Presidency Warns Of “dire Consequences” In Niger Delta If Jonathan Is Not Re-elected

Presidential aide, Kinglsey Kuku, said insecurity will return to Niger Delta if President Jonathan quits.

A presidential aide has warned of “dire consequences” in the oil rich Niger Delta should President Goodluck Jonathan fail to secure a fresh term in 2015.

In a startling remark to U.S. officials in Washington on Thursday, Special Adviser to the president on Niger Delta, and chairman, presidential amnesty programme, Kingsley Kuku, said current relative peace in the Niger Delta is tied to the continued stay in office of Mr. Jonathan, and strongly urged the American government to back his presidency.



Mr. Kuku, who spoke at a session with officials of the U.S. State Department led by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (Bureau of African Affairs), Donald Teitelbaum, told the Americans that only Mr. Jonathan can guarantee peace in the restive region and hence, the compelling need to persuade him to seek re-election in 2015.


“It is true that the presidential amnesty programme has engendered peace, safety and security in the sensitive and strategic Niger Delta. Permit me to add that the peace that currently prevails in the zone is largely because Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is from that same place, is the President of Nigeria. That is the truth.


“It is only a Jonathan presidency that can guarantee continued peace and energy security in the Niger Delta,” Mr. Kuku said.

The presidential aide said the consequences would be dire if the U.S. gets distracted by the activities of terror cells in parts of northern Nigeria, and takes its attention off the Niger Delta.


“Terrorism is a global phenomenon. President Jonathan inherited the situation in northern Nigeria and he has adopted a multifaceted approach to tackle this unfortunate situation. So far, profound results are being achieved,” he said. “But I insist that this must not distract the U.S. and the international community from giving the Niger Delta region of Nigeria the requisite attention.”


“I hope the U.S. is aware that with peace and stability in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s economy will remain buoyant enough to empower the Federal Government to contend with terrorism and other forms of insecurity in other parts of the country.

“However if we allow anything to hurt the peace in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s economy will be endangered and energy security in Nigeria and even America will not be guaranteed. The attention and interest of the U.S. in Nigeria must remain the stability of the Niger Delta and the easiest way to ensure this is to encourage President Jonathan to complete an eight-year term,” he said.


Mr. Kuku, who has pushed for talks with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, after the group warned of restarting fighting in the region, told the session that the Niger Delta continues to yearn for attention and development.

“In spite of the peace that prevails in the Niger Delta now, the issues that led to militancy in the first place are yet to be properly addressed. The issues of development, greater say in the control of the resource that comes from the place, issues of environmental remediation, youth unemployment among others are still there,” he said.

“However, the agitators are prepared to patiently await development as long as one of their own, Dr. Jonathan remains the President, and I think this is one thing the American government should reflect seriously on.”

In response, Mr. Teitelbaum acknowledged his country was worried about the activities of terror cells in northern Nigeria, but said the U.S remains committed to deepening of the peace in the Niger Delta.

He said that the U.S. views the Niger Delta amnesty programme as a huge success, and pledged that the State Department will brief other organs of the U.S. Government on possible ways of offering technical support to the amnesty programme.

At a separate meeting with members of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) in Washington DC on Thursday, Mr. Kuku challenged investors, particularly Americans, to leverage on the relative peace that the amnesty programme has engendered in the Niger Delta to invest in the region.

He told the members that following the proclamation and the acceptance of amnesty by former agitators in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s economy witnessed astronomical growth as crude oil production, which had declined to as low as 700,000 barrels per day in the first quarter of 2009, has been rising steadily and currently stands about 2.6 million barrels per day.

Mr. Kuku however warned that unless the thousands of youths being offered skills and vocational training by the Amnesty Office become gainfully employed, peace may once again elude the Niger Delta.

“We were given the mandate to disarm, demobilize and reintegrate these ex-agitators. We are doing just that and peace has returned to the Niger Delta as several of the ex-agitators are now very busy in schools and vocational centres across the world. But what becomes of them after their training is our biggest challenge now. On our part, we have done our best but we now need the practical support of all persons and nations who truly seek and want peace in the Niger Delta, to join efforts to create employment opportunities for our youths,” Mr. Kuku told the American investors.

The CCA President and Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Hayes, said the Council was irrevocably committed to attracting American investors to Africa.

http://premiumtimesng.com/news/131410-presidency-warns-of-dire-consequences-in-niger-delta-if-jonathan-is-not-re-elected.html

This is what you call hostage taking and extortion.

Imagine the bloated creek clowns uttering this illiterate rationale and gutter garbage to international audience?


lmao...

Is this supposed to be a threat or what?

Threatening us or what?

Someone is trying to pull a fast one on Nigerians. Does it mean a president for life - an Eyadema for Nigeria?
Could be time to say unto your tent oh Israel.... Signs for a nasty scenario is unfolding in Nigeria.

make we hear word abegiiii, na today

Who cares

Na Wash

A la Animal Farm's, "Mr. Jones will come back."

unfortunately Militants will take over and it will hit Nigeria real hard cos life won't be targeted rather the economy will be crippled.
May God help us.

Nah 2day?pack well jere

Sounds like a threat.
Let's see how 2015 plays out.

I'll be back.
If you're angry I reserved a space f.uck off.

He is not up to our standard sorry, it's just an empty threat. Let what ever wants to happen happen please. If some military men have a better vision than a professor it's a big shame to our president not to talk of our educational system.

They can go to hell with their oil we don't want it. It's not like we benefit from it anyway so they can go and shove it where the sun don't shine. It's not like they benefit themselves apart from their terrorist group most likely to be sponsored by the south south governors.

Nightshift: Someone is trying to pull a fast one on Nigerians. Does it mean a president for life - an Eyadema for Nigeria?
Could be time to say unto your tent oh Israel.... Signs for a nasty scenario is unfolding in Nigeria.

No Sir, not life president but he must finish his two terms for peace to reign in Niger Delta that is what Kuku is saying. The present conspiracy of our Jihadist Buhari and Tinubu to take control of the Niger Delta oil could ignite a terrible unrest.

.

...Tis not a threat..tis a warning

And BTW, dat nyucur GEJ shd sit his behind thr till 2019...else, any attempt by some ACP or worreva it is, to boycott it (except 9ja decides otherwise, and I dnt see ACP being the reason 9ja wud do dat),wud result to 9ja ranking last in oil production...then, we'd see weda 9ja go still stand after wen militants punctuate the govt of any folk (esp abo.ki) as dem abo.ki BH did GEJ's


...

Mr. Kuku, stp dis, rep our region well nt dese buhaha...sme yrs gone, am still searching...

But, wait oooo, i sense danger shud he b forced out...may b worse dan b4...

Three Words - "Signs of fear".

After 8 years what is going to happen! , as stated above this is an illiterate rational that can not be accepted.
Nigeria is not the property of any region to govern without question and Nigerians can not be bullied into making decisions that do no favour our well being or our future.

Is this man trying to get Jonathan an uncontested ride into aso rock?.
Sometimes I think we were better off under IBB and Abacha with the kind of remarks presidency have the audacity to make these days.

I strongly disbelief him and in that case if the president fails to secure second tenure bid, is this kind of people that instigates problem in the region. And who said there is peace in the creeks of Niger delta now. Who killed the 12 policemen few weeks ago.they should better ways to propagate the president for next tenure other than this.

The man spoke the reality on ground.

This is the way Nigeria is!

I had made that analysis in a post
https://www.nairaland.com/1239894/m-e-n-d-verses#14973416, but Nairalnaders jumped and paased.
I think we don't like the truth.

The insurgency in the Niger Delta is at the lowest ebb today for two major reasons.
1. A Niger Deltan is in power
2. The boys are getting some piece from the "oil" cake (courtesy of No. 1)

but we see the rise of Boko Haram for two major reasons:

1. Islam is not practiced in Nigeria the way they fell it should'
2. Worst is, an infidel is in power.

If the table turns, and a President that Boko haram will respect is enthroned: Definitely from the North and sympathetic to the dream of Usman Dan Fodio.

1. Boko Haram will sheet their swords.. em sorry, i mean bombs.
2. MEND will resume operations because of two reasons:
i. The piece of "oil cake" will stop
ii. The Presido will come from an "enemy" zone.

The battle will leave the streets of Kano and endure at the creeks of Bayelsa and Rivers.


Economic Impact:

Crises in North cannot stop the flow of oil but crises in the ND cannot hamper oil exports.
If anything happen to the oil exports, the federal government will collapse.
The federal government will not want the oil to stop, so the Niger Delta crises will be worse than that of the North. Blood will flow!

My question is:
Let us make an assumption here: that we must choose either BH or MEND, which will it be?

Very shameful utterance. If u like let oil prdtn drop to 2 barrel per year, aint voting GEJ in 2015. Mr Kingsley can go and get votes for his oga from Chicago.

Kuku this is becoming unbecoming of you, Nigeria is greater than your gold mine ( GEJ )

colly227: unfortunately Militants will take over and it will hit Nigeria real hard cos life won't be targeted rather the economy will be crippled.
May God help us.

help u and who?... From ur comment u're the one in need of help.

I no fit tuk,make I siddon dey luk first

Then he should be bold enough to do what his mates do.
Divide the nation. Shior

who is still in doubt that the Amnesty programme was an avenue to fund these sanguinary people without a sense of national purpose.
any threat against bro jo, militants release a press statement, tompolo's amnesty earnings is enough to grow an army,
we are watching.

Why are many ... trying to look like Boko Haram guyz?

When it starts you ll all wish not.

this is madness

A militant defending a militant. We all know that GEJ was once a militant too.
As long as we all still depend on oil in Naija, I will support this statement. Too bad my brothers from the south west forgot about the income Cocoa brought and North also forgot about goundnuts.
Mr Kuku is correct, no GEJ 2015 will bring us the end of Nigeria and that's what we all pray for.