…Recommends Wellinton Okrika
Militant groups in the Niger Delta region under the aegis of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) have rejected the decision by the Federal Government to raise a negotiation team of Ministers and Political appointees from the region, insisting that the inclusion of such appointees in the FG’s team is detrimental to the peace process.
The RNDA had last week in the statement signed by Major Gen John-Mark Ezon Ebi also known as Obama, threatened to resume hostilities over the alleged shooting of innocent protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate, vowing to take the destiny of the region in their hands and kick-start the occupation of all the major oil wells and the oil platforms saying they will also bring down all major crude oil production pipelines to zero.
They also handed the Federal Government a 11 points demand and a 21 days ultimatum on the issues of alleged illegal withdrawal of $1 billion from the Excess Crude Account by President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2019 to acquire heavy weapons to fight Boko Haram insurgents in the North East and the rejection of the proposed 2021 budget over the exclusion of development projects in the oil producing communities in the region.
The RNDA, a coalition of the nine Militant groups in the creek that accepted the ceasefire agreement the federal government to maintain peace since on the 21st of August 2016, while rejecting the proposed negotiation teem being set up by the Federal Government, warned that those on the list of negotiators by the Federal Government are actually part of the problems befalling the Niger Delta region.
According to the group, the decision of the Federal Government to raised a team of failed politicians and political office holders from the region is provoking agitations among the militant group under the RNDA,” the federal government has come up with an emergency stakeholders list to be submitted to the presidency that will interface with the federal government and dialogue on behalf of the RNDA Militant group and on behalf of the people of the region in other to address the immediate challenging issues raised by the RNDA Militant group to enable us withdraw the ultimatum given so far after the outcome of the nominated stakeholders meeting with the presidency”.
“And that we are warning that the Presidency should not enter into discussion with any form of group of persons emanated from any place or concocted by any ministers from the region and that such group of persons should not be taking seriously because any stakeholders group of list that does not have the blessing of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers will cause a breakdown of negotiation and provoke hostilities.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has met with a delegation of stakeholders including representatives of the dreaded RNDA Militant group in Abuja”.
“The delegation wish was headed by chief Wallington Okrika a highly respected C hief from Gbaramatu kingdom and one time Chairman of Delta State oil producing Development commission and a front liner in the agitation for the development of the Niger Delta region who is also one of the pioneer leaders that forth hard for the establishment of the 13 percent derivation act from former head of state late Gen Sani Abach era to the former president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasenjo, and also among the delegation the national chairman of HOSTCO, Dr. Prince Mike Emuh and Hon. prince Jude Tabai, the son of a rtd Supreme Court judge in the country who was also sacrificed his life to come down to the creek in the year 2016 in company of former minister of sport Barr Solomon Darling with the former GGM Security at the NNPC towers Bar Sam Otobueze wish led to the pronouncement of the ceasefire agreement entered with the federal government that led to the prevailing peace that is exciting today in the creek enjoyed by the federal so far in the creek”.
“And the Deputy Senate President has kick started the dialogue process on behalf of the federal government already and therefore the presidency should ignore and should not enter into any form of caricature agreement with some deceitful and paid stakeholders dialogue team that is being spare headed by any of the self-centered politician led the minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio who has failed in the struggle for the emancipated oil producing community people in the creek of the region.
He kept silent when over N49 billion and N100 billion naira disappear from the interim management committee of the NDDC and complicit in the hardship and underdevelopment being faced in the region”.
The RNDA also pointed out that the alleged attempt by Senator Akpabio to hijack the negotiation process is an open challenge to the leadership role of Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and his position as the highest political office holder in the region,”the questioned the role want to ask question is where was Akpabio and the so called Ministers from the region when Senator Ovie Omo agege, the deputy Senate President took out time to reach out to the leaders and the representatives of the dreaded RNDA Militant groups in the creek and engage them for a dialogue process in other to persuaded them on the need to maintain and sustained the existing peace in the creek.?
“And the Deputy Senate president promised to convey our grievances and demands to President Muhammadu Buhari who is ready to address the immediate demands and assured us of the readiness of the present administration to address the under developmental challenges confronting the people of the region and will come up with speed implementation for the purpose of peace and to enable them maintain and sustained the existing peace in the creek of the region”.
”To this end the RNDA Militant group want to encourage the Deputy Senate President to use his highly exalted office as the number fifth citizen of the country and as the political leader of the Niger Delta region to prevail on the federal government and the presidency to speedily implement the demands lay down by the RNDA and come out with a blue print that will better the fortune and the lives of the people in the Niger Delta region in order to enable the emancipated neglected oil producing community people from the region build trust and confidence in the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.”
The RNDA also warned its negotiating team headed by the FORMER Chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, Chief Wallington Okrika not to capitalize on its new assignment and use the ongoing negotiation to curry for wealth or contracts from the Federal Government.
