A Niger Delta militant group, Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders,
NDRC, has threatened to resume hostilities in 14 days if the Federal
Government disregarded its five-point demand, including inauguration of a
panel to negotiate with the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF.
NDRC
in a statement made available to the media by its spokesperson, WOI
Izon-Ebi said: “After 14 days, if these very important concerns are not
addressed, we shall have no choice but to call off our ceasefire and
start hostilities because we only respected the plea of our eminent
royal fathers, chiefs and leaders of the Niger Delta region to give room
for sincere dialogue in finding a lasting solution to the Niger Delta
question.
“The federal government should as a matter of urgency
constitute a federal government delegation to liaise with PANDEF to
start implementing all demands.
“Oloibiri should be a priority of
development like the Federal Capital Territory because that is the first
place oil was discovered in commercial quantity in 1959, but after
sucking the oil dry, the community called Oloibiri is in shambles. No
Niger Delta youth of this 21st century that happens to visit Oloibiri
would accept the current reality of things in the Niger Delta.
“The
Vice President that is saddled with the affairs of the Niger Delta
should immediately call SPDC to order as it would annoy you to note how
SPDC is enslaving Odoh family (the host family to Opomu West drilling
location, since 1971 to date, a dime has not been given to the owners of
the land for the destruction of their ancestral fishing lake).
“This
issue should be addressed immediately as Akologben, Brass creek
manifold and Benisede/Akonu/Tunu gas pipeline would be our first
casualty.
“The good and peace-loving people of Gbaramatu kingdom
have suffered too much and are currently under siege, and we, the NDRC
and the 21st century agitators will not accept this type of inhuman
treatment meted out on the people of Gbaramatu kingdom.
“It
will not be accepted any more where they are now subjected to raising
their hands before getting to their community. How can the federal
government justify the presence of four military house boats surrounding
Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom? Army
houseboats, Navy houseboats, Air force houseboats and Joint Task Force
houseboats. The federal government should immediately withdraw all
military personnel and houseboats from Gbaramatu kingdom.
“The
lack of funds to properly address and implement the Presidential Amnesty
Programme, PAP, which has seen amnesty beneficiaries sent back from
their various institutions of study overseas would not be accepted any
longer.”
The agitators noted that they had tremendous respect for
the “Chairman of the Federal Government’s delegation, who happens to be a
pastor, professor of law and Vice President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi
Osinbajo. His truthfulness to have accepted the true reality of the
plight of the Niger Deltans makes us to respect our ceasefire, but we
have come to realize that the Federal Government is not sincere.
“The
UNEP report implementation was just a ploy to persuade the people of
Ogoni and fool the international community that the Federal Government
is fully committed to solving the Niger Delta question, their main aim
is to suck the oil dry as was done in Oloibiri.
“The Niger Delta
Revolutionary Crusaders and these 21st century agitators will make sure
that all oil wells are shut down as was done in Ogoni land.
“We
urge the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who is now saddled with
the affairs of the Niger Delta to use his integrity as a true leader to
save this situation because the Niger Delta youths of this 21st century
would no longer be fooled anymore.
No comments:
Post a Comment