Beaf:

When you are quoted and caught pants down, you deny your own words straight away as sarcasm!
You want to dance on two sides of the fence.
Hmmmm. The death of Saro Wiwa. . . "There was the Odi massacre with the loss of 2500 men, woman, children and babies. Odi was razed to the ground".

Your two faced words below only show that you are unhappy with MEND because you probably live in PH and would rather have them attack Abuja.

Nezan:

What is MEND really agitating for? To share in the oil money thieving, I guess

Sky Blue:

What I typed is there for all to see, if you couldn't get the sarcsm linked to the obvious and intentional farce of armed struggle for every single problem in Nigeria even non functioning traffic lights as was purposely insinuated by me to highlight the ridiculousness of the situation then I can't help you. I feel no need to justify myself to you. Why did you only highlight the so called proposition I stated? Why did you not highlight the "how embarassing" or the sentence I put even previous to that which would obviously have shown I was being sarcastic? Its a pity all you could come up with was "you must be living in port harcourt" when you know nothing about me or where I am for that matter, instead of facing the points raised and reading to comprehend. All in all, as I said earlier, I already saw where this was going and saw the futility a few posts earlier. Please don't feel the need to respond to my posts I just don;t think I am in any way going to be interested anymore, I am not interested in arguement for the sake of it. Have a nice day.

often hesitate to comment on the niger delta struggle and militancy, but there are some salient points that needs to be considered:
1. kidnapping potential investors and fellow citizens, does it help the niger delta agitation?

2. Bombing oil installations and spilling oil on your land , how does it affect the people in Government?

3. Making the niger delta region unsafe for habitation, does it affect Yaradua?

4. The ransome gotten from kidnapping and the money gotten from oil bunkering, what has MEND used it to do for those people they are agitating for?

I doubt the so called objectives of MEND and i think they are not totally representing the wishes of the niger delta people.

babasoty:

Your post is quite nice I enjoyed the question you posted, I’m from the Niger delta region and I’d love to answer your questions through my own view.

1. In as much as I don’t support the idea of kidnapping, but we have to agree that the act helped in bringing out the plight of the Niger delta to the awakening of the whole world, its so unfortunate that the act has been hijacked by criminals, but if you take a look outside Nigeria, you’d notice that kidnapping has been a means of airing out the plight of a people with a cause even the pirates of Somalia who kidnap sailors would tell you it is an act to draw the attention of the world to their plight, they suffer from ships who dump waste on their coastlines and also due to the instability of the country foreign seamen fish on their territories without regards to their sovereignty and they cant compete with these foreigners, Hamas kidnaps Israelis, the IRA did kidnap British soldiers, FARC rebels in Columbia kidnap government officials and foreigners as part of getting their desired attention. If not for these acts you probably would not have known that the Niger delta region suffers from untold hardship and that this struggle has been on even before the Biafran debacle.

babasoty:
2. The president is complaining that he would not be able to execute the 2009 budget in totality, this is due to the fact that less barrels of oil is being exported out due to the activities of the militants, now bombing those installations results to these, it’s a way to a means of getting the federal government to face the reality of the Niger delta situation and addressing it once and for all, with less money in the coffers of the government the less money they loot.

babasoty:

3. Its every governments right to provide security for its people its an indices of good governance if the fed govt cant provide that if this was a serious country its enough to get the electorate to kick the government out but trust Naija it might not affect Yar’adua but it affects the economy and when the economy is hurt the federal government is hurt maybe that would make them sit up and address the issues at stake.

babasoty:


4. Oil bunkering my dear is not perpetrated by these militants they just act as errand boys for the men in power who are really the ones in charge as for ransom gotten from kidnapping that I cant tell where its been used but I have never heard of them using it for the people they claim to fight for but they are always quick to tell you they use it to procure more arms for their struggle.

Quote from: Beaf Today at 04:53:44 AM

Quote from: Sky Blue on Yesterday at 08:32:44 AM
If you don't fully understand what someone posted there is no shame in asking for clarity, again completely OP (off point). Firstly, not everybody will agree with you that MEND is credible hence if some might find hero or freedom fighters more beffiting a suitable comparison, allow others who will likely see comparisons with armed robbers as more beffitting to hold their own views.

With regards to your statement of the "second part in bold" as you refer to it, I would just leave it as this: the sarcasm was lost on you. The point I was trying to make was, do we now wait for formation of armed struggles for every single darn thing?

When you are quoted and caught pants down, you deny your own words straight away as sarcasm! Shocked Shocked Shocked
You want to dance on two sides of the fence.

Quote from: Obeledu, July 18, 2009, 02:51 PM
If MEND can invest some of the money they made from stolen crude in some of their wards or even local government, i bet you they will win peoples support, not this mindles destruction of environment.

Beaf:

di ode wen?

Has the actions of MEND really helped the people in the delta?

Even the latest crisis did not cause the president to do much, what makes you think this will?

DaLover:

I would like to start by saying that the actions of MEND have helped the Niger delta/Nigerian nation in the following ways
-It has greatly increased the global awareness on the nigerdelta issues,
-Federating units are begining to realise that laziness and dependence on monthly oil handouts is fading is not the way forward
-Days where of greedy Yoruba and Northerner domination of large chunks of the oil industry while nigerdeltans are pushed aside are numbered.



I am in full support of the strategy being deployed by MEND,
Please feel free to bomb where any point you feel would put pressure on the present youroba/hausa dominated federal government,
What do the crazy yoruba leaders mean by warning Mend, Lagos was developed with oil money at the same time the ND was being neglected,
These so call yoruba leaders have forgotten that yorubas dominate the Navy and Airforces presently bombing the hell out of villages in the ND, Maybe if all the yorubas in the Navy, airforce and Army were to dis-involve themselves from the ND military excecise then oil installations in the west will be left out, as if,


NigerDeltans did not at any point in history did not agree to conceed total control of oil resourses to the central government, this was done by a federal government which we all know has been controlled by Hausa/Yoruba domination. Hence if you call MEND people oil thieves, then the FG and others participation in the sharing oil money without the permission of the Nigerdeltans are also oil thieves,


MEND fighters may not be men of outstanding virtues, by our moral standards, but who do you think forms the ground soidiers in every army, certainly not those who we consider decent ones in the society,

DaLover:

I would like to start by saying that the actions of MEND have helped the Niger delta/Nigerian nation in the following ways
-It has greatly increased the global awareness on the nigerdelta issues,
-Federating units are begining to realise that laziness and dependence on monthly oil handouts is fading is not the way forward
-Days where of greedy Yoruba and Northerner domination of large chunks of the oil industry while nigerdeltans are pushed aside are numbered.



I am in full support of the strategy being deployed by MEND,
Please feel free to bomb where any point you feel would put pressure on the present youroba/hausa dominated federal government,
What do the crazy yoruba leaders mean by warning Mend, Lagos was developed with oil money at the same time the ND was being neglected,
These so call yoruba leaders have forgotten that yorubas dominate the Navy and Airforces presently bombing the hell out of villages in the ND, Maybe if all the yorubas in the Navy, airforce and Army were to dis-involve themselves from the ND military excecise then oil installations in the west will be left out, as if,


NigerDeltans did not at any point in history did not agree to conceed total control of oil resourses to the central government, this was done by a federal government which we all know has been controlled by Hausa/Yoruba domination. Hence if you call MEND people oil thieves, then the FG and others participation in the sharing oil money without the permission of the Nigerdeltans are also oil thieves,


MEND fighters may not be men of outstanding virtues, by our moral standards, but who do you think forms the ground soidiers in every army, certainly not those who we consider decent ones in the society,

DaLover:

I would like to start by saying that the actions of MEND have helped the Niger delta/Nigerian nation in the following ways
-It has greatly increased the global awareness on the nigerdelta issues,
-Federating units are begining to realise that laziness and dependence on monthly oil handouts is fading is not the way forward
-Days where of greedy Yoruba and Northerner domination of large chunks of the oil industry while niger deltans are pushed aside are numbered.

nex:

I don't blame these people. It is because Fashola did not bomb Bayelsa state back. They forget that in practising the true federalism they are fighting for, a state has the right to defend itself against foreign enemies and to Lagos state, we Niger Deltans are foreigners.

nex:

I don't blame these people. It is because Fashola did not bomb Bayelsa state back. They forget that in practising the true federalism they are fighting for, a state has the right to defend itself against foreign enemies and to Lagos state, we Niger Deltans are foreigners.
~~~
My greatest fears have been confirmed. We are mad!

rookie:

When you are quoted and caught pants down, you deny your own words straight away as sarcasm! Shocked Shocked Shocked
You want to dance on two sides of the fence.

@ Beaf - while i thought you had a few good points, I'd have to say that i'm astonished you missed the "sarcasm" in Sky_blue's response to Obeledu's argument - .

With all due respect, let me advice that moving forward you read posts in entirety to avoid embarrassments as such.

nex:

I don't blame these people. It is because Fashola did not bomb Bayelsa state back. They forget that in practising the true federalism they are fighting for, a state has the right to defend itself against foreign enemies and to Lagos state, we Niger Deltans are foreigners.

Look at the rubbish that pork brained terrorist is spewing with confidence. Let them go and bomb an installation in Sokoto state and see what will happen to them. The bloody cowards keep punishing our own people and the friends and supporters of our people yet they claim to be freedom fighters. Whose freedom? The only people that are free from of being kidnapped, free to live their daily lives without fear of being bombed or contaminated with chemicals from bombed pipeline, free from rampaging cultists killing in the streets and drawing danger to their lives are still the people of the North.

If they claim that the plan of the North is to oppress and deprive us, then I see no reason why the Caliphate should not rest now because MEND is carrying on where they left off.

How many times have the Hausas agitated against Southerner and gone to start bombing the Fulani in Sokoto or the Kanuris in Maiduguri?

My greatest fears have been confirmed. We are mad!

Beaf:

Thanks rookie. I'm 100% aware of Sky_blue's words, but more specially, his intent. If you have grown up in the Niger Delta, then the sort of arguments he was very forcefully making, either sound callous or wicked (please note that I am not saying he is either).

I will close by giving summary from one African NGO;
the Niger Delta is 'one of the world's most severely petroleum-impacted ecosystems and one of the top five most polluted places on the face of the Earth.' More than 1.5 million tons of oil, equivalent to one Exxon-Valdez disaster every year for 50 years, have spilled into the delta, poisoning delicate mangrove and rain forest ecosystems and destroying fishing and farming livelihoods. Constant gas flaring releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, causing cancer, birth defects, respiratory diseases, and acid rain so toxic it corrodes metal roofs.

‘from 1999 to date, more than 20 communities have been wiped out completely and more than 50 000 persons killed by military bullets and no one is saying anything about it.

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/57769/print

The Niger Delta crisis has also put Nigeria on the failed states list; yes, that is how we are seen internationally. Yet we still find time to put out lame arguments in the face of overwhelming proof.

@dreamara, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala hails from Ogwashiuku, Delta state(Niger Delta) so dont claim she is an Igbo person.

fayahsoul:

MEND should know better than to fight for a so-called "true federalism" in nigeria of all places. lol.

How can they still want to be a part of an entity that seeks to eat them whole?

What happened to the aburi accord? even though the breach and dumping of that accord was done 40 yrs ago by a military regime, we can see that those same irredeemable monkeys of yesteryears still run things but now they are disguised in civilian attire.

Nothing has change. Faces change but the game remains the same. In fact things are much worse now.

The struggle is not just one of resource control but one of survival and self-preservation.

Do you know what it will take to restructure nigeria into a so-called true federal system?
Please, nigeria can't even conduct a simple free and fair election takless of true federalism.

MEND should join the movement for secession and sovereignty if you want a future for your children. Nigeria is a lost cause. period

DaLover:

The truth is that Nigeria exist only because of oil and not because we love each other.

DaLover:

MEND have resorted to use violence to apply pressure that years of patience, conferences etc could not make the rest of nigeria see,

DaLover:

I agree that there is a risk Nigeria may end up like somalia, ethopia etc, but it baffles me why people will blame the hopeless youths violently agitating for their rights as the cause of this, instead of those who created the enviroment of injustice and unfairness,

DaLover:

Deep down in your hearts we know that the ruling class of hausa and yoruba elite r not ready to change the status quo, the hausa r determining the public sector oil contracts and resourses from Abuja and the yorubas, the private sector oil economy from lagos,

DaLover:

In this nation of twisted logic, Someone even had the guts to ask y Asari dobubo should be wealthy from oil in his backyard, when we have people like otedola, obj, sultan to mention a few that have raked in billions from the same oil,
Is it fair?

okokomeji:


@Fayahsoul or Fatalsaboteur
Since MEND has publicly re-affirmed you that no secession plans, would you get over it please? If you want to bring your secession war, you better bring it now and get your twice beaten; rather than climbing MEND as your ladder to achieve your quixotic dreams. I laughed my ass-off, when I saw in the news; some "OGOGORO" sunken-ass looking outlaws who called themselves Biafrans, waving Biafailed flags at Obama. He just looked at them and snubbed. I was shocked not to see bigger-ass pot bellies among them, all I see was hungers with gaunt looks and tussle hairs; these are people who had a misplaced priority and a bunch of strong cowards (who save minutes and waste their precious hours).

MASSOB has way more physical, financial and human assets than MEND but dullards like u fail to overstand that looks can be deceiving.

I hope that u and the likes of u keep on taking biafrans as a joke because it's all done to our advantage as we build strenght.

And don't forget that there are many biafran indigenes in niger-delta so either part or all of ND is coming with us.

A lot of biafrans are currently in collaboration with MEND behind the scenes. . .their spokes man is igbo..

fayahsoul:

MASSOB has way more physical, financial and human assets than MEND but dullards like u fail to overstand that looks can be deceiving.

And don't forget that there are many biafran indigenes in niger-delta so either part or all of ND is coming with us.

A lot of biafrans are currently in collaboration with MEND behind the scenes. . .their spokes man is igbo..

okokomeji:

Jokes of no fun! It will be my joke of the day. Biafailed coming to clame a land on Western territory? Why you people always Biafailed Kobo wise and Nigerian naira foolish. I hope you act fast. Remember, God naturally divided us with water, as “Abokis” in Benue and Taraba already contained all the eastern land by ¾ you want to cross to the west? You make sure you dig mass grave and a lot of obituaries before you leave your eastern jungles ooo.
Anything Igbos want to do with MEND they should do it, you don't have to really snitch on your people, we are always ready.

God divided what? Igbos/biafrans were in the west prior to yoruba invasion so in fact that your oduduwa land is ours.

Biafran territory include: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Then, there are Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers as well as the Igbo speaking local government areas of Delta State. Ijaws are alwayz welcome to join is they so choose. A governing structure has already been agreed upon and our government is in exile.

And you loud mouthed cowards are not ready for us. if u were you wouldn't be scared shitless about the biafran movement.