A leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, (MEND) Mr Henry Okah’s personal grievances with President Goodluck Jonathan is at the bottom of the recent bombing of Abuja, the Federal Capital, The Nation’s investigation has revealed.

An ally of Okah in a chat with The Nation last week in Port Harcourt, quoted him as saying that he has made up his mind to fight Jonathan to a bitter end, indicating that the feud between two kinsmen may continue to raise the specter of instability in the country.

The President and Okah are from Bayelsa state.

A reliable source and confidant of the South African-based rebel, said the bombing campaign by what looked like a fringe faction of MEND, has nothing to do with the genuine cause of the Niger-Delta people who want greater control over oil and gas resources produced in the impoverished region.

The source said Okah felt isolated during the arms for cash negotiation with the militant groups which for several months held the entire nation captive through arms build-up and bombing of the nation’s oil pipelines.

The source claimed that during the negotiation with the leaders of the militant groups, there was no reckoning with Okah whose main role in the Niger-Delta struggle was the supply of arms. After the October 1 Abuja bombing, MEND issued another statement late last week promising months of horror ahead.

MEND late last week said it would bomb Abuja again, but the group did not list any major political demand. Jomo Gbomo, speaking on behalf of MEND stated “In an obvious attempt to intimidate anyone opposed to the presidential ambition of Goodluck Jonathan, the Nigerian government hiding under the cloak of terrorist hunters have been witch-hunting, falsely accusing and harassing its perceived opponents….we have decided to carry out another attack in Abuja without altering our mode of operation to prove the suspects’ innocence.”

The Nation gathered that the isolation of Orkah during the Amnesty deal was due to the fact that he had “no ground troops” which made it difficult for the federal authority to pay him huge amount of money in exchange for arms. “During the Amnesty negotiation, Okah felt isolated. He had no boys in the creeks, he had no weapons. The Federal Government did not give him any huge amount of money to him. He felt isolated and made up his mind to fight Jonathan to the end. He only needed some few individuals to join him in the campaign.”

The source claimed that when President Goodluck Jonathan made up his mind to contest the election, Orkah also felt bad that the President did not consult or contact him.

"He sent emissaries to the President, but he was ignored. He tried to get a role for himself in the Jonathan campaign organisation, but he could not get the attention needed. He swore to fight back the President. He found an ally in a former military ruler who was bent on creating an atmosphere that would give the impression that Jonathan is not capable of holding the country together. What is going on is that Okah’s business is not flying because of the lull in the Niger-Delta crisis."

Our correspondent learnt that weeks before the Abuja bombing, one of the rookies that was said to be involved in the Abuja operation let the cat out of the bag when he told a top MEND leader in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, that there were plans to bomb Abuja.

The MEND leader was said to have passed on the information directly to the President. Unfortunately, security operatives were said to have treated the information with kid gloves.

The source claimed that the first meeting of Okah with the former the military leader linked to the bombing was through a proxy who is a top Nigerian media executive. “The man gave him money, a lot of money. He collected the money and both decided to work together.”

Our correspondent also learnt that undercover security operatives have “very strong evidence” linking a former military leader with the bombing that claimed eleven lives. The source claimed that the military leader “paid fat some of money” into the account of one of MEND’s operatives who transferred the huge amount to the “ring leader.”

A top official of the State Security Service, (SSS) who does not wish to be named said there were e-mail conversations between Mr Okah and the top media executive which the security operatives have already retrieved. It was on the strength of the information that the President made the statement isolating MEND from the Abuja bombing.

He informed that the bombing of Abuja may shift to other Nigerian cities as a plot to create an unstable political atmosphere. “The bombing is likely to continue until they exhaust the money paid to them.”

The source added that “The President has raw information indicating that Okah was not acting on behalf of MEND but rather on behalf of some forces behind the scene. The issuance of the statement claiming responsibility for the bombing by MEND was due to the fact that Okah is in control of the password of MEND. He actually designed the website of MEND and was responsible for issuing statements for the group after previous attacks on oil pipelines,” the source hinted.

He added that “The main campaign is to wage a psychological war on the President and force him out of the race for the President in 2011. Okah is playing the “fix game” by allowing himself to be used by the several political forces that are bent on preventing the emergence of President Jonathan as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in 2011,” the top security operative told The Nation in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Meanwhile at Amassoma, Okah’s ancestral home last week, most locals kept sealed lips when asked to comment on the role of their kinsman in his on-going battle with the Nigerian authority. Sources that pleaded anonymity told The Nation that Okah, whose late father, Wilson, was in the Nigerian Navy, has been a strong ally of the Nigerian Armed forces for over two decades.

He was said to be responsible for the supply of light weapons to some official interests. Okah was said to have attended Corona Primary school in Apapa, Lagos and later studied Marine Engineering in Akwa Ibom state before he took to arms trade.

Okah last week claimed innocence in all the allegations levelled against him by the Nigerian govenrment saying that he was a victim of political persecution.

He also insisted that his battle is selfless and aimed at drawing global attention to the fact that President Jonathan is not interested in addressing the Niger-Delta economic and environmental problems. Time seems certain to reveal what Okah really stands for.

http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/news/16239.html

Corroboration;

[size=14pt]2011: Militants hold secret meetings with IBB, Buhari[/size]
•Ex-military president given conditions
Written by Idowu Samuel and Emmanuel Adeniyi
Monday, 06 September 2010

THERE are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan is yet to strike a deal with leaders of key militant groups in the Niger Delta to strengthen his chances of winning the South-South zone if he decides to run in the 2011 presidential election.

Indications to this effect emerged in the light of efforts by leaders of the militants, who had given up on the government amnesty initiative  to engage presidential aspirants from the North in exploratory talks on how to fit into their presidential programmes.

Two leaders of militant groups which surrendered arms in the wake of the Federal Government’s amnesty had arrived in Abuja last week to hold talks with northern presidential aspirants, including General Ibrahim Babangida and General Muhammadu Buhari.

Nigerian Tribune learnt through aides of the aspirants that the militants complained that they were not being consulted by President Jonathan.

The militant heads were said to have canvassed a view that their full participation in the ongoing political process would enhance their resolve to finally discard the toga of militancy, just as they reportedly expressed dismay that their efforts to dissolve into the campaign programme of President Jonathan were not being appreciated.

It is not certain which specific roles the militants desired to play in the presidential campaigns of the aspirants, whom they reportedly met. However,[b] it was disclosed that tentative agreements were reached by the campaign team of General Buhari that they should make a bold appearance during his inaugural campaign summit scheduled to take place in Abuja any moment from now.

Checks within the IBB campaign organisation revealed that none of the militant leaders was able to meet the Minna general in person, but reportedly met his aides in Abuja and told them about their desire to feature in his campaign programmes.

When the militants met with the representatives of the ex-president recently, Nigerian Tribune gathered that they vowed to support him if he agreed to a one-term tenure and hand over power to a candidate from the South-South geopolitical zone in 2015.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Babangida was told to rescind his decision of handing over to a candidate from the South-East, choose a vice-president from South-South, implement the white paper of the Ledun Mittee committee and create additional states in the South-South geopolitical zone.

Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the militants were working with notable South-South governors, who were said to be working underground for different northern presidential aspirants following their irreconcilable differences with President Jonathan[/b]

http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/10635-2011-militants-hold-secret-meetings-with-ibb-buhari-ex-military-president-given-conditions

Another funny bit of info, is that the so called MEND that issued a threat in Zamfara, spelt Niger Delt[b]a[/b] as Niger Delt[b]er[/b].

There is some pretty good gist though, that govt is holding one of the guys that set off the bombs as well as the man who bought the cars; but its grapevine, so I can't back it up.

Anyone that goes back to review the truth about the amnesty deal will realize that Yar'Adua was negotiating with Henry Okah but GEJ dumped him for Asari et al.The truth remains that GEJ and Okah are putting their personal issues over National issues.

hmm, only time will unwrap the truth, till then every story has got to be taken with a pinch of salt no matter how convincing it sounds. This sounds quite convincing anyway, but y pretend to be saying nothing wen u've said everything? Hmmm time will tell.

Thief man. Shebi he said he doesnt beleive in amnesty, thats why he didnt join.

Kill the man.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Babangida was told to rescind his decision of handing over to a candidate from the South-East, choose a vice-president from South-South, implement the white paper of the Ledun Mittee committee and create additional states in the South-South geopolitical zone.

Imagine the thinking of the so called South South some folks claim are allies of the South East

Ignore this people, I will rather be outsmarted by Northerners than to be outsmarted by Ijaws. They have betrayed us enough and honestly this project Jonathan does not sit well with me.

Ndigbo please wake up. Ignore Jonathan's middle names . . . . . he is here to complete the betrayal his forefathers betrayed our forefathers.

@marcdunu, Did u just wake up from a coma? Pls look at the date carefully its now 2010!
So the presumed demands of a bunch of criminals on a rogue general is enough to determine the direction of your vote? I wonder how much your vote is worth.

wesley80:

@marcdunu, Did u just wake up from a coma? Pls look at the date carefully its now 2010!
So the presumed demands of a bunch of criminals on a rogue general is enough to determine the direction of your vote? I wonder how much your vote is worth.

My vote is obviously worth nothing because you lot are plotting to steal our votes with guns.

But that nonesense will never work in the South East. trust me when the chips are down folks will be reminded that the ijaws are traitors by nature who can never be trusted.

Igbos are better off forming alliances with those with fought with than our supposed brothers who sold us out and continued to sell us out untill they started seeking our votes they now remembered that we are neighbours.

Funny piece of s h i t

@ Marcdunu, sorry but u seem to be having a bout of 'paranoid delusion'. Please calm down b4 u get others watching over their shoulders over nothing.

^^^^^

Dont worry when the time comes we will know who is delussional.

^^^ thank you.
Ehem, . Back to Okah and GEJ ,

rubbish