The Pan-Delta Coastal States Consultative Forum, led by former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark has been criticised By the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) for rejecting the Niger Delta Summit proposed by the Federal Government.
Jomo Gbomo, the spokesperson to the group stated this in a statement released on Monday.
He said: “MEND dssociates itself from the ‘holier than thou’ and arrogant attitude of the Pan-Niger Delta Group over the proposed Niger Delta Summit convened by the Federal Government.”
“MEND also condemns in very strong terms the unstable, destructive and immature behavior of the Niger Delta Avengers, which resume hostilities at the slightest lame excuse.
“We believe that the right approach would have been to attend this Summit as a precursor to future intensive interactions and dialogue with government. A boycott at this stage, in our opinion was rather hasty.”
“Considering that this government has been open to the subject of dialogue with a people whose majority sold their birth rights for monthly stipends under a fraudulent amnesty program, whose elders, traditional rulers, tribal assemblies, political class, activists and clergy turned a blind eye and kept mute during the six years of plenty and unmitigated corruption and looting, while their own son and daughter were at the helm.
“The Pan-Niger Delta Group on behalf of the Niger Delta people should go to the Summit in shame and sober reflection while singing the praise of President Buhari like the women of Israel sang in praise of David.
“All we are demanding from the present administration today were valid issues during the past administration of a son of the soil Dr Goodluck Jonathan, which were never seen as urgent during his tenure to be addressed.”
MEND will remain in the Pan-Niger Delta Group in spite of the presence of some vultures whose names have sprung up from nowhere to our surprise.
“We use this opportunity to notify the general public that the former secretary of the disbanded MEND Aaron Team TEAM, Mr. Timipa Jenkins Okponipere, who was named alongside Messrs. Ledum Mitee and Ibanga Isine to represent the group in the Chief Clark-led Pan-Niger Delta Group, has been dropped due to differences that are in complete variance with the MEND principles, which frowns on corruption by public officials and their spouses and places premium on integrity,” the group said.
