No Idiot has found it necessary to post the so called EMAIL MEND sent around.

He implied that some break away and un-repentant members of mend who rejected FG's gestures but now under d largesse of , ? were criminaly responsible. 1 of them has just been picked in SA

davidylan:

Dont mind the disgusting hypocrite. Before there was MEND there was Saro Wiwa . . . guess what we did to him.

mr failed human being we know exactly where you stand - you are nothing more than a black racist who will support anything as long as it puts a black eye on te faces of those evil muslim northerners who helped give your state two speakers

since its not white citizens of you adopted country getting killed , you couldn't care less bloody dr uncle ruckus

Ehoi:

You are deliberately mixing issues.
If we had negotiated with Asari militant group then, there would be no MEND today.
But instead we chose your option but alas, we are all suffering the repercussion today.
Even Britain had to negotiate with the IRA.

first question - what exactly is MEND? what exactly do they stand for? resource control is just a rallying cry

what group of freedom fighters or terrorists for that matter kidnaps people and ransoms them for money?

what group of freedom fighters have no problem desecrating thier own backyard by blowing up pipelines and destroying the very environment they claim they are protecting?

even on nl, some people from ythe nd hve actually come out to state that they do not support mend, that mend are a bunch of criminals masquerading as freedom fighters

Ehoi:

My sister you are quite funny. From the unset, MEND have clearly stated what they want and it is not amnesty or allowance. It amazes me when I still see people asking "what do they want again?". Its because many of us have not been paying enough attention. For the records, their main agitation is for devolution of power, self determination and resources control. That is the reason why Wole Soyinka supports them in principle because what they want is exactly what the progressives have been asking for.

Its funny because what MEND want is exactly what the western region have been asking for. Its also what the eastern region need to sustanable growth.

so who are the people who have been raising all sorts of hell because of allowance?

so why did we have a ceasefire for the past 8 months or so?

so why have they been mostly silent?

or are those two more of the factions in mend

Ehoi:

My sister you are quite funny. From the unset, MEND have clearly stated what they want and it is not amnesty or allowance. It amazes me when I still see people asking "what do they want again?". Its because many of us have not been paying enough attention. For the records, their main agitation is for devolution of power, self determination and resources control. That is the reason why Wole Soyinka supports them in principle because what they want is exactly what the progressives have been asking for.

I am sorry but I think you mistake me for someone else. First off, note the meaning of the word AMNESTY please. The AMNESTY package was a pardon which I considered a useless one considering these were stone cold criminals who went all out to not only attack and kill CIVILIANS but disrupt the nation's economy with claims of making life better for those they help deprive of a better life.

They tell us they fight for ND but continue to avoid any direct attacks on the politicians that embezzle money by the millions of pounds that ought to go to developing life in the area. Innocent civilians have had their lives disrupted for years by this group, while the politicians have not had to take a break from embezzlement practices in all that time. To save face (and probably avoid tackling the issue) the government offered AMNESTY. I expected a refusal by MEND, but I was made to see that we were only dealing greedy Nigerians at the end of the day. Unfortunately, a sweet deal was reached and the members were initiated into the hall of corruption, along with those destroying the nation.

That Wole Soyinka jumped on the bandwagon for a period does not in any way legitimize the group. I am glad he has since removed himself from all this and has moved on to finding other groups to work with instead.

Ehoi:

Its funny because what MEND want is exactly what the western region have been asking for. Its also what the eastern region need to sustanable growth.

I have never really cared what MEND wants. Resource control will eventually come but the area continues to recieve at least 30% more in allocations each month compared to a majority of the states in the country. In addition to that Oil companies have contributed close to, if not well over a billion dollars in at least 5 years to development in the area but a trip down there will reveal that all that money seems to go down the pockets of fellow ND leader and nowhere else. All I see with MEND is a bunch of terrorists taking advantage of the people of the ND in order to get themselves a piece of that National/Local cake. Ever since they got their AMNESTY deal, how many of them have actually tried in any way to use that money to help develop any ND area? How many have actually tried to move their people, whom they all claimed to be fighting for, forward? NONE

I just think your idea of having government negotiate with terrorists is ludicrous in this case because this particular group does not even seem to care for what it claims to care for, and that is the people. So why would bringing them to the table again, and humiliating a whole nation again, help anyone?

oyb:

so who are the people who have been raising all sorts of hell because of allowance?

so why did we have a ceasefire for the past 8 months or so?

so why have they been mostly silent?

or are those two more of the factions in mend

I wouldn't know all the answers to most of your question but I know that MEND normally gives a new government an opportunity to meet their demands. And when they think the government is not serious, that is when they start problems. They gave yaradua government many months of grace before they started fighting. Though they were not part of the amnesty, they had an official ceasefire to give the Yaradua government time and space to make good its promises.

If you don't know who have been shouting because of the allowance, it means you know very little of the niger delta crises and the organization structure of MEND and the militants. I cannot be of help to you there but one thing you need to know is that, if you cut off the toes of an animal and leave the head and body intact, that animal is still alive and well.

daviddylan the clown-

Obviously MEND cares what people think as they and Jonathan are quick to dissociate themselves with the label of terrorist.

Terrorist group- they are and it will remain that way as long as they continue to kidnap and kill people who are innocent.

They can continue to bomb and be terrorist - that is what I expect terrorist to do. They should CONTINUE if they like

davidylan:

Which makes me wonder why folks like you then turn around and argue that America shld negotiate with the Taliban or Israel shld negotiate with HAMAS. I'd rather they just blow them out of this world just like you suggest the army does to MEND. Hypocrite.

CLASSIC

df2006:

CLASSIC

Actually it is a hypocritical statement, since he himself suggests that taliban be bombed but MEND be made heros. One would expect someone reasonable would require all terrorists be treated equally!

^^ right terrorist are terrorist, after all taliban is fighting for their people and SOME people do see them in the same light as Niger deltans may see MEND.

I think MEND and Taliban and northern boko haram are all the same and deserve the same treatment

I dont get this davidylan guy he makes no FUKIN sense

and like I said before It doesnt matter how people view themselves it matters how majority of others view them.
Whether you are a freedom fight FINE, its ok but IF everyone else looks at you as a terrorist you are.

Just when I was thinking we have a president who will use all of our resources to exterminate MEND from the face of the earth. Only in Nigeria and all these Middle Eastern countries will a govt. allow such a nonsensical organization to conduct illegal activities like kidnappings for ransom, illegal refining, pipeline sabotaging, etc.

Kobojunkie:

I am sorry but I think you mistake me for someone else. First off, note the meaning of the word AMNESTY please. The AMNESTY package was a pardon which I considered a useless one considering these were stone cold criminals who went all out to not only attack and kill CIVILIANS but disrupt the nation's economy with claims of making life better for those they help deprive of a better life.

They tell us they fight for ND but continue avoiding any direct attacks on the politicians that embezzle money in the millions of pounds that ought to go to developing life in the area. Innocent civilians have had their lives disrupted for years by this group, while the politicians have not had to take a break from embezzlement practices in all that time. To save face (and probably avoid actually tackling the issue) the government offered AMNESTY. I expected a refusal but I saw we were only dealing greedy Nigerians at the end of the day. Unfortunately, a sweet deal was reached and the members were initiated into the hall of corruption, along with those destroying the nation.

That Wole Soyinka jumped on the bandwagon for a period does not in any way legitimize the group.  I am glad he has since removed himself from all this and has moved on to finding other groups to work with instead. I have never really cared what MEND wants. Resource control will eventually come but the area continues to recieve at least 30% more in allocations each month compared to a majority of the states in the country. In addition to that Oil companies have contributed close to, if not well over a billion dollars in at least 5 years to development in the area but a trip down there will reveal that all that money seems to go down the pockets of fellow ND leader and nowhere else. All I see with MEND is a bunch of terrorists taking advantage of the people of the ND in order to get themselves a piece of that National/Local cake. Ever since they got their AMNESTY deal, how many of them have actually tried in any way to use that money to help develop any ND area? How many have actually tried to move their people, whom they all claimed to be fighting for, forward? NONE

I just think your idea of having government negotiate with terrorists is ludicrous in this case because this particular group does not even seem to care for what it claims to care for, and that is the people. So why would bringing them to the table again, and humiliating a whole nation again, help anyone?

You are basing most of your argument on a flawed foundation. First of all MEND never accepted the amnesty. The amnesty was more for the criminal elements of the niger delta struggle. There are many militants groups in the niger delta but not all militant groups are MEND. I think its very important to understand deeply the issues in the niger delta so that we can all have educative discussion.

Now to the issue of you raised in the first part of your post, common. Why don't you ask yourself what the rest of nigeria is doing with the 87% of the oil revenue they get as freebies from the niger delta yearly? What have they been doing with it. Nigeria is a oil driven economy and most jobs available are because of the trickle effect of oil. What have you my sister, been doing with your salary to aid the people of the niger delta since your job is directly or indirectly a product of the oil drilled from the niger delta? Or forget about the delta, what have you used you salary to do to enhance your local community? Apart from Lagos which has an advantage of being the former capital, which other state in nigeria would you say is more developed than the states of the niger delta? The niger delta states have only in the last ten years been getting 13% of oil revenue. Tell me what the other states in the country have been doing with the oil freebies since the last 50 years? Considering that it cost five times more to develop a land in the deep swamp than in the normal ground, I don't think anyone has the moral right to point fingers at the niger delta states because its will be like pot calling kettle black. Having said that, I belive there is massive corruption going on the niger delta but that is not limited to the delta alone. Its all over nigeria.

[size=13pt]I wish for federalism so these jobless Illiterate fool.s can live their lives without disturbing INNOCENT PEOPLE.[/size]

They are too scared to go against the military rulers and crimina generals like Danjuma who made 500 million from the sale of his Oil well, who brought Nigeria to its knees by having Nigeria dependant around Oil.

sbeezy8:

^^ right terrorist are terrorist, after all taliban is fighting for their people and SOME people do see them in the same light as Niger deltans may see MEND.

I think MEND and Taliban and northern boko haram are all the same and deserve the same treatment

I dont get this davidylan guy he makes no FUKIN sense

and like I said before It doesnt matter how people view themselves it matters how majority of others view them.
Whether you are a freedom fight FINE, its ok but IF everyone else looks at you as a terrorist you are.

Your bolded sentence reveals a lot about your mindset. Its the mindset of majority takes all and the voice of the minority can be dismissed. Do you know it is that mentality that has got us in this problem today? You cannot dismiss the concerns of the minority just because they are minority. And you beware not to do it to a minority that have your balls in his hands.

Ehoi:

You are basing most of your argument on a flawed foundation. First of all MEND never accepted the amnesty. The amnesty was more for the criminal elements of the niger delta struggle. There are many militants groups in the niger delta but not all militant groups are MEND. I think its very important to understand deeply the issues in the niger delta so that we can all have educative discussion.

First correction, that would be SOME factions of MEND, not all refused the  Amnesty deal. By the way, since we have yet to hear much from all of them in about a year, it makes sense to conclude that the faction that did was the main.

Ehoi:

Now to the issue of you raised in the first part of your post, common. Why don't you ask yourself what the rest of nigeria is doing with the 87% of the oil revenue they get as freebies from the niger delta yearly?

I do ask myself that, and then I also ask myself as well what the ND does with the billions more it gets over the rest. So you see, for someone like me, I actually consider them ALL, and not EXCUSE the one while I hammer the others as if they are worse off or something that inane.

sbeezy8:

[size=13pt]I wish for federalism so these jobless Illiterate fool.s can live their lives without disturbing INNOCENT PEOPLE.[/size]

They are too scared to go against the military rulers and crimina generals like Danjuma who made 500 million from the sale of his Oil well, who brought Nigeria to its knees by having Nigeria dependant around Oil.

sbeezy
Your wish is their wish. They too want federalism so that they don't have to deal with people in Abuja anymore.
So you see, you both want the same thing.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, I advise you to leave Aso Villa and pick your AK-47 so that you can join your fellow freedom fighters in the Niger Delta. Since you are stupidly defending them, when MEND themselves has claimed responsibility for the attack, you have shown the Nigeria people that you will put your village ahead of national interests.  You have also shown that you cannot reason: first, by unjustifiably suspending the Super Eagles from further competition and second, by denying MEND's involvement in an attack for which MEND claimed responsibility.

What next?

sbeezy8:

[size=13pt]I wish for federalism so these jobless Illiterate fool.s can live their lives without disturbing INNOCENT PEOPLE.[/size]

They are too scared to go against the military rulers and crimina generals like Danjuma who made 500 million from the sale of his Oil well, who brought Nigeria to its knees by having Nigeria dependant around Oil.

won't change anything, imho

they will simply cook up  new excuse - we want shell out or something like that

or they will claim that those were the actions of a different faction that were not true 'mend'

Ehoi:

Now to the issue of you raised in the first part of your post, common. Why don't you ask yourself what the rest of nigeria is doing with the 87% of the oil revenue they get as freebies from the niger delta yearly?

I do ask myself that, and then I also ask myself as well what the ND does with the billions more it gets over the rest.  So you see, for someone like me, I actually consider them ALL, and not EXCUSE the one while I hammer the others as if they are worse off or something that inane.

Ehoi:

What have they been doing with it. Nigeria is a oil driven economy and most jobs available are because of the trickle effect of oil.

Actually, oil only makes up about 16% of our economy. Agriculture generates more money according to states than Oil does. But that is on the side for now.
I could also ask what has the ND states been doing with all the billions more they get OVER the other states. I mean it is fair, right, to ask for accountability from ALL states, right?

Ehoi:

What have you my sister, been doing with your salary to aid the people of the niger delta since your job is directly or indirectly a product of the oil drilled from the niger delta?

Now this is just ridiculous. What has my salary to do with ND folks? Are they the ONLY people in Nigeria who are impoverished or dying like flies? Why my salary? Since when did allocations of the sort MEND and other terrorist groups in the arrear get paid simply for existing equate to salary? Na craze be this?

Ehoi:

Or forget about the delta, what have you used you salary to do to enhance your local community?

I don't even know how to continue this since you seem to believe the allowance given the members of the group is some sort of payment for actual work done.
ROFLMAO!!!

Kobojunkie:

First correction, that would be SOME factions of MEND, not all refused the  Amnesty deal. By the way, since we have yet to hear much from all of them in about a year, it makes sense to conclude that the faction that did was the main.
I do ask myself that, and then I also ask myself as well what the ND does with the billions more it gets over the rest. So you see, for someone like me, I actually consider them ALL, and not EXCUSE the one while I hammer the others as if they are worse off or something that inane.

About three MEND commanders agreed to the amnesty. Actually only one (Tompolo) willingly agred. the other two were encouraged by MEND to accept it because their true identity have already been know. And all these commanders were immediately replace with weapons intact.
It is obvious why MEND have not caused trouble since. They declared a ceasefire to give the government an opportunity to do the right thing.

The niger delta is only getting some billions more over the rest today, but my argument is what have the rest been doing with the billions they have been getting in the last 50 years? Besides, when you calculate the money given to the local governments, you will realise that the niger delta states are not getting as much as you think because there are fewer local government areas in most niger delta states. I know this may be new to you.

And when you also consider that it cost five times more to construct a project in the niger delta than elsewhere, you would realise that even right now, the niger delta states are getting less than other states in term of development capabilities.

Ehoi:

Apart from Lagos which has an advantage of being the former capital, which other state in nigeria would you say is more developed than the states of the niger delta? The niger delta states have only in the last ten years been getting 13% of oil revenue.

Again, yes, the states have been getting billions more in allocations each year, along with direct funds from the oil companies in the area put aside for development, running up to a billion dollars in the past 4 or 5 years alone.
Now, considering allocation ratio, one could actually argue that states like Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu, and just as developed as one can claim for many of the ND states. Consider what goes in and what comes out and you immediately get the sense that ND states are sincerely not as developed as they ought to be. Try to argue that please!

Ehoi:

Tell me what the other states in the country have been doing with the oil freebies since the last 50 years?

No, I don't have to do that because it is not other states coming up with a terrorist group they want us to brand HEROS.

Ehoi:

Considering that it cost five times more to develop a land in the deep swamp than in the normal ground, I don't think anyone has the moral right to point fingers at the niger delta states because its will be like pot calling kettle black. Having said that, I believe there is massive corruption going on the niger delta but that is not limited to the delta alone. Its all over nigeria.

That is a ridiculous copout. No one is asking for development of land or that you go deep in the swamps looking for land to develop . . . development has little to do with land, please stop already. lol
Even if land has to be developed, how much of it has actually been done with all the money available to these areas?

Ehoi:

Now to the issue of you raised in the first part of your post, common. Why don't you ask yourself what the rest of nigeria is doing with the 87% of the oil revenue they get as freebies from the niger delta yearly? What have they been doing with it. Nigeria is a oil driven economy and most jobs available are because of the trickle effect of oil. What have you my sister, been doing with your salary to aid the people of the niger delta since your job is directly or indirectly a product of the oil drilled from the niger delta? Or forget about the delta, what have you used you salary to do to enhance your local community? Apart from Lagos which has an advantage of being the former capital, which other state in nigeria would you say is more developed than the states of the niger delta? The niger delta states have only in the last ten years been getting 13% of oil revenue. Tell me what the other states in the country have been doing with the oil freebies since the last 50 years? Considering that it cost five times more to develop a land in the deep swamp than in the normal ground, I don't think anyone has the moral right to point fingers at the niger delta states because its will be like pot calling kettle black. Having said that, I belive there is massive corruption going on the niger delta but that is not limited to the delta alone. Its all over nigeria.

My brother you are misinformed or trying to misinform people here. The revenue allocation formula is not as you stated as you're either ignorant of how it's shared or you are deliberately masking the truth. In simple terms this is how the oil revenue is shared:
FG takes aside 13% (Derivation for ND states)
FG shares the remaining 87% amongst all the states of the federation (ND states inclusive) based on a number of factors (population, size, etc. etc). FG also has its own share inside this 87%.
Finally FG shares the initial 13% amongst the ND states.

It is completely false for you to claim that the remaining states get the lion share of 87%.

If you need to get educated further, go to the link below and get the necessary info. Please stop peddling falsehood in your attempts at defending the horrible acts of the MEND terrorists.

http://www.fmf.gov.ng/FMF_Revenue_Alloc.aspx

@ Topic
Once again, GEJ has shown how clueless he is in the position he holds. Right after he declared that MEND was not responsible for yesterday's bombing, MEND came out to apologize for the dastardly act.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5626101-146/mend_apologises_for_abuja_deaths_.csp

Our dear president has only shown the whole world that ND is more important to him than the country!

Kobojunkie:

Actually it is a hypocritical statement, since he himself suggests that taliban be bombed but MEND be made heros. One would expect someone reasonable would require all terrorists be treated equally!

What a stup[i]i[/i]d assumption. Where did i ask that MEND be made heros? I dont really care about MEND . . . my problem is in the large crowd of hypocrites who swarm these boards denigrating them WITHOUT looking at the REAL REASON behind MEND's existence in the first place. MEND has no place in a rational society . . . unfortunately those who decry MEND's actions are part of the same group pillaging the country and encouraging many who feel armed insurrection against the state is the only way to go.

See, its not difficult asking you folks to READ BETWEEN the lines, the issue isnt MEND bombing in Abj yesterday . . . its about finding a lasting solution to make sure we dont provide an atmosphere for such groups to exist in the first place. I'm sure one of the reasons MEND has been so successful is that it has the broad backing of the entire Niger Delta (besides the frauds who call themselves leaders).

Kobojunkie:

Again, yes, the states have been getting billions more in allocations each year, along with direct funds from the oil companies in the area put aside for development, running up to a billion dollars in the past 4 or 5 years alone.
Now, considering allocation ratio, one could actually argue that states like Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu, and just as developed as one can claim for many of the ND states. Consider what goes in and what comes out and you immediately get the sense that ND states are sincerely not as developed as they ought to be. Try to argue that please!No, I don't have to do that because it is not other states coming up with a terrorist group they want us to brand HEROS. That is a ridiculous copout. No one is asking for development of land or that you go deep in the swamps looking for land to develop . . . development has little to do with land, please stop already. lol
Even if land has to be developed, how much of it has actually been done with all the money available to these areas?

I never went into details and never intended to, but thanks for trying to break it down. Unfortunately you didn't do full justice to it.
13% is taken aside for the niger delta states. Then federal government takes about 50% of the remaining 87%. Th other fifty percent is shared among the states  (niger delta including) and local government. But remember, all the states don't get the same allocation. The system is made to be less favourable to the niger delta states. Then there is the issue to allocations to the local government areas. Most LGA get about the same but the trick is, some states have about twice the number of LGA than other states. Here again the niger delta states are mostly short changed. When you put these into perspective you will realise that the niger delta states are not really getting as much as we think.

Its going to hard to convince my people that any body can creat email address and send mails to people claiming to be MEND, This Jonathan has spiritual masters that disclose stuff to him too, the have made their investigation and find out its not MEND.

Those calling GEJ naïve for this statement are themselves more naïve.After the attacks yesterday, GEJ did not come out immediately with this message.he must have made far reaching consultations and enquiries before he arrived at this position.He is a Niger Deltan himself and must gotten across to MEND.we are not privy to their discussions.so we can't say with mathematical exactitude that MEND was indeed responsoible. Do u know whether MEND denied responsibility before GEJ. Or are we foreclosing the possibility of someone launching attacks and circulating e mail messages as Gbomo jomo

Ehoi:

I never went into details and never intended to, but thanks for trying to break it down. Unfortunately you didn't do full justice to it.
13% is taken aside for the niger delta states. Then federal government takes about 50% of the remaining 87%. Th other fifty percent is shared among the states  (niger delta including) and local government. But remember, all the states don't get the same allocation. The system is made to be less favourable to the niger delta states. Then there is the issue to allocations to the local government areas. Most LGA get about the same but the trick is, some states have about twice the number of LGA than other states. Here again the niger delta states are mostly short changed. When you put these into perspective you will realise that the niger delta states are not really getting as much as we think.

@Ehoi,
You cannot defend all what you've written. Click on the link in my previous post. Ruminate deeply about the figures you have there. Then come back here to tell us what the allocation of the ND states are compared to the rest of the country. Stop arguing blindly. I put the link there for a reason. Go there and see for yourself.  

I will not be surprised if you return to tell us that the figures from The Federal Ministry of Finance's web page are falsified. Federal allocations to states and LGs can be found on the site. Select the year and month you want and you'll see the results. Go and do your research before you jump to uninformed conclusions.

I have shown you hard facts, come up with evidences to support your claims.

HEre are some additional ones for you!
States allocation in January of 2010: http://www.fmf.gov.ng/downloads/FAAC/sa_January_2010.pdf
LG Allocation in the same month: http://www.fmf.gov.ng/downloads/FAAC/lg_January_2010.pdf

9ijaMan
Thanks for the link, it was very useful and informative.
But still, I cannot see why you say it contradicts what I have said.
Please can you be more specific.

Ehoi:

But remember, all the states don't get the same allocation. The system is made to be less favourable to the niger delta states. Then there is the issue to allocations to the local government areas. Most LGA get about the same but the trick is, some states have about twice the number of LGA than other states. Here again the niger delta states are mostly short changed. When you put these into perspective you will realise that the niger delta states[b] are not really getting as much as we think[/b].

@ Ehoi,
The contradictions I meant to correct are in bold above. Donwload the figues for states and there respective LGs. Add the total figures together and come up with a single figure for every state of the federation. Tell us what you find. Are the ND states still being[b] short changed[/b]? Are the ND states getting more than other states?

You sure did make some correct statement, but I said you cannot defend all that you've stated.

As someone stated earlier, despite all these huge allocations going into the ND states, Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Total, Agip etc will not go to some remote village in Kwara, Oyo, Zafara or Kebbi states to provide them with food roads and infrastructures.

If the truth be told, the ND leaders are the worst enemies of the region!

GJ is saying that if it was the work of MEND, they would have informed him personally ahead of time, otherwise, why so haste to say that it was not the work of MEND?

Mend is not responsible, who killed Dele Giwa??

i think GEJ should take responsibility for what happened.