*I agonise over these destructions
*Says economy is on its knees
*How Kachikwu secured interim truce
*No love lost relationship among militants
By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South South, Levinus Nwabughiogu
Obviouslyperturbed by the activities of the Niger Delta Militants, NDA, President Muhammadu Buhari last night went spiritual, pleading with them in God’s name to have a change of heart over their destruction of oil and gas installations in the region.
Militants vs Buhari
The president who stated that there were many factions of the Niger Delta Militants also said that the groups were armed with sophisticated weapons and that the economy was on its knees following the bombing of gas pipelines.
He also pleaded with friends and associates of the militants to reach out to them for, stressing that Nigerians do not have any other country to call their own other than Nigeria.
The president spoke at the breaking-of-fast dinner with leaders and chieftains of his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said: “I honestly don’t know how many factions of the militants there are in the Niger Delta compared to the north east where you have only the Boko Haram “The technology being deployed by the militants to destroy oil installations is high tech, the way they can go on high sea and international waters and target oil installations is a national problem. It is affecting development.
“No insurance company will want to insure installations that will end up being blown up and no banks will want to finance such installations. “Those of you who have friends among the leadership or even the militants themselves should plead with them in the name of God Almighty to take it easy.
“We need to stablise to create employment, we need to stabilise the economy, I agonise over these things. We are in a very difficult time, so we have to organise ourselves. Anybody that says he has any other country than Nigeria should go out and see.”
Earlier, the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun expressed satisfaction with the actions of the government so far, saying that Nigeria needed a dogged leader like the president. “Any meaningful development requires strong and determined leader. Things must change. Those things don’t come easily. Nigeria is clearly a difficult nation to govern. “Corruption is fighting back and change does not come easily. The way we do things must change. Our prayer is for God to give you the courage, wisdom and strength to set the new standard for the country”, he said.
Apart from Oyegun, other party leaders who attended the event included former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Ghali Naaba; the party’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Segun Oni; former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva; Tony Momoh and Senator Osita Ozinaso. Also present were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal and former Minister of Labour, Hassan Lawal.
Dialogue, ceasefire: Buhari baffles militants
Meanwhile, President Buhari was said to have kept the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and other militant groups in the Niger Delta region in suspense since he returned from his short vacation in London, last Sunday. Findings by Saturday Vanguard showed that the militants, who agreed to an interim ceasefire brokered by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachiwu, and his top secret negotiators, were confused about the game plan of President Buhari.
The two-week ceasefire proclaimed by the Federal Government on June 6 expired June 21, two days after Buhari returned from his vacation and militants expected government to officially announce an extension, but it has kept mute on the matter six days after the expiration. Correspondingly, the Federal Government has not come out with a framework for an all-embracing dialogue with stakeholders and militants, a development that has further confounded the situation.
The scrapping of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, as part of efforts to ensure better protection of pipelines in the region and tackle insecurity and its replacement with ‘Operation Delta Safe’, as well as planned redeployment of police officers in the region for their failure to stop bombing of oil installations, have also sent tongues wagging.
Militants, who bowed to Kachikwu’s logic, are suspecting that they may have been hoodwinked, while those opposed to their antics want Buhari to order the military to battle them to submission as was done to Boko Haram. .
NDA re-organizes
NDA, which found itself in a dilemma over the new tactics employed by government had come out to distance itself from a purported ceasefire agreement with government, declaring that it would resume hostilities any time the state of affairs becomes intolerable. Its spokesperson, self-styled Brig Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, said, on June 21, day the two-week ceasefire ran out: “The NDA High Command never remembers having any agreement on ceasefire with the Nigeria Government.”
Many had rumored that Dr Kachikwu met with representatives of NDA at Government House, Asaba, when he visited the state on June 15, but the militant group clarified that it sent no representative to the meeting. In its reaction 48 hours later, the group said: “We condemn in its entirety the continuous linking of the Niger Delta Avengers to any meeting in Delta State Government in Asaba with Minister of State for Petroleum Resources.”For more visit...
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It added: “ We tell the whole listening world that the Niger Delta Avengers will not be part of any dialogue deal that will not only bring about the ‘peace of our time’ but ‘peace with honour’.” The next day, June 18, following the signals emanating from official quarters, the group re-echoed: “We once again, restate that we are not going to be part of any dialogue and peace that will achieve only ‘the peace of our time.’ What the NDA wants is ‘peace with honour,’ which will enter the genuine framework in setting up the short, medium and long term action plan to the restoration of the essence of quality human life in the Niger Delta.”

They should better listen

even the man know waiting dey ahead of him, bt some mofos whom doesnt even know anything about ND not to take of the dreaded creek will be shouting on NL b*mb them all kill them all...pmb shld jst apply wisdom cos force will effect both FG and d ND region negetively.

deathmen12:
even the man know waiting dey ahead of him, bt some mofos whom doesnt even know anything about ND not to take of the dreaded creek will be shouting on NL b*mb them all kill them all...pmb shld jst apply wisdom cos force will effect both FG and d ND region negetively.

Buhari is very wrong doing this. Negotiation and begging will NEVER solve the problem. These guys are anarchists. At the end of the day, you have to go in and shoot some mofos and napalm bomb some other mofos.
The Nigerian Army should be properly equipped for this task.

Adminisher:


Buhari is very wrong doing this. Negotiation and begging will NEVER solve the problem. These guys are anarchists. At the end of the day, you have to go in and shoot some mofos and napalm bomb some other mofos.
The Nigerian Army should be properly equipped for this task.

dis is nt d ryt time 4 dat na,dnt forget equipping the army require cash too, and ryt na ther is no cash, let solve one prblm at a time by payin workers and stablizing the economy first. let roll peace 4na, wel am nt in support of 1 Nigeria anymre cos 1 Nigeria is nt wrking