MEND hails President, Okah parley
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt

THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has endorsed the meeting between President Umaru Yar'Adua and one of its leaders, Henry Okah.

The group said it was a welcome development as it could lead to the attainment of genuine and lasting peace and justice in the region.

MEND, which five days ago declared its readiness to resume attacks on oil facilities and the military in the zone, said yesterday it might ask its fighters to stand down from their level of alert to pave way for dialogue with government.

The group said that after the conclusion of its campaign against the Federal Government, it would turn the heat on corrupt governors and other public officials, who impeded development in the region.

Its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said yesterday that the response by the President's spokesman, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, indicates that the Federal Government is now open to meaningful dialogue with everyone, including a team of eminent Nigerians nominated by MEND to negotiate on its behalf.

Members of MEND five-man Aaron Team, named on September 29, are Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe (rtd), Prof. Wole Soyinka, Maj.-Gen. Luke Kakadu (rtd), Prof. Sabella Ogbobode Abidde and Annkio Briggs as liaison between the group and the team.

Gbomo said: "The response by the President's spokesman that government is now open to dialogue with everyone can be interpreted to include our Aaron Team. When we hear from Okah regarding this shift in position, we will have to create the enabling environment for such talks to commence and that will mean asking our fighters to stand down from their level of alert and this may require a formal declaration of cease-fire."

He said MEND supports Okah's initiative and ready to work with him and the Aaron Team to achieve lasting peace in the Niger Delta.

According to him, "Okah declined to be a part of the Aaron Team but offered his advice from often. The Aaron Team is the body recognised by MEND to mediate on its behalf.

"We have not given them (Aaron Team) a brief. The key understanding is that they will be addressing the root issues responsible for the unrest in the Niger Delta which date back to post-independence."

Gbomo said from the little MEND had gathered, Yar'Adua seems to have a good heart even though that not be sufficient to address the core issues affecting the Niger Delta.

"That he has offered to dialogue is a wise decision contrary to the utterances from Godwin Abbe (Interior Minister) who we have no respect for."

MEND described government's proposal to plough back at least 10 per cent of oil proceeds for development projects in the oil producing communities as a wise move, but remarked that this was still not good enough as the goal of the people was to control their natural resources.

Gbomo said the failure of the government to implement the recommendations of the Ledum Mitee-led Technical Committee on the Niger Delta, was an indication that it was afraid of addressing the root issues because certain forces were scared of true federalism.

"True federalism and a system that will remove immunity from governors so that they and others down the line can be brought to book for corruption. In fact, the governors and others that manage public funds will be our next target after we have been successful in this first phase of our campaign," he said.

Despite the acceptance by some of its key commanders, MEND said it does not need to recruit more persons because the number of fighters in the creeks were enough, adding that those who have gone were not indispensable.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article03/indexn2_html?pdate=211009&ptitle=MEND%20hails%20President,%20Okah%20parley

We be watching you!

Its interesting that there are militias in Nigeria with such power.

The FG is losing power.

strangleyo:

Its interesting that there are militias in Nigeria with such power.

The FG is losing power.

The FG has lost even more power to corruption.

noise

those uncommon criminals are just making noise, nothing more

a few months ago they were threatening Julius berger over their crazy drivers - nothing eventually came out of it

I will wait with bated breath to see how this turns out. I do hope the PEOPLE get in on pressuring their governors, rather than relying on MEND to do it all for them.

This is the most sensible thing for govt to do. Negotiate with MEND and lets solve the problems in the Niger Delta once and for all. Fighting MEND is like fight a ghost and no reasonable Govt will want to fight a faceless militant group whose members may even be members of the Presidents kitchen cabinet.

what is with all these names sef, Jomo gbomo sounds like gbomo gbomo or is it Boyloaf, or another loaf

Good move by MEND. . . . its time to add an internal dimension to the struggle by putting pressure on corrupt officials. . . .

Our Govt is very funny, Yesterday they declared MEND enemy of that State and Today they are holding negotiation parley with MEND founder and Financier. Who knows what they will do 2morrow?

after dealing with the persons, who stole 87 of our chickens, we will now go after the ones who stole 13 of them, be rest assured they will be dealt seriously with.

In the South South region right?

start with Henry okah,ask him how many houses and investments he owns in south africa,corruption in nigeria is ethnic,based on the tribe that is in power.thats why nobody can fight and defeat corruption in nigeria.who have probe obj,ibb,and other northern leaders and yoruba leaders in nigeria, these are the ethnic groups that have been ruling nigeria, since 1967, that gang up and chase the other ethnic group out of government.hillburton,scandal these are some of the reasons why obama is opposing yaraduas government.

Its a shame that government would have to negotiate with criminals, not like the government is any better than the criminals but then let these so called militants and "freedom fighters" (my ass) stop fooling the Nigerian masses. both parties are without focus, what does these criminals and the government want other than to fill their pockets, Imagine a government paying millions to a criminal just because he has guns and then come out publicly to fool the masses with amensty. I doubt if Yar'Adua knows the meaning of that word. The leaders are the real militants, they should stop using these boys for their bunkering activities and use that same money paid to these boys for meaningful development in the area. No credit to the so called Niger Delta governors as well I doubt if they know what Federalism is, what have they done with all the allocations they've been receiving from the Federal government, nothing and yet they cry for more!!!!!!

Should I begin to shout hallelujah or should wait and see first?

@mirtidy
I strongly agree with you. From the excess crude fund disbursed, Rivers state received approx. 109M USD, why states like Ebonyi and many others got little as 10M USD, but come to Rivers state and see the level of development- I tell you, you will weep.

@beaf
Now i know the stuff you are made of

^Nah, you don't.
I've already seen you make assumptions.

Can somebody tell me what Yar A Doofus' job is again?

Kafancha:

@mirtidy
I strongly agree with you. From the excess crude fund disbursed, Rivers state received approx. 109M USD, why states like Ebonyi and many others got little as 10M USD, but come to Rivers state and see the level of development- I tell you, you will weep.

Hi Kafancha, are you currently in rivers state? Can you take pictures so we can keep a before/after diary of changes? Please let me know if you are up to it cause I too would like to know how my government spends it's share of the excess money.

Kobojunkie:

Hi Kafancha, are you currently in rivers state? Can you take pictures so we can keep a before/after diary of changes? Please let me know if you are up to it cause I too would like to know how my government spends it's share of the excess money.

ROTFLMAO

Since when did before and after pictures become the barometer for measuring development?

Kobojunkie:

Hi Kafancha, are you currently in rivers state? Can you take pictures so we can keep a before/after diary of changes? Please let me know if you are up to it cause I too would like to know how my government spends it's share of the excess money.

Can you do the same laughable thing for your own state to? Thats if it aint "Columbus Ohio".

OBJ's motto was 'no dealing wit terrorists', period!

OMO IBO:

ROTFLMAO

Since when did before and after pictures become the barometer for measuring development?

I am not your government, so don't try to put this duty on me. I simply want to have a way of measuring it for myself since your own government has yet PRODUCED such a barometer for you.

@kobojunjie

You keep commenting on other peoples states.
Do you have a state? Whats the name of your state?

Beaf:

Can you do the same laughable thing for your own state to? Thats if it aint "Columbus Ohio".

OMO IBO:

ROTFLMAO

Since when did before and after pictures become the barometer for measuring development?

 e b like say una no like dis Junkie chap o!

Kobojunkie:


I am not your government, so don't try to put this duty on me. I simply want to have a way of measuring it for myself since your own government has yet PRODUCED such a barometer for you.

You are definitely not my Govt but i'd expect a learned person like yourself to know that before and and after pictures are not a sure way of measuring development especially in Rivers State.

Vavavoom:

e b like say una no like dis Junkie chap o!

O boy, me i no get wahala with junkie but that statement reeks of sheer 'whatchumacallit'

OMO IBO:

You are definitely not my Govt but i'd expect a learned person like yourself to know that before and and after pictures are not a sure way of measuring development especially in Rivers State.

So, we should ignore years of studies that show before and after pictures as a measure of development or improvement because YOU do not think it is?? WOW!!! Do professionals who spend their days mining similar data across the world KNOW OF THIS?? Roflmao!!!!

Kobojunkie:


So, we should ignore years of studies that show before and after pictures as a measure of development or improvement because YOU do not think it is?? WOW!!! Do professionals who spend their days mining similar data across the world KNOW OF THIS?? Roflmao!!!!

ROTFLMAO

Ok, junkie, if you do not mind me asking, what pictures would you like to see?
office buildings, shopping malls, over-head bridges, cimenas etc etc.

LOL

So we are not only making them heroes, we are giving autority! Hmmn, na wa oh!!