AFTER one week of sustained attacks on oil facilities in Rivers State, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has announced a ceasefire following intervention by some Ijaw leaders in the Niger Delta.
Meanwhile, the Joint Task Force (JTF) whose attack on MEND bases and seven Tombia communities penultimate Saturday triggered militant attacks and the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) have welcomed the development.
MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, yesterday announced that the militants who had attacked over six oil and gas facilities belonging to mainly Shell Petroleum Development Company and Chevron since September 13 have decided to downgrade the oil war code-named ‘Hurricane Barbarossa’ to a state of alert code-named “Tropical Storm Vigilant.”
His words: “After one week of intense lopsided fighting and an unprecedented sabotage on the oil industry prompted by an unprovoked attack on one of our positions, including indiscriminate attacks on civilian communities, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will downgrade the oil war code-named Hurricane Barbarossa to a state of alert code-named “Tropical Storm Vigilant.”
Gbomo explained that MEND’s cessation of hostility was due mainly to intervention and passionate pleas by Ijaw leaders like Chief Edwin K. Clark, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, Senator David Brigidi and no others.
According to Gbomo, “Effective 0100 Hrs, September 21, 2008, exactly one week we launched our reprisal, MEND will begin a unilateral ceasefire till further notice. During this time, the International Red Cross alone will be allowed access to retrieve the bloated floating bodies of several soldiers to avoid an epidemic.”
MEND explained that it decided to stop further attacks even at a time of victory over the military and alleged utter helplessness of the oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. MEND, however cautioned that it only speaks for itself and would not vouch for the other angry groups that aligned with it during the one-week of persistent attacks on oil facilities.
He said: “We hope that the military has learnt a bitter lesson. The next unprovoked attack will start another oil war that will be so ferocious that it will dim the pleas of the elders. That blood oil war will come in the form of another hurricane and its devastation and mode of operation will be different from what was seen with Barbarossa.”
The country may have been losing about 300,000 barrels daily of its crude oil output following MEND attacks. Due to the severity of the attacks, Shell was forced to declare force majeure on Nigeria’s oil export.
JTF spokesperson, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, described MEND’s gesture as good for the militants, the Niger Delta region, the nation and the international community.
He explained that the military was disposed to the amicable resolution of the crisis in the region and would continue to monitor situation on ground to ascertain that MEND was genuine.
According to him: “At the JTF level, we will continue to carefully and firmly monitor the situation, exercise limited level of restraint until MEND’s new position is seen to have been actualised. We are open to the amicable resolution of this in-house crisis, hoping it is not going to be another tactical deception, which we are used to and are already prepared to contain.”
Similarly, Prof. Kimse Okoko has lauded the militants for heeding to the pleas of Ijaw leaders and well-meaning Nigerians.
The Ijaw leader, who had bemoaned the JFT’s action that triggered the week-long crisis, has urged the military to reciprocate MEND’s gesture by halting all military offensives in the region.
According to him: “Military bombardment is not the way to resolve the crisis in the Niger Delta; if you kill all the militants now, others will rise up. Even if you bomb all the militant camps, others will rise up for sure.”
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Osun State Governor, has also appealed to militants in the Niger Delta to sheathe their swords in the overall interest and development of the zone.
He said the problem of the area was receiving more attention by the Federal Government with the creation of a separate ministry by President Umaru Yar’Adua to cater for the special needs of people in the area.
Speaking yesterday at an event tagged “2008 Veteran Walk for Peace” in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the governor noted that the much desired development in the area would be difficult to achieve in view of the renewed violence and called on the militant groups to give peace a chance.
The governor also called on leaders in the area to use their position by prevailing on the militant groups to toe the path of peace to enable the Niger Delta Ministry function properly and fulfill its mandates.
And the new High Commissioner of India to Nigeria, Mr. Mahesh Sachdev, has suggested speedy social development plans of the Niger Delta as a way to bring a quick solution to ongoing crisis in the area.
He also suggested solid empowerment programmes that could translate into viable employment opportunity for the youths with transfer of technology and infrastructural development.
Speaking during a reception party held in his honour at Victoria Island, Lagos, by members of Indian Universities Alumni Association, Lagos over the weekend, Sachdev noted that India was much concerned about the Niger Delta crisis and is ready to assist the country in anyway possible that would bring lasting solution to the issue.
“My view is that the restive youths should be empowered while massive infrastructural development with transfer of technology should be put in place,” he said.
The High Commissioner described the relationship between the two countries as a very cordial one that has translated into solid economic, social and political development over the years.
“Nigeria-India relationship is an excellent one that is based on shared values. It has translated into viable economic, social and political partnership. I can say that our relationship with Nigeria is one of the best all over the world. The two communities have come to appreciate each other with cultural values.”
The President of the alumni, Mr. Moses Omorogbe, in his speech enjoined the High Commissioner to encourage India to join other nations in further exploring into the Nigerian oil and gas sector, including establishment of refineries.
According to him: “We do know that there is some level of professional efficiency in the way things work in India, like the transport sector, power and energy sector, manufacturing, educational, agricultural and water resources management sectors and indeed the Indian economy. We would like to see India collaborating with Nigeria in these sectors.
From Calabar, the Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, has called on youths in the area to give peace a chance. He made the appeal at the opening of a three-day workshop on National Peace Building and Conflict Resolution at the weekend, warning that if current situation of kidnap, street gangsters and other vices continue, nothing meaningful can be gained.
The minister who spoke through the Director of Networks & Social Mobilisation, Mr. Dauda Kigbu, said the current trend in the Niger Delta will impede both development in the region and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.