We won’t surrender arms, MEND

But with barely 11 days to the deadline for militants to surrender their arms and embrace amnesty, MEND has continued to maintain that it would encourage known commanders to take advantage of the process and move on, adding that if they wish to surrender their personal weapons, they are free to do so.

MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, told The Guardian in an online interview yesterday that the group is not taking serious the amnesty committee spokesperson, Dr. Timi Agary, who revealed that the government might commence negotiation with MEND.

Gbomo said: “Dr. Agary may have said that for talking sake. I do not believe she is serious. There has been no serious effort to reach us. We have refused to be compromised with monetary inducement. We will exchange our arms with justice.”

He continued: “Pride and arrogance on the part of government is standing in the way of such a dialogue. The attitude of General Godwin Abbe (rtd) who represented the government during a meeting with Tompolo gives a clear example of the government’s thinking. I can assure you that their pride is a prelude to the disgrace and downfall of the government.”

Gbomo said there has not been any dialogue between MEND and the government, except occasional threats by Godwin Abbe, which shows that the government is very desperate.

MEND said it would not give fresh conditions to the government in the event of any dialogue, as long as the core issues affecting the Niger Delta are tabled. This first step, according to the group, is indicative that government has admitted there is an issue and are serious about addressing them.

On the speculation that the Israeli government might offer Nigeria military assistance to curb activities of militants in the Niger Delta, Gbomo said MEND believes the Israelis just want to assist their defense industry to sell gunboats no one else has been buying to the Nigerian government.

According to him, ” We are not at all worried because Israel’s history with its enemies does not show they have overwhelmed them. God will be on the side of justice and all we need is one smooth pebble to down the Goliath that will be sent against us.”

And contrary to claim by some militants who have since embraced the amnesty offer and surrendered their weapons that Henry Okah, a factional leader of MEND does not want peace in the region, Gbomo said Okah remains firm about justice in the region and he is equally enthusiastic about peace.

Gbomo said it is not surprised by the ‘politicisation’ of the amnesty programme in Bayelsa. According to him, “the whole amnesty exercise is a charade and that is one of the things you get from a charade.”