come to our
notice that instead of the NDDC to be responsible to its primary
responsibility of developing the Niger Delta and empowering its people,
it is now used as a political machinery of the APC to cause disunity
among the Niger Delta youths and its people.”
“NDDC will be the first casualty of the renewed hostilities in the
region because what we have discovered is so outrageous and shameful. We
are sounding it as a warning to the Executive Director of Finance
directly and all board members to retrace their steps because the NDDC
was born out of the blood and sacrifice of Niger Delta youths. They
should be warned because they and their family members could pay dearly
for this sinful and devilish conspiracy against the Niger Delta.”
Meanwhile, Deacon Otuaro, who spoke in Asaba, yesterday, said: “The
dialogue option has not been exhausted, so there is no need for
militants to bomb critical national oil assets as a way of expressing
their grievances.”
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