₦airaland Forum

• MEND wades in, appoints Ajumogobia,
others to negotiate

By Bolaji Adebiyi and Ejiofor Alike
Prospects for peace in the troubled oil-rich Niger
Delta region brightened at the weekend as the
federal government, using back channel
communications, may have established contacts
with the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers,
whose violent activities had shut in about
800,000 bpd of the country’s crude oil
production.
Faced with the huge production setback resulting
in huge revenue losses to the nation’s purse, the
federal government had set up a team under the
auspices of the National Security Adviser, Maj-
Gen. Babagana Monguno, and the Minister of
State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, to
reach out to the militants and other relevant
stakeholders and discuss ways of appeasing the
restive youths and bring peace to the region.
To pave the way for the work of the committee,
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo had met with the
governors of the region, including Seriake Dickson
(Bayelsa); Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Ifeanyi
Okowa (Delta); Nyesom Wike (Rivers) and
Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) last week, stating the
federal government’s position to stand down the
military that had been drafted to the area to
enforce law and order.
Thisday learnt yesterday that the peace efforts
were yielding fruits as Kachikwu might have
established some contacts with some of the
commanders of the NDA, who had initially
repudiated the move, preferring to hang on to its
demand for self-determination for the Niger Delta.
The contacts, Thisday further learnt, might have
been responsible for the cessation of bombings of
oil installations in the last few days, as the
avengers were being prevailed upon by FG’s back
channels contacts to give peace a chance by
embracing dialogue.
Sources close to the process, told Thisday that
evidence that progress was being made was the
Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta’s
(MEND) consistent calls for dialogue instead of
violence.
Using its own channels, MEND was said to have
intervened on behalf of Kachikwu’s team,
reaching out to its fellow militants to give the
federal government a listening opportunity.
MEND said yesterday though that it was taking
advantage of the olive branch offered by the
federal government for dialogue and had
appointed a former Minister of State for
Petroleum, Odein Ajumogobia; a former senator,
Florence Ita-Giwa; Bismark Rewane and four
others as members of its team that will hold talks
with the government on the crises in the Niger
Delta.
The spokesman for MEND, Jomo Gbomo, said in a
statement yesterday that it looked forward to the
talks, stating that while Ajumogobia would
represent Rivers State in the negotiating team,
Rewane and Ita-Giwa would represent Delta and
Cross River States, respectively.
According to the statement, other members of
the team, it tagged Aaron Team, are Timipa
Jenkins Okponipere (Bayelsa); Ibanga Isine (Akwa
Ibom); Ledum Mitee (Rivers) and Lawson
Omokhodion (Edo State).
It said the seven provisional members had
accepted to serve on the team, adding that the
remaining members of the team would be made
public in due course after due consultations with
relevant stakeholders.
“Following useful exploratory discussions held
with high ranking officials of the current
administration, the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has
constituted ‘Aaron Team 2’ to dialogue with the
Federal Government on the immediate, medium
and long-term future of the Niger Delta region,”
the group said, adding: “The team is made up of
patriotic and selfless men and women of proven
track record, integrity and character; and drawn
from different parts of the Niger Delta region,
members of the MEND Aaron Team 2 are by no
means members of MEND.”
MEND recalled that it had in the past 10 years of
its existence taken up arms against the federal
government and the International Oil Companies
(IOCs) with a view to bringing to national and
international attention, the pitiable paradox of the
Niger Delta region.
It said it declared a ceasefire on 30 May, 2014 in
response to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s
Democracy Day speech of the previous day.
According to MEND, the ceasefire was an
indication of the group’s belief in dialogue and
diplomacy as means of settling disputes.
MEND invited the NDA to agree to a ceasefire and
join in the negotiation with the federal
government, warning that unless they both
embraced peace, the Niger Delta’s struggle for
development would be hijacked, once again, by
selfish interests for their own personal
aggrandizement.
It cited the recent purported demand of the NDA
made through the region’s governors that the
federal government should drop charges of
corruption against certain individuals and
politicians from the region as an indication that
the struggle had been hijacked and described the
demand as absurd, ridiculous and far removed
from the Niger Delta struggle.
MEND said: “Our message to the Niger Delta
Avengers (NDA) is simple: The Niger Delta
struggle is beyond attacks on oil installations.
Indeed, prior to the MEND ceasefire; the group
had, among numerous daring attacks, on
Thursday June 19, 2008 successfully carried out
the spectacular attack on Royal Dutch Shell’s
offshore Bonga oilfield, which is located at a
whooping distance of 120 kilometres (75miles)
south-west of the Niger Delta.
“However, with the benevolent benefit of
hindsight, the group realised that, after the initial
euphoria of each successful attack, the
gargantuan problems which confront our region;
including environmental pollution and political
corruption, increased geometrically. If indeed
your cause is to avenge the injustice done to the
Niger Delta region; then, we urge you to agree to
a ceasefire and join us on the table of negotiating
with the Federal Government.”

www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/06/13/militancy-fg-ndelta-avengers-make-contacts/

This is giving in to domestic terrorism.

The Government should as a matter of principle,never ever negotiate with a terrorist organization like NDA,Mends and their likes.

These guys are like leeches,they will keep asking for more and then more like Oliver Twist,but like people usually forget when telling the story of Oliver twist.

Oliver Twist asked for more,and he got flogged for it. That is how these NDA guys will get flogged.

President Buhari,should never show weakness like Goodluck Jonathan,who was turned into a pinless ATM by these illiterates in the creek.

These guys in the creeks are enemy combatants,and they should be treated as such. Democratically elected Governments don't negotiate with terrorists.

We will not negotiate with terrorist.

APC e-warrior

FG wait till friday, before you shout uhuru.

for more details on the impossible conditions the NDA gave FG press 11....

MEND shld keep shut already

What has changed after the ceasefire?

nice to know

Good if it will bring peace but FG must not succumb to any selfish demands of the terrorists. I am all for agreements that will impact on the region and its poor. Militants should not be rewarded for taking up arms against the government.

I pity the people of ND region for the backwardness of that region brought about by selfishness of their leaders.

If creation of NDDC, creation of Ministry of Niger Delta, provision of additional 13% derivation allocation, among others have failed to improve the region, there is only ONE thing that is responsible which is ACCOUNTABILITY.

And if accountability is not present, NOTHING will still be achieved even if all oil wells/blocks are ceded to ND indigenes.

Negotiations never works


True peace is achieved by annihilation of enemies, domestic or foreign

brownlord:
We will not negotiate with terrorist.

APC e-warrior

We wee not stop until dilector is freed, PDP online warrior from the lost tribe of Isreal

Avengers, mend, tompolo etc are all the same

Ordinary common mercenaries after their own pockets. The poor folks of the ND and the eternally deluded braggarts have been screwed over again

Way to go. Give peace a chance. And give us light.

I tot they were doing hard man

HungerBAD:
This is giving in to domestic terrorism.

The Government should as a matter of principle,never ever negotiate with a terrorist organization like NDA,Mends and their likes.

These guys are like leeches,they will keep asking for more and then more like Oliver Twist,but like people usually forget when telling the story of Oliver twist.

Oliver Twist asked for more,and he got flogged for it. That is how these NDA guys will get flogged.

President Buhari,should never show weakness like Goodluck Jonathan,who was turned into a pinless ATM by these illiterates in the creek.

These guys in the creeks are enemy combatants,and they should be treated as such. Democratically elected Governments don't negotiate with terrorists.

But we can negotiate with Boko haram, right? Oh I forgot Buhari said they are freedom fighters .

brownlord:
But we can negotiate with Boko haram, right? Oh I forgot Buhari said they are freedom fighters .

You shouldn't forget GEJ called them his siblings first

shukuokukobambi:
You shouldn't forget GEJ called them his siblings first

Yes, he did because an attack on them is attack on the north. Buhari

Okay

brownlord:
Yes, he did because an attack on them is an atrack on the north. Buhari

Shows GEJ up again as the clueless one

So his brain was wired to receive signals from buhari's gworo chewing mouth?

When all is said and done, who's gonna bear the cost of the cleanup of mess caused by their activities

Whatever it is, I don't see the Lost Crickets of Everywhere being excited with this news.

any person they contact is a scammer




they shud keep wasting their money

HungerBAD:
This is giving in to domestic terrorism.

The Government should as a matter of principle,never ever negotiate with a terrorist organization like NDA,Mends and their likes.

These guys are like leeches,they will keep asking for more and then more like Oliver Twist,but like people usually forget when telling the story of Oliver twist.

Oliver Twist asked for more,and he got flogged for it. That is how these NDA guys will get flogged.

President Buhari,should never show weakness like Goodluck Jonathan,who was turned into a pinless ATM by these illiterates in the creek.

These guys in the creeks are enemy combatants,and they should be treated as such. Democratically elected Governments don't negotiate with terrorists.

Can you move to the creeks and fight the Avengers yourself? I've noticed this your moniker all you do is bark, rant and spew gibberish.

Yes! I support the bombing of all the pipelines in the Niger Delta, if the government does not do the needful

An Amayanabo will be looking after a pipeline in his community for the sultan of sokoto

Make I hear say Avengers fall for their gimmicks.

That would be great.

Pharaoh has bowed.