Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)
The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to an article titled: “President Buhari Sharpens Focus On Niger Delta,” written by Mr. Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity.
We have carefully studied and analysed the article. We wholeheartedly applaud and welcome President Buhari’s sharpened focus on the Niger Delta even though, in our estimation, Mr. Shehu’s article ironically did more to obtuse the focus.
Mr. Shehu’s piece was unfortunately marred by sweeping assumptions; hasty generalization; illogicality and poor analysis of the Niger Delta question and, above all, the article merely provided lame excuses for Government’s inability to proffer sustainable solutions to the Niger Delta crisis.
It was tactless of Mr. Shehu to arrive at a conclusion in his article that, Niger Delta militants were behind the killings of prominent individuals and attacks on some coastal communities in Lagos and Ogun states. This casual but hasty generalization from a Presidential spokesperson is, to say the least, steeply divisive and capable of sparking a tribal war of unimaginable consequences between the Ijaws (whose youth are perceived to constitute a large number of
the rank and file of Niger Delta militants) and the Yorubas.
Quite apart from the fact that none of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) operatives have so far, been arrested by security agencies to establish Mr. Shehu’s sweeping assumption, the comment by Mr. Shehu is regrettable and infra dig his office.
Going forward, three salient issues which clearly reveal the seeming inability of President Buhari’s government to find sustainable solutions to the Niger Delta crisis can be distilled from Mr. Shehu’s article.
Firstly, he made heavy weather about the Punch newspaper editorial of July 1, 2016 as a basis to justify government’s reluctance to negotiate with the NDA and other militant groups. Thereafter, he cited National Security Adviser (NSA) General Babagana Mongunno’s alleged encounter with about 14 different militant groups who were all “claiming leadership to the renewed onslaught on the nation’s economic jugular vein.”
Secondly, Mr. Shehu revealed in his article, the reluctance of Government to take “the strongest possible military action” against the NDA and other militant groups while appealing to Elders and Traditional Rulers from the Niger Delta region such as HRH King Alfred Diette-Spiff, the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass in Bayelsa state to beg
the militants to ceasefire. Thereafter, Mr. Shehu informed that President Buhari would take action (presumably, military action) after receiving reports from Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu who was interfacing with stakeholders; Special Adviser on Niger Delta/Co-ordinator, Presidential Amnesty Programme, Brigadier
General Paul Boroh (rtd); and the new Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
Thirdly, Shehu in his article bemoaned the proliferation of solutions to the Niger Delta crisis while asking rhetorical questions, to wit: “How many of those agreements, joint statements, ceasefires and peace declarations do we have on record so far? Why haven’t they given us peace? What is wrong with those agreements that they don’t last?”
Mr. Shehu failed to proffer answers to his own questions. He also failed to apportion blame on successive Governments and the International Oil Companies (IOCs) who have repeatedly reneged on agreements entered with the people of the Niger Delta. For instance, Mr. Shehu needs to be reminded that Government and the IOCs are owing the NDDC billions of Naira in withheld funds. But that is a discussion for another day.
There is a marked distinction between negotiation with criminals and fraudsters who force concessions from Government using the strategy of attacks on oil installations, on the one hand; and dialogue with genuine militant groups such as MEND who are committed to meaningfully engage Government on the vexed Niger Delta question,
on the other hand. While the former engage in militancy for their own personal aggrandizement; the latter are patriots who are fighting a just cause and are equally desirous of peace, stability and development of the Niger Delta region for the Common Good.
As unfolding events in Nigeria have since revealed, the major
challenge of President Buhari’s government lies in its inability to
distinguish between NEGOTIATION (emphasis supplied) with criminal
elements such as the NDA who are sabotaging the nation’s economy and
whose demands range from the mundane to the outright ridiculous, on
the one hand; and DIALOGUE (emphasis supplied) on the Niger Delta
question with a serious-minded group such as MEND, on the other hand.
The way and manner criminal gangs such as the NDA hold Government
to ransom and force concessions; is exactly the same way and manner
pressure groups such as PENGASSAN, NUPENG or even the National
Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) oftentimes held Government to
ransom, regardless of the risks posed by their actions to the national
economy and to the lives of ordinary Nigerians. The only difference
here is that, NDA ups the ante with their senseless and unprovoked
attacks on oil installations. Willy-nilly, Government must negotiate
with them even though their belligerent and bellicose conducts may be
inimical to the national interest.
Government is therefore at liberty to negotiate with arm-twisting
unions and criminal groups like the NDA so long as such negotiations
were done in the national interest. After all, even in the United
States and other Western countries, professional negotiators were
often engaged by those Governments to negotiate with criminals who may
have held innocent citizens hostage; while at the same time, placing
snipers on standby to take out the threat to national security
whenever the opportunity presented itself.
MEND is therefore not opposed to Government’s plan to negotiate
with the recalcitrant NDA through the office of the NSA. However,
Government must not delude itself into thinking that negotiation with
the NDA was tied to the resolution of the Niger Delta question.
Negotiation with NDA is merely a temporary respite, as another
opportunistic group is lurking in the shadows. But dialogue and
resolution of the Niger Delta question is a sustainable solution for
all stakeholders.
MEND have repeatedly reiterated that the Niger Delta struggle was
beyond attacks on oil installations. In fact, destruction of oil and
gas pipelines is an elementary course in guerilla warfare which can be
carried out by any militant group. MEND therefore stopped attacks on
oil installations more than 2 years ago when the group unilaterally
declared a ceasefire of hostilities on May 30, 2014 against Nigeria’s
key economic and strategic interests. Since then, the group had
relentlessly sought to engage Government in a sincere DIALOGUE
(emphasis supplied) on the release of Prisoners of Conscience,
including Henry and Charles Okah, as well as addressing the root
issues bedevilling the Niger Delta region, without success.
On January 6, 2015 when MEND realised that former President
Goodluck Jonathan – an indigene of the Niger Delta – was not
interested in dialogue, on the Niger Delta question, the group
endorsed Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate in the 2015 Presidential
election; in the earnest belief that President Buhari would sincerely
welcome dialogue on the Niger Delta question.
MEND therefore calls on President Buhari to refrain from being
deceived by the recent visit of HRH King Alfred Diette-Spiff to the
Presidential Villa under the pretext of a hurriedly formed Niger Delta
Dialogue and Contact Group (NDDCG).
Throughout the 6-year tragic rein of former President Goodluck
Jonathan, King Diette-Spiff said or did nothing on record to draw the
attention of the former President to the resolution of the Niger Delta
question. He and other elders and elites of the region, including
Chief Edwin Clark, certain ex- militants, tribal assemblies such as
the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) as well as a coterie of so-called Niger
Delta activists; embarrassingly kept mute and turned a blind eye
during the 6 years of colossal waste, unmitigated corruption,
monumental fraud in the unsustainable amnesty programme, environmental
decay and neglect, infrastructural stagnation such as the wicked and
criminal abandonment of the East/ West road project, among others.
Regardless of the fact that there is a consensus of opinion that
the Federal Government is not sincere about the kind of dialogue
advocated by MEND, the group has nevertheless, named an Aaron Team
comprised of the following persons:
i. Henry Odein Ajumogobia, SAN (Rivers) – Team Leader;
ii. Bismark Jemide Rewane (Delta) – Awaiting re-confirmation;
iii. Senator Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross River);
iv. High Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Delta) – Awaiting confirmation;
v. Ledum Mitee, Esq. (Rivers);
vi. Lawson Omokhodion (Edo);
vii. Ibanga Isine (Akwa Ibom);
viii. Senator Adolphus Wabara (Abia);
ix. Alfred Isename (Edo);
x. Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, Esq. (Bayelsa) – Team Secretary
For the avoidance of doubt, the MEND Aaron Team shall not dialogue
with the NSA given that the office of the NSA lacks executive power.
Given also the fact that the root issues surrounding the Niger Delta
question are on the exclusive legislative list. Given further, the
fact that the proposed dialogue is not an interrogatory session.
We therefore hope that the Federal Government shall reach out to
Aaron Team Leader Mr. Odein Ajumogobia to signal Government intention
to commence the dialogue. If after two (2) weeks from the date of
publication of this Right of Reply we don’t hear from the Federal
Government, MEND shall safely assume that Government is truly not
sincere about dialogue on the Niger Delta question and responds only
to the threat of violence or industrial action.
Jomo Gbomo