N'Delta Avengers disowns peace talks with FG

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) on Friday disowns any peace talks with the Federal Govern­ment. They insisted that they were not aware of any peace talks, adding that if actually any such existed, the government was dealing with mercenaries. The statement is coming even as the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC described claims of any peace talks by the Federal Govern­ment as a hoax.

President Muhammadu Bu­hari had on Thursday said his administration was talking with Niger Delta militants through oil companies and law enforce­ment agencies to find a lasting solution to insecurity in the troubled region.

But a statement released on the website of the NDA by the group's spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo maintained that the government was not in touch with any group of militants to ensure peace in the area. He said the President is not sincere to the people of the country and foreign partners about the true situation in the Niger Delta re­gion.

He however gave a con­dition for the group's en­gagement for negotiation, which is that the interna­tional community must be part of the processes.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to media reports that the President is in touch with Niger Delta agitators includ­ing the Niger Delta Aveng­ers but the truth is that we are not aware of any peace talk.

“If there is any such peace talk, it means the President is talking to their mercenar­ies set to disturb the genu­ine struggle of the agitators. President Buhari led gov­ernment is not sincere to the Nigerian people and their foreign allies.

“If we are to engage in any peace talk, we made it clear that the international community must be part of it. The President knows our demands. So they should stop deceiving the interna­tional oil companies, the general public and the inter­national community.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Ijaw Youth Coun­cil has warned the Federal Government to stop deceiv­ing Nigerians and the inter­national community on the true situation of security in the region.

The Council in a state­ment made available to newsmen Friday and signed by its spokesman, Eric Omare said that Presi­dent Buhari and the Federal Government should stop playing pranks with Nige­rians and the international community about peace talks with the Niger Delta militants on how to stop at­tacks on oil facilities in the region.

According to the Ijaw youths, “It is highly ri­diculous and laughable for President Buhari to say that his government is ne­gotiating with Niger Delta militants through oil com­panies and law enforce­ment agencies during the farewell audience he held with Mr. Michael Zinner, the outgoing Ambassador to Germany on Thursday, the 21st of July, 2016.

“It is even embarrass­ing for the President of an independent nation such as Nigeria to say that it is oil companies that are negoti­ating for peace with Niger Delta agitators which in effect amounts to surren­dering the sovereignty of Nigeria to international oil companies. The IYC wonders if Nigeria is back to the pre-colonial and in­dependent Royal Niger Company days where international companies govern Nigeria. The point must be made that the is­sues at stake are complete­ly beyond the capacity of oil companies to resolve.”

The IYC called on Pres­ident Buhari's handlers to properly advise him on how to solve the current hostilities in the Niger Delta region and equally display a determination to resolve the problem as his predecessors did. “Only a sincere and holistic dia­logue with the people of the Niger Delta region which is aimed at addressing the remote causes of recurrent militancy can bring per­manent peace to the Niger Delta region. This can only happen when President Bu­hari as the political leader of Nigeria come down to the negotiation table”, the group added. Meanwhile, the Federal Commissioner in charge of Public Complaints Commission in Delta State, Mathias Commander Eto has urged militants to em­brace peace and cease fur­ther hostilities in the Niger Delta.

Eto who spoke in Oleh, Isoko South Local Govern­ment Area of the state, ad­mitted that activities of the NDA can cripple the coun­try's economy. “A look at the economic position of the country since their activities began has shown that they have achieved their goals. Times are becoming harder on the common man.

“And they are creating more unemployment as we are hearing of retrenchment of workers and state govern­ments' inability to pay sala­ries. They are creating prob­lems for their own people,” Eto said.

According to him, one effect of the insurgency that has not been properly noted is the environmental destruc­tion and degradation caused, and admonished leaders to be mindful of their actions and statements as they leave lasting marks in their wake.

Meanwhile, ex-mili­tant leader Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, has in another letter to President Muham­madu Buhari, accused the present administration of unfair treatment.

Tompolo, who said this might be the last letter that he will write to the president, claimed that one of the limbs of his 84-year-old father has been amputated as a result of assault from security agents.

The former Commander of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said many of his aides and family mem­bers are being regarded as members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), and that the military have been going after them.

He alleged that security forces have been conniving with some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to attack him.

“I wish to write your Ex­cellency once again on the continuous harassment and intimidation of my family members and close associ­ates by your security agen­cies (Nigerian Army, Navy, Department of State Ser­vice (DSS), and the Police) in connivance with one Ayiri Emami and Michael Johnny, both members of your party, All Progres­sives Congress (APC),” the letter read.

-Emmanuel Ikechukwu