Emergent militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has listed some conditions that should be met by the Federal Government before peace can be returned in the Niger Delta, vowing to “crumble the economy” if its demands are not met.
The group of whom President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the military to crush, had claimed responsibility for the recent bombings of the Chevron valve facility, and the 48-inch trunk line supplying crude oil to Warri refinery.
The NDA listed their demands to include: the immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 national conference or the country would break up, it insisted that the ownership of oil blocks should reflect 60 per cent for the oil-producing people and 40 per cent for others.
Huhuonline.com gathered that the NDA also asked Buhari, the Department of State Services, DSS, and Timipre Sylva to apologise to the people of the Niger Delta region and the family of the late former Governor of Bayelsa State, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha for killing him
‘‘with intimidation and harassment because of his party affiliation.’’
Stressing that the nation’s only maritime university located in ‘‘the most appropriate and befitting place Okerenkoko must start the 2015/2016 academic session immediately,’’
the militants requested that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi apologise to the Ijaw and the entire Niger Delta people for his ‘‘careless and reckless statement about the siting of the university.’’
According to them, the Ogoniland and indeed all oil-polluted areas in the Niger Delta must be cleaned up and compensation paid to all oil-producing communities.
While sympathising with the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, the NDA demanded that the leader of the group, Nnamdi Kanu, be released unconditionally as a court has ruled. It said that the Niger Delta Amnesty programme must be well funded and allowed to continue to function effectively.
Faulting the Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign on the grounds that it is skewed in favour of his political associates, they held that all members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who are indicted in any corruption-. cases should be made to face trial like members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
The group warned oil multi-nationals and foreign investors to observe this ultimatum, as their business interest in the country would be the first target of attack.
Give President Buhari Time To Address Your Demands – APC (SE)
However, the South-East caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ,Monday, appealed the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA)to give President Buhari time to address the demand
This entreaty is contained in a statement issued by Mr. Osita Okechukwu, spokesman of the party in the South-East.
The statement stated that the former president also failed to amend the Constitution to the Avengers’ taste and failed to build the three Greenfield Refineries which he awarded.
“Accordingly, we plead with our brothers, the NDA, for God’s sake, to do a deep re-think and graciously allow peace to reign for our collective national interest and indeed, to save the Niger Delta from ruins.
“No sane Nigerian will pray for the recurrence of ugly incidents like the Odi, 1999; Zaki Ibiam, 2000 and Gbaramatu, 2009 or the unwarranted ugly scenario which the Niger Delta Avengers are consciously simulating. “
“It is our candid view that the bombing of Forcados pipeline, Bonga oil field, Chevron trunk lines and other oil and gas installations will not facilitate the implementation of 2014 National Conference Report,’’ the statement said.
It added that bombing the facilities would not enhance funding of the Amnesty Programme or make for the clean-up of the Niger Delta.
Ijaw Youths Tell Buhari To Crush Troublesome Militants, Groups
On the other hand,the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to fish out the real persons bombing oil pipelines in the region.
The IYC spokesman, Eric Omare, who made this call in Yenagoa on Monday, strongly condemned “the noxious activities of a new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA),” saying that there was no reason for them to embark on destruction of oil facilities and pollution of the region’s environment.
The new militant group had claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on the SPDC platform at Forcados, the Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, and the pipelines transporting crude oil to the Warri and the Kaduna refineries.
However, Omare believed that the destruction of oil facilities was not the way forward for the region.
He said,
“We do not see the justification in the Niger Delta Avengers embarking on destruction of oil facilities because Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, denounced the group.
“I think Tompolo did the proper thing by coming out to inform the entire world that he was not part of the NDA when there were insinuations to the effect that he was behind them.
“As with other cases of attack on oil facilities, the Niger Delta environment and people are the ultimate victims and would suffer from these latest attacks. The IYC believes that irrespective of their grievances, there are better ways of expressing them rather than contributing to the further destruction of the already massively degraded Niger Delta environment.
“The security agencies should go after the real culprits and not innocent communities and people in the region. From our experience, the security personnel in a bid to impress their superiors and justify the huge amount of money budgeted for the purpose, always attack innocent communities and people.
“This must not be allowed to happen this time around. We would also advise the Federal Government to be prompt in directing security agencies to deal with insurgent groups all over the country including the Fulani herdsmen who have been killing innocent Nigerians just like they have just directed in respect of the Niger Delta Avengers.”
