Nigerian Federal Government Playing Politics With Niger Delta Dialogue – MEND
January 2, 2017
Chukwudi Akadike and Ovie Okpare
Nigeria Punch
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Sunday said it was withdrawing its support for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The spokesman for the defunct militant group, Jomo Gbomo, stated this in a statement, where it accused the Federal Government of playing politics with the issue of dialogue and development in the Niger Delta.
MEND said after Buhari met with the leadership of the region under the headship of Chief Edwin Clark last year, the President had done little on peace initiatives in the oil-rich region.
The group stated, “Without prejudice to the pre-2015 presidential election endorsement freely and voluntarily given to President Muhammadu Buhari on January 6, 2015, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta hereby categorically and unequivocally pass a ‘vote of no confidence’ in the government of President Buhari.
“That prior to and after his reluctant meeting with the traditional rulers, opinion leaders and stakeholders of the Niger Delta region, under the auspices of the Pan Niger Delta Forum on November 1, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari has been carrying on arrogantly and making controversial, prejudicial, conflicting and contradictory statements about the politics and economy of the oil-rich region.”
MEND lamented that Buhari had always, for reasons best known to him, held the Niger Delta region in contempt “while accusing and/or blackmailing the leadership of the region of not being ready for dialogue whereas, it is the Federal Government who is not ready or willing to name a team for dialogue with the people.”
The former militant group alleged that the government had failed to honour the agreement it reached before it agreed to announce a ceasefire with militants in the region.
MEND added, “That prior to the inauguration of PANDEF, the several sessions of dialogue held between representatives of MEND, on the one hand, and those of the Federal Government, on the other hand, where concessions were secured for the release of the Okah brothers and several other political detainees and prisoners of conscience were grand deception on the part of the Federal Government.
“That after the MEND/FG dialogue, which was publicly confirmed by no less a person than President Buhari in his farewell remarks to Mr. Michael Zinner, the out-going German Ambassador to Nigeria, President Buhari reneged on the agreements reached at the dialogue.
“And following on the heels of the breach of the agreements, President Buhari personally wrote and signed a damaging and prejudicial letter to the government of South Africa in an attempt to wilfully truncate the ongoing peace process in Nigeria; sabotage the legal options open to Henry Okah and simultaneously influence the ongoing trial of Charles Okah and others at the Federal High Court in Abuja, in favour of the Federal Government.”
Chukwudi Akadike and Ovie Okpare
Nigeria Punch
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Sunday said it was withdrawing its support for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The spokesman for the defunct militant group, Jomo Gbomo, stated this in a statement, where it accused the Federal Government of playing politics with the issue of dialogue and development in the Niger Delta.
MEND said after Buhari met with the leadership of the region under the headship of Chief Edwin Clark last year, the President had done little on peace initiatives in the oil-rich region.
The group stated, “Without prejudice to the pre-2015 presidential election endorsement freely and voluntarily given to President Muhammadu Buhari on January 6, 2015, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta hereby categorically and unequivocally pass a ‘vote of no confidence’ in the government of President Buhari.
“That prior to and after his reluctant meeting with the traditional rulers, opinion leaders and stakeholders of the Niger Delta region, under the auspices of the Pan Niger Delta Forum on November 1, 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari has been carrying on arrogantly and making controversial, prejudicial, conflicting and contradictory statements about the politics and economy of the oil-rich region.”
MEND lamented that Buhari had always, for reasons best known to him, held the Niger Delta region in contempt “while accusing and/or blackmailing the leadership of the region of not being ready for dialogue whereas, it is the Federal Government who is not ready or willing to name a team for dialogue with the people.”
The former militant group alleged that the government had failed to honour the agreement it reached before it agreed to announce a ceasefire with militants in the region.
MEND added, “That prior to the inauguration of PANDEF, the several sessions of dialogue held between representatives of MEND, on the one hand, and those of the Federal Government, on the other hand, where concessions were secured for the release of the Okah brothers and several other political detainees and prisoners of conscience were grand deception on the part of the Federal Government.
“That after the MEND/FG dialogue, which was publicly confirmed by no less a person than President Buhari in his farewell remarks to Mr. Michael Zinner, the out-going German Ambassador to Nigeria, President Buhari reneged on the agreements reached at the dialogue.
“And following on the heels of the breach of the agreements, President Buhari personally wrote and signed a damaging and prejudicial letter to the government of South Africa in an attempt to wilfully truncate the ongoing peace process in Nigeria; sabotage the legal options open to Henry Okah and simultaneously influence the ongoing trial of Charles Okah and others at the Federal High Court in Abuja, in favour of the Federal Government.”
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