The dreaded Niger Delta Region militants the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), has declared that it will continue to carry out its activities until President Muhammadu Buhari is ready to genuinely address the problems of the region.
The group which has claimed responsibility for several pipeline attacks in the region, warned that it will continue to impede all avenues to export crude oil from the region.
The group which has claimed responsibility for several pipeline attacks in the region, warned that it will continue to impede all avenues to export crude oil from the region.
NDA claimed that contrary to reports, it was not approached by anybody from the Federal Government when a ceasefire was declared, adding that the government did not create any platform to address the problems of the region.
Report quoted a source from the ranks of the militant group as saying, “in the first instance, we suspended hostilities in good faith to see if the government of the day was sincerely speaking when it announced its dialogue initiative. That was why for strategic reasons we did not make open declaration of our cessation of hostilities. We wanted to watch and to show Nigerians and the world the insincerity of the government’s dialogue plans.
“Until we resumed operations, nobody reached out to us and government did not establish any genuine platform to address our grievances.
“Until President Buhari takes our demands seriously and set up a genuine framework to address the Niger Delta question, we will continue to obstruct all avenues to export our crude oil to develop his 97 per cent (95 per cent). In fact, whenever we have any contact to establish a genuine negotiation and dialogue, we will not hesitate to let the world know that we are in dialogue with the government and her representatives.
“This is another phase of the Niger Delta struggle to reclaim our resources for prosperity. Some mischief-makers can tag it Ijaw struggle, but our set short, medium and long-term plans are for us the people of the Niger Delta to control our resources and develop our land and pay tax to the central government.
“We have stated our objectives, which are in three categories. It is President Buhari’s responsibility to show political will to address them, we do not want ‘peace of our time,’ we want ‘peace with honour.’ There are no new demands on the table, what every past government has given the people of Niger Delta is graveyard peace.”
(Source: DAILY POST)
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