The detained leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Mr. Henry Okah, yesterday accepted to benefit from Federal Government's unconditional amnesty for Niger Delta militants.
The latest move by Okah was the outcome of high level negotiation between top government officials, security chiefs and Okah's lawyer.
It has also spurred the group led by Okah, MEND, to sing a different tune as it yesterday announced that it was ready to have dialogue with the federal government on how to resove the Niger Delta crisis.
The new developments were hailed by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who spoke from Italy where he is at present attending the G-8 summit.
Yar’Adua said with his acceptance of amnesty, necessary machinery were being put in place for the eventual release of Okah.
Reuters yesterday quoted one of Okah's lawyers, Mr. Wilson Ajuwa, as saying that the MEND leader had accepted the amnesty offer. ''They offered it to him yesterday. Okah welcomed the amnesty. We are in the process of finalising it. Hopefully, it will be resolved early next week,''Ajuwa further said.
Okah, who is standing trial for gun-running and treason, accepted government's offer for 'unconditional' amnesty, his lawyer told Reuters.
Okah's lead counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, in a telephone interview with THISDAY confirmed that his client had accepted an unconditional amnesty from the federal government.
He expressed hope that "with the latest development, government would move speedily in the circumstance so that Okah can attend to his faling health condition".
Also, presidential spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, who spoke on behalf of his boss from Italy, said details of Okah's release still needed to be worked out. According to him, ''the president is delighted to hear that he (Okah) has accepted the amnesty offer. With his acceptance, he will be released when the formalities are concluded.''
According to him, "the President feels elated by the acceptance of the amnesty offer by Mr. Henry Okah and commends the role played by his lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, in the entire process.
''Shortly before he left Abuja yesterday[Wednesday] afternoon, President Yar'Adua mandated the Attorney General of the federation[AGF] to work with Falana to tidy up the legal process so that Okah's release can be effected.''
The President, Adeniyi further said, also called on the remaining militant leaders ''to avail themselves of the amnesty offer so as to pave way for peace and rapid development in the Niger Delta for which he is strongly committed.''
THISDAY gathered that the new position of Okah was as a result of a meeting held in Abuja on Tuesday night. The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser, Major Gen Sarkim Mukhtar (rtd), minister of interior, Major Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd), Director General, State Security Service (SSS), Mr Afakirya Gadzama, Director General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr S.Aliyu and Okah's lead counsel, Falana, and Ajuwa. the NSA presided at the meeting.
After the meeting finalised the details of the amnesty, Falana and Ajunwa were mandated to see Okah in Jos prison to explain the implications of the amnesty to him.
Also yesterday, MEND expre-ssed its willingness to have dialogue with the federal government on how to resolve the Niger Delta crisis because its confidence on the sincerity of the administration has been buoyed by the appointment of former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Timi Alaibe, as Honorary Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs.
MEND Spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, in a statement via e-mail said the group would now shop for those that will discuss frankly on their behalf with the federal government.
Jomo said the militants trust Alaibe and ''we consider his appointment an opening of a genuine channel of dialogue since we are sure that whatever our negotiators say would be passed on to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua''.
Another factor that may have ensured that the militants agree to a peace process, according to him, is the acceptance of the amnesty from government by their detained leader, Okah.
MEND said since Okah had no weapons to surrender, his release would be without hitches unless the federal government had a hidden agenda.
The group restated its lack of confidence in the amnesty deal as currently offered since it did not give any room for dialogue especially to allow MEND ventilate on issues that threw up armed agitation in the first place.
“The recent appointment of Mr. Timi Alaibe as the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs by the Nigerian government is a humble and welcome development that is in line with the two pronged approach of our current campaign codenamed Hurricane Moses.
“With this channel of communication finally opened, MEND will put together it's team of frank negotiators to pass our demands and expectations to the President through Mr. Alaibe, a man we respect and can work with.
“MEND does not believe the current amnesty offer is directed at freedom fighters because there is no room for any form of dialogue and the issues that provoked armed agitation was never featured.
“We support Henry Okah's decision to accept any deal that will ensure his early release to attend to his failing health under the current circumstances. Since he has no weapons to surrender, the deal should be a straight forward one except the government has another trick up its sleeve,” MEND said.
Also commenting on the need to resolve the Niger Delta crisis, Alaibe, said the regional crisis had reached a defining point'' needing an urgent and renewed commitment, determination and practical solutions by all stakeholders''
"I belief strongly that this family crisis can and must be resolved once and for all in the interest of the region and our dear country.
“I am therefore enjoining all stakeholders, particularly agitating groups, to embrace the fatherly hand of Mr. President whose amnesty offer and transparent determination to resolve the Niger Delta imbroglio is novel,'' the former Managing Director of NDDC said on phone yesterday evening.

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