President Muhammadu Buhari has been warned that the
use of military action against the Niger Delta militants
will escalate issues if it is not handled now.
President Muhammadu Buhari
The Niger Delta Avengers has said it owes no one any
apology for their legitimate agitations for true federalism
in the Niger Delta region. It accused the Federal
Government of overheating the system by engaging in
military action instead of managing it properly. The
group has now demanded to control its resources.
In a press release by its spokesperson, Brig General
Mudoch Agbinibo, said: “It is disgusting for President
Muhammadu Buhari and his tribesmen to equate the
revenue priorities of the Niger Delta region with regional
comparisons of development in Nigeria.”
“For crying out loud, since 1914 our resources have
been the essence of this union called Nigeria before
crude oil was discovered. The amalgamation of southern
and northern Nigeria was for administrative convenience
because the north was not viable economically. The idea
of bundling through bills like North East/West
Development Commission is fraud, hypocrisy and
bigotry by President Muhammadu Buhari,” it said.
Avengers stated: “President Muhammadu Buhari should
think like a leader with the advantage of his age to see
the genuine and legitimate agitation with the right
attitude to pacify our people. We have been raped for
too long, General Muhammadu Buhari should face the
reality of the Niger Delta question.”
“He can stop listening to ideas and advice of the
agitation as political system support structure that his
tribal warlords and conflict merchants have hypnotized
him to believe as the face of the Niger Delta struggle.
“Niger Delta is part of Nigeria federation that he
governs, since he is the president, he will always need
the cooperation of our people to share or allocate our
resources to other component units,” the group said.
It noted: “The daylight robbery and allocation of
proceeds of our natural resources must stop. When he
was the chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), as
General Sani Abacha henchman, he exhibited this
bigotry by focusing attention to his region, which he
never pretended about by emphasizing 97 per cent
versus 5 per cent development and appointment
structure that he has exhibited again in his fifth coming
in national affairs.”
“He never pretended to be ethnic and religious bigot;
the only things he pretends about are his roles in the
underdevelopment of the Niger Delta and Nigeria in the
over three decades he has being in government – 1976,
1978, 1983/4, 1993/98 and now.
“He also pretends over the deliberate politicization of
the Niger Delta struggle by those tribesmen and conflict
merchants he has abdicated the responsibilities of
governing Nigeria to since May 2015. He has forgotten
that on his assumption of office, peace has been
sustained in the region not through political party and
structure support approach but the involvement of
genuine stakeholders and the people of the region,” the
group stated.
It added: “If Mr. President will come down from that his
ethnic iron-horse to engage in discussion with our
people on October or any date he likes, the issues are
not new. We want to control our resources and pay
appropriate taxation to the central government that is
fiscal federalism in practice and in principles.”
“The government, representatives of the multinational
oil corporations, neutral international observers and
elders as well as stakeholders should guide themselves
with the following documents: the Sir Henry Willinks
Commission Report of 1958, The Ogoni Bill of Rights,
The Kaiama Declaration document of the Ijaw Youth
Council, The General Alexander Ogomudia Committee
Report, The Niger Delta Technical Committee Report
which contains the Pre- amnesty issues and agreement
with the government of Nigeria in 2009.
“Then, the framework can be drawn for achieving the
short, medium and long term objectives toward the
restoration of our land and reparation for the people that
have been raped and colonized since 1914,” t he
Avengers asserted.
They declared: “No amount of military action and surge
will stop us from halting the flow of the oil from our
land to sustain Nigeria. This is our land that we are the
masters of its battlefields.”
“We have warned earlier that we want the “peace with
honour, no more peace of our time”. Any meeting with
this government should be seen as driving a
combustible vehicle laden with fire to safety; it must be
driven with carefulness,” they said
use of military action against the Niger Delta militants
will escalate issues if it is not handled now.
President Muhammadu Buhari
The Niger Delta Avengers has said it owes no one any
apology for their legitimate agitations for true federalism
in the Niger Delta region. It accused the Federal
Government of overheating the system by engaging in
military action instead of managing it properly. The
group has now demanded to control its resources.
In a press release by its spokesperson, Brig General
Mudoch Agbinibo, said: “It is disgusting for President
Muhammadu Buhari and his tribesmen to equate the
revenue priorities of the Niger Delta region with regional
comparisons of development in Nigeria.”
“For crying out loud, since 1914 our resources have
been the essence of this union called Nigeria before
crude oil was discovered. The amalgamation of southern
and northern Nigeria was for administrative convenience
because the north was not viable economically. The idea
of bundling through bills like North East/West
Development Commission is fraud, hypocrisy and
bigotry by President Muhammadu Buhari,” it said.
Avengers stated: “President Muhammadu Buhari should
think like a leader with the advantage of his age to see
the genuine and legitimate agitation with the right
attitude to pacify our people. We have been raped for
too long, General Muhammadu Buhari should face the
reality of the Niger Delta question.”
“He can stop listening to ideas and advice of the
agitation as political system support structure that his
tribal warlords and conflict merchants have hypnotized
him to believe as the face of the Niger Delta struggle.
“Niger Delta is part of Nigeria federation that he
governs, since he is the president, he will always need
the cooperation of our people to share or allocate our
resources to other component units,” the group said.
It noted: “The daylight robbery and allocation of
proceeds of our natural resources must stop. When he
was the chairman of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), as
General Sani Abacha henchman, he exhibited this
bigotry by focusing attention to his region, which he
never pretended about by emphasizing 97 per cent
versus 5 per cent development and appointment
structure that he has exhibited again in his fifth coming
in national affairs.”
“He never pretended to be ethnic and religious bigot;
the only things he pretends about are his roles in the
underdevelopment of the Niger Delta and Nigeria in the
over three decades he has being in government – 1976,
1978, 1983/4, 1993/98 and now.
“He also pretends over the deliberate politicization of
the Niger Delta struggle by those tribesmen and conflict
merchants he has abdicated the responsibilities of
governing Nigeria to since May 2015. He has forgotten
that on his assumption of office, peace has been
sustained in the region not through political party and
structure support approach but the involvement of
genuine stakeholders and the people of the region,” the
group stated.
It added: “If Mr. President will come down from that his
ethnic iron-horse to engage in discussion with our
people on October or any date he likes, the issues are
not new. We want to control our resources and pay
appropriate taxation to the central government that is
fiscal federalism in practice and in principles.”
“The government, representatives of the multinational
oil corporations, neutral international observers and
elders as well as stakeholders should guide themselves
with the following documents: the Sir Henry Willinks
Commission Report of 1958, The Ogoni Bill of Rights,
The Kaiama Declaration document of the Ijaw Youth
Council, The General Alexander Ogomudia Committee
Report, The Niger Delta Technical Committee Report
which contains the Pre- amnesty issues and agreement
with the government of Nigeria in 2009.
“Then, the framework can be drawn for achieving the
short, medium and long term objectives toward the
restoration of our land and reparation for the people that
have been raped and colonized since 1914,” t he
Avengers asserted.
They declared: “No amount of military action and surge
will stop us from halting the flow of the oil from our
land to sustain Nigeria. This is our land that we are the
masters of its battlefields.”
“We have warned earlier that we want the “peace with
honour, no more peace of our time”. Any meeting with
this government should be seen as driving a
combustible vehicle laden with fire to safety; it must be
driven with carefulness,” they said
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