PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday told the
Niger Delta militant group operating on the platform of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, that his response to the demands they had made rendered any sabre-rattling rather unnecessary
President Buhari was responding to the recent threat by the militant group to resume hostility and cripple the economy if the federal government failed to address the ten points demand the Niger Delta people had made few years back.

The group had threatened to declare return of
violence with ‘Operation Humble’ and ground key oil assets to bring the nation’s economy on her kneels, alleging that after four years of cease fire, the federal government was unwilling to meet its
demands.

NDA, had in a statement on its website on Saturday
said with the nation even at the brink of
disintegration, the federal government had continued
to feed fat on Niger Delta’s oil wealth with the
region still worst neglected.

The group had declared, “We decided to suspend
our famous Operation Red Economy which bled the
Nigerian economy into recession about 4 years ago
not because we are lazy but for the love we have for
our people and out of respect for the voice of
elders of the Niger Delta who beckoned on us to
give peace a chance and avail government time to
act on our demands at the time.

“To remind this failed government that we have
exhausted the very last iota of patience, the High
Command of the Niger Delta Avengers have in a
meeting held last night made some critical
resolutions.

“First, that we have lost total confidence on all
socio-cultural groups like PANDEF, the elders of
Niger Delta and the bunch of so called ex-agitators
frolicking with the Government at our detriment.

“This operation shall be coded OPERATION
HUMBLE aimed at bringing down target oil
installations capable of humbling the economy into
permanent recession.

“This mission is also targeted at political actors
collaborating with the Nigerian government to
undermine the interest of the Niger Delta people.
“No doubt, Nigerian Government continues to pay
deaf ears to our demands and rising challenges in
the country because the pipelines that crisscross
our lands are left untouched, allowing dollars to
flow into the federal treasury on daily basis for
mismanagement.
“We shall spare no oil installation within our range
of strategic targets for destruction in the coming
days and we bet the Nigerian Government will be
humbled to return to the drawing board and chart an
all-inclusive course by the time we are done with
our action plan.

“Our strike teams across the Niger Delta are
commanded to be on red alert awaiting precise
strike plans as mapped by the high command of
the NDA.

“The high command of the NDA has promoted and
appointed one of our finest operatives, Field
Commander Tu-ere aka Queen of the Creeks to the
rank of Brigadier General.

“She is an experienced field agent who before now
was the head of the counterintelligence unit of the
NDA, using her connections with top government
and security officials to deliver on her assignment.
“She was part of our elite Strike Teams that
attacked and took down the Chevron Valve platform
on the 4th of May, 2016; the Shell Forcados 48-inch
Export line on the 3rd of June, 2016; and the Exxon
Mobil Qua Iboe 48 Crude Oil Pipeline on the 11th of
July, 2016.

“Brig. Gen. Tu-ere is the first female to ever attain
this level and it is solely out of merit, and is placed
in charge by the High Command of the NDA to
execute operation humble to the later.

“We state unequivocally that we are back with
Operation Humble to humble the economy into
permanent recession and political players from the
Niger Delta extraction to political retirement.

“Our Strike Teams 01 – 09 and all other formations
are to regroup and remain on red alert awaiting
further command. No going back till Nigeria
economy is humbled into recession, never to rise
again.”

However, President Buhari in a statement issued by
his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief
Femi Adesina in Abuja, said that he had already
responded to the demands.

The statement read:” The media was Sunday awash
with threats and demands by a group, Niger Delta
Avengers, to embark on economic sabotage through
the bombing of critical oil and gas installations
unless certain demands, including the development
of the Niger Delta, and restructuring of the
Federation, were met.

“It is, however, curious that the threat was coming
less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu
Buhari met with the leadership of the Niger Delta
and Ijaw National Congress (INC), at the
Presidential Villa, and the germane issues had been
responded to, especially call for restructuring of the
Federation, and the inauguration of a Board for the
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“For clarity and record purposes, below is the full
text of the speech by President Buhari on Friday,
June 25, 2021, which renders any sabre-rattling
rather unnecessary:

“I warmly welcome all the Elders of the Niger Delta
and particularly the National Executive of the Ijaw
National Congress, under the leadership of
Professor Benjamin Okaba. I thank you for paying
this courtesy visit not too long after your election in
April, and swearing-in last May.

“I also want to congratulate you all for your election
and to add that a lot of responsibility is placed on
your shoulders, especially coming from the fact that
the Ijaw National Congress was almost without
leadership for some time.

“As the symbol of the collective voice of the Ijaw
people, which is one of Nigeria’s main ethnic
groups, the existence of a focused and people-
oriented leadership would go a long way in
articulating the demands of the Ijaw people and
making sure these demands are made part of the
national discourse.

“I particularly note your ten point demand to the
Federal Government in your inaugural speech and
assure you that this administration is frontally
addressing them.

“I am equally concerned about the rate of
environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and as
you are aware the HydroCarbon Pollution
Remediation Project has started work with
remediation efforts in Ogoni land and I have
directed the Minister of Environment to ensure that
the projects are implemented with a high
percentage of local content and inclusion of the
surrounding communities.

“Similarly, the National Oil Spill Detection and
Response Agency, under the same ministry of
Environment is working to make sure that oil spills
are reduced and new ones prevented. As you are
also aware, all the responsible agencies of
government have been directed to ensure that they
enforce compliance by the International Oil
Companies to international best practices.

“In addressing your call for immediate restructuring,
the National Assembly whose responsibility it is to
ensure that our constitution responds to the call for
a restructured Nigeria has already concluded
regional consultations and as soon as they finalise
the process, necessary action would not be delayed
on my part.

“In the same vein, your call for the creation of two
additional states and more local government areas
for the Ijaw people is a legislative matter, which
should naturally be handled by the National
Assembly and seeking concurrence at the state
levels.

“I completely agree with your call to allocate
operational licenses for marginal fields to Ijaw
people. However, as you know, the process of
granting licenses is guided by laid down rules and
regulations, most of which even favour local content
and local contractors. I see no reason why they
should not be granted such licenses if they qualify.
“On the issue of fair and balanced appointments to
reflect federal character principles, I re-affirm that
this has always been my focus and would continue
to be because I have always seen Nigeria as a
country where everyone should be given equal
opportunities.

“A contentious issue that has been a subject of
discourse amongst the Ijaw people of recent has
been the need for the Niger Delta Development
Commission to live up to its billing by delivering
the required succour to the people of the region.

Based on the mismanagement that had previously
be-devilled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up
and the result is expected by the end of July 2021.

“I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic
audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC
Board would be inaugurated. However, I would like
to implore you that the Ijaw National Congress
should play a more active role in making sure that
the mismanagement that occurred in the past is not
repeated.

“I am particularly happy to note your call for
promoting ownership of modular refineries by the
Ijaw people and I will urge you to interphase with
your sons who are involved in the processes of
establishing these refineries, especially the
Honourable Minister of State Petroleum Resources
to actualize this quest.

“Like you well know, completion of the East-West
Road is top on my infrastructure agenda and I will
look to its speedy conclusion. Again, the
occasional disturbance by youths in some
communities along the route to construction work
would require your close attention and guidance.

“Furthermore, we have made considerable progress
with the construction of the Bonny to Port Harcourt
Bridge.

“I am very happy with the recent affirmation of your
belief in a United Nigeria and while I thank you for
standing with me, I will also implore you to use
your leverage in making sure that we keep working
together to keep this country a united, indivisible
entity, so that we can tackle our problems together
and overcome our challenges together.

“I would like now to commend Professor Okaba for
your emphasis on supporting the fight against
insecurity by developing internal control
mechanisms as well as working with other
institutions in the country to address our current
security challenges.

“While I thank you once more for this visit and I will
continue to count on your support as we work
towards resolving our current challenges.
“God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”


https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/06/buhari-to-niger-delta-avengers-my-response-to-your-demands-renders-any-sabre-rattling-unnecessary/

Sorry where did you people get the headline from? That exact statement can never be from Buhari