·
Demands country’s break up
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Threatens to cripple nations economic
activities
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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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