Jonathan as President: militant give ultimatum

Editor, In the National Life newspaper of Saturday December 26, 2009 on page 5, the ex-militants speaking through one of theirs, Chief Ateke Tom, had warned that if by January 4, 2010, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was not sworn in as the President of Nigeria, they would go back to their trenches in the creeks.

This threat should not be taken lightly in view of the fact that MEND made good its promise by resuming hostility that led to blowing up an oil pipeline recently. The Post-Amnesty is moving at snail speed. Now there is need that the constitutional matter holding the nation to ransom should be tackled once and for all, immediately. No one man or section of the country is bigger than the country. We should avoid any situation that would make the militants go back to the creeks as they have threatened because Nigeria will be worse for it.

Nigeria should not consider any military action any longer on matters that may have to do with the Niger Delta, otherwise a revolt which could lead to dismembering of the country is looking us at face. Moreover, we need peace to move the nation forward.

Ms Eno Ntuk,

548 Oron Road, Uyo,
Akwa Ibom State