JONATHAN’S AIDE’S AMBITION TEARS EX-NIGER DELTA MILITANTS APART.

In recent times, the Jonathan administration has received hard knocks from diverse interest groups within Nigeria, most of which are from his Niger Delta region. Many had wondered why such a hard stance against an administration been led by one of their own until some startling revelations emerged recently.
Apparently angered by the slow pace of development in the region and the seemingly insensitive disposition of the FG under President Goodluck Jonathan inspite of its performance contract with appointees of the government. A group who called itself the Niger Delta Good Governance Network (NDGGN), in a press release has claimed that the bane of development in the Niger Delta, was the non-performance of some appointees of Mr president, as well as a conspiracy by a cabal, whose political ambitions is fast transforming into corruption engineers. The cabal according to the group is made up of a special Adviser to Mr- President and two serving ministers.
The group in a statement signed by its chairman, comrade Jeff Jamaica Banigo and secretary comrade Tirmpre Alasia said they were not against anybody seeking an elective office, but that resources meant for the development of region should not be used to oil their 2015 and 2016 ambitions.
We are provoked by the daily loss of lives along East- West road, the continuous degradation of the Niger Delta environment and the bad image their non-performance and greed is giving to the Jonathan’s administration. Why should President Jonathan continue to retain the minister of Niger Delta Affairs amidst serious public outcry? What then is the essence of signing a performance bond when your office can be guaranteed inspite of your non - performance? What the Anglican priest did at Gen. Azazi’s funeral service was only to unveil the people’s mind before Mr. President. Even when some ex- militant leader added their voice to the many lamentations of the Niger Delta people on the poor state of the East – west road, they were been misunderstood. And when these leaders called for a stakeholders meeting at the Festac residence of Chief Ateke Tom on Sunday 27/01/2013, the SSA to Mr President got wind of it and invited some of them on the same day to Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island for a meeting. It was gathered that the top Presidential aide told them that Festac the meeting was sponsored by the opposition to fight against president Jonathan. He offered each of them a N100,000.00 and asked them to boycott the meeting and see him in Abuja on Wednesday 30th January. He promised to give them another N500,000.00 each at the Abuja meeting. But on the contrary he gave each of them N200,000.00 each instead of the initial N500,000.00 promised them after the inconclusive Abuja meeting at Botton White Hotel in area II. They also discovered that the Festac meeting was not against President Jonathan, but convened to address the state of the East –West road as well as the issue of marginalization within their ranks. For instance, a top former militant leader from Delta State now enjoys so much preferential treatment in terms of contract awards.
Our source also revealed that the presidential top aide who is nursing the ambition of replacing Gov. Mimiko, is also working with the Delta State ex-agitator and believes that he can achieve his ambition with the support of this Delta strong man. A situation that could degenerate into conflict, capable of causing disaffection among former militant leaders. We therefore call on Mr President to call this cabal to order and save the Niger Delta of further crises.