Group threatens to attack oil facilities if Jonathan is not made acting president
…Violence not in anyone’s interest - FG
From Lucky NwankwerE, Abuja and Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Thurday, February 04, 2010

The agitation for Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan to assume the position of Acting President is set to take another dimension as a group, Network of Freedom Fighters (NFF), threatened to launch attacks on oil installations if Jonathan is not allowed to take over.

The NFF, at the end of its meeting in Yenagoa on Wednesday, also declared that it would not be able to guarantee the lives and property of foreign nationals in the Niger Delta until the political crisis is resolved.
In a communique issued at the end of its meeting and signed by its Coordinator and Secretary, Comrade Nengi James and Kofi Kelvin Moses respectively, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, the group warned the Federal Government not to take its threat as empty.

NFF also advised the foreign nationals to close their business operations for now in their own interest. Non-compliance with the directives by NFF would trigger a chain of reactions that the Federal Government would not be able to handle, the communiqué stated.
The group also called on international communities to severe relationship with the Federal Government until Jonathan is inaugurated as acting president, while awaiting the arrival of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said resumption of hostilities in the Niger Delta will not be in the interest of anyone, warning those contemplating it to desist from such consideration. Though it was not addressed to the NFF directly, the government’s position was not unconnected with the recent call for Nigeria’s ailing president to hand over to his deputy.

There have been calls by former leaders of Nigeria, elder statesmen, professional bodies and Nigerians in general for Yar’Adua to hand over to his deputy according to constitutional provision. NFF is the latest addition to those insisting on transfer of power to Jonathan.
For MEND, however, their concern for now is not so much for Jonathan, a true-born Niger Deltan, to succeed his boss who had been away for months on medical checkup, but to question what they see as the Federal Government’s insincerity in implementing the amnesty programme set in motion by President Yar’Adua himself.
Contrary to MEND’s claim, the Federal Government insists the amnesty programme was very much on course, pointing out that those seeing the negative side of the programme were only those who were not benefiting from the peace in the Niger Delta region.

The chairman of the implementation committee of the amnesty programme and Minister of Defence, Major General Godwin Abbe, told the State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday that the programme was designed in stages and was progressing as planned, pointing out that government was at the stage of the rehabilitation and re-integration of the ex-militants after their documentation.

“It is unfortunate that people are making that kind of statement that amnesty has failed,” Abbe said. To me, that kind of comment is premised on ignorance because the amnesty programme itself is a process. What brought about the amnesty is as a result of what took several years. So, you cannot clear it in a few months.”
The minister also counselled for patience, describing amnesty as a process and not a 100-metre dash, he said government was committed to enthroning peace in the Niger Delta as a prelude to the development of the area and the country, adding that history would judge those who refused to participate and foster peace accordingly.
He said the noticeable delay in the full implementation of the post amnesty programme was informed by the need to be transparent and ensure that proper steps were taken in committing and spending public funds.
“We are at the stage of completing staff work on the road map for rehabilitation and re-integration. We want to make sure that the data that would be required for work is complete and that when the call-up starts, there would be no stop at all. That is on the one hand but remember that other committees have also been established.

“These committees border on infrastructure, environmental sanitation of the area, provision of key facilities like railway line, and are also busy trying to work out all the details and it is the totality of all these that would be put together. When the costing is made, then of course, the process of funding will also have to be followed.”
Abbe explained that the delay in the payment of the monthly stipends to some of the militants was not caused by government as some of them had refused to open bank accounts because they would not want to be identified.
“Until the proper documentation of the militants have been completed, even the gazette action, the government promised, will not take place because we are not ready to include the names of criminals and ex-convicts as repentant militants,” he added.

He decried the threat by MEND, saying it was unpatriotic for any Nigerian to beat his chest and say he would engage in actions that would stall the development of any part of the country, while calling on those behind the threat to reconsider their stand.
“If they choose violence, they do not monopolise violence at all and it is an ill wind that will blow no one any good, including themselves and it is unpatriotic for anyone to continue to threaten the security of this country with violence, fire, hell and brimstone,” he said.
“I have asked before that we should allow peace to take a chance because that is the only opportunity this country has to develop.”

http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2010/feb/04/national-04-02-2010-01.htm

The Niger Deltans now want to force the hands of the PHCN (Power Holding Cabal of Nigeria) into handing over to Jonathan. It is getting more interesting by the day. I am just wondering whether by their name, NFF they mean something stronger than MEND. will they succeed in making the PHCN to hand over the power?

Good.I can't wait.