Tuesday, 26 April 2016

Niger Delta Avengers born, new group says Nigeria not working


·         Demands country’s break up
·         Threatens to cripple nations economic activities
·         Accuses  Buhari of looking away while Fulani herdsmen kill innocent Nigerians

Just barely seven years after the landmark truce that quietened the Niger Delta region, late ex-President Umaru Yar’Adua’s historic efforts, may be consigned to mere history, as the country looks set for another fireball of restiveness in the area.
A new group, Niger Delta Avengers, announcing its birth Monday, is threatening not only to cripple the economic activities in the area, which is the golden goose that lays the Nigerian egg, but target major cities of Nigeria, to force the hands of President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the process of dismembering Nigeria.
A statement by the group, sent to an online publication – SaharaReporters, detailed the group’s grievances, part of which is that the country is not working, having been seized by primordial problems of corruption in high places, injustice and ethnicity.
It reads: “The recent happenings in the country is clear eye opener to how the Nigerian state has derailed and its heading to nowhere. A country where those in power overlook the main reasons why they were voted into power; that has showed how self centered and selfish the people we look up to as leaders in the country are.
“When they (politicians) are elected or appointed into any political office, their primary aim is to enrich themselves and influence infrastructural projects to their region. Clear example is the present administration where Fulani herdsmen, who are the kinsmen of President Buhari are above the law, despite the killings and atrocities they have committed against farmers in the south and middle belt, but the president can give a shoot on sight directive to military against the peaceful protest of the Indigenous people of Biafra. Another one is the 2016 budget where nearly all the major projects are channeled to the North even though the creeks of the Niger Delta are in dire need of development to improve the standard of living.
“The allocation of mining license is another crime this country is committing against its Niger Deltans. Where 80 percent of the oil blocs are allocated to northerners and the rest 20 percent is spread among the Easterners and westerners. THIS IS A CRIME AGAINST THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA. 

“The duty of the Nigeria military is to protect Territorial integrity of Nigeria but instead the reverse is the case, where politicians use them (Military) as thugs. Clear example is the Bayelsa state governorship election, River state federal and state house of Assembly elections, where soldiers and other security agencies are more interested in the money given to them by the politicians. As a result, whenever there is change in the military high command instead of them to focus on their duty all they do is to jostle or make their way to Niger Delta region to make money for themselves forgetting their primary duty. Most of the top ranked military officers in this country are billionaires because they are out to make money for themselves by interweaving themselves with pipeline vandals and crude oil thieves. 
“After looking at all these injustices and devilish acts going on in Nigeria the Niger Delta Avengers concludes that nobody is loyal to this entity called Nigeria instead, we are insisting that the entity called Nigeria should break up and let the South, East, West and North be governed by their own.
“Immediate past President Jonathan Goodluck is the only leader who believes in the unity of the nation. He was deceived that the entity called Nigeria can still be saved. He wasn’t after channeling infrastructural projects to his people the Niger Deltans despite that they are in dire need of infrastructural and human capital development. A man who was there to serve, he wasn’t after his own people but for the betterment and togetherness of this country, Nigeria. 
“If President Buhari can emulate the nationalist ideology of his predecessor, which we know is impossible, because the shoe is too big for him, the nation won’t be having economic crisis, there won’t be pipeline vandalism, and our best brains won’t be seeking greener pasture oversees. 
“The present administration infringes on the fundamental human rights of its citizens with impunity with no respect for the constitution of the country. What kind of government treats her citizens like that? 
“The present administration has no respect for the constitution of the federation and run the country as if we are in military regime. No freedom of speech, incarceration of innocent citizens and those against the government policies in the name of fighting corruption.
“The Niger Delta has been neglected for more than 50 years which gave birth to the arm struggle in the region but after the proclamation of the presidential amnesty to all agitators by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua little or none has been done about the Niger delta in terms of human capital development, infrastructural development, youth empowerment/educational infrastructure. The truth is, nothing has been done about the Niger delta. Niger Delta Development commission (NDDC) that has the statutory mandate to develop the region is cash cow for the northerner and their southern political counterparts.  The Niger delta region to the Nigerian government is like forbidding region as stated by one of our own, the minister of transportation Rotimi Amaechi. “That no parents will send their ward to school in the Niger Delta, a reason why the President Buhari led Administration cancelled the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko. Forgetting that the University of Port Harcourt he graduated from is sited in the Niger Delta. He is from a poor background like most other Niger Deltans but was able to attend university because it was sited in his community so why depriving other people from the region to benefit like he did?  What a shame!
“After a critical analysis and evaluation of the present happenings we come to a conclusion that, despite the president’s age and his cluelessness, he should call for a sovereign national conference. Where citizens from all regions will part take freely and decide whether the entity Nigeria should remain or break up WITHOUT PULLING A TRIGGER.
“There was a country called Nigeria that was put together by Sir Lord Lugard but that country died since 1966 and since then what we have is a divided country that is under the control watch of greedy and self-centred persons.
“The Niger delta avengers high command, which comprises of agitators from all ethnic groups in the Niger Delta, has concluded that if the president fails to hear our voice and refuse to call for the sovereign national conference, we will ensure it happens or we will employ our second option by crippling the economy of the country. We won’t stop at that but ready to take the fight out of the creeks and take it to cities like Abuja, Lagos, Calabar, Port Harcourt just to name a few. And Avengers are not interested in taking innocent lives, but we will defend our territory and ourselves.
“To our brothers in the Nigeria Military, we can still welcome you back home with open arms but don’t think we will spare you if you attack us.
“To the United States and all permanent members of the United Nation security councils, you don’t have to wait for Syria and Libya to happen before you intervene since Nigeria is already a failed state. 
“To all multinationals operating in the Niger delta the harms you have done to the region with your flaring, spillage and enslaving of the people enough is enough. We want you to have a rethink and do the right thing. 
“The Niger Delta Avengers are not Boko Haram, we are not ISIS. All we are asking for is a better living for the people of the Niger Delta and self-determination, that is, to govern ourselves. We will soon raise our flag and name our interim ruling Council. 
“We are calling on all Nigerians to come out and support this cause.”

Source SaharaReporters 

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