* Says PANDEF never issued ultimatum to govt on
dialogue
* Hails Acting President, Osinbajo as straightforward leader
* PANDEF too hasty in withdrawing ultimatum – IJAW
YOUTHS
CONVENER and national leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum,
PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, cautioned militants
threatening to recommence bombing of oil installations and declare
a Republic of Niger Delta, October 1, on account of Federal
Government alleged apathy to the peace process in the region, to
back out of the dangerous plot.
Chief Clark, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on phone on PANDEF’s
Thursday meeting with Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, in
Abuja, said PANDEF was now satisfied that the Federal Government
meant well for the region and also disposed to dialogue with the
regional body.
He also appealed to the militants, especially the groups that
claimed to have withdrawn their mandate from PANDEF to simmer down,
adding: “Rome was not built in day; the Acting President was
honest, straightforward and forthright in his discussion with us
and I do not see the need for war.”
Clark warned that any militant group that restarts hostilities
in the region was on its own, and does have the support of the
people of Niger Delta which he is the leader.
On the withdrawal of the November 1 ultimatum earlier given the
Federal Government on dialogue, he said the group never issued
ultimatum to government, explaining that it only urged it to set up
a dialogue team to discuss with PANDEF or the body would pull out
of further meetings with it.
However, factional president of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Eric
Omare, yesterday, described the withdrawal of the supposed
ultimatum given to the Federal Government by PANDEF because of the
mere promise of dialogue as “too hasty.”
The South-South leader said: “The press asked me the question
after our meeting and I told them that we did not issue any
ultimatum to the government, but if they misconstrue it as an
ultimatum, we are withdrawing it, that is what I told them,” he
said.
The elder statesman told Saturday Vanguard: “Our discussion with
the Acting President centered on the 16-point agenda and what
government is doing about them, the two-year Strategic
Implementation Work Plan, SWIP also contains some things that will
be done by the government and the International Oil Companies,
IOCs.”
“So I do not what they (militants) are looking for, there is no
need to go to war because between now and October 1, government
would have started a lot of things based on what they told us. we
are appealing to them, they mandated us to do something, government
is ready, we had a long discussion with them,
“We are satisfied; government is also satisfied with our
advocacy for the region. If there are still grumbles, they should
tell us and we will take it up with government, “the elder
statesman asserted.
The PANDEF national leader stated: “If we create insecurity in
the area, the IOCs we are expecting to come and help us in
development of the region will pull out. I can say from our meeting
on Thursday that government is ready to act, we should give them
the opportunity by being patient.”
He added: “Nobody is compromised among us as some people are
insinuating, we are looking for how to improve our region, provide
jobs for our youths, and we should give government time. They
explained a lot of things to us, including what they are doing in
the Ogoni cleanup, the amount Shell is paying yearly, what they are
doing about water in the area and so on.”
“We asked questions on the Export Processing Zone, Ogidigben,
Deep Sea Port, Gbaramatu, we discussed all these.
“It is true that MEND made a statement, but the representative
of the group was with us. What I know is that the MEND people want
amnesty, we are working on it, we did not abandon it, it is not
automatic. We will see to it that those that merit amnesty based on
political nature of their case will be looked into, but the
criminality will surely be treated for what it is,” he said.
On the issue of dialogue, he stated: “Yes, government is now
open to dialogue, we discussed our insistence on dialogue with
Osinbajo and he now understands what we mean by dialogue and said
that it will holding from time to time.”
“We told him that we had held dialogue with former military
President, General Abdulsalami Abubakar in the time Kaiama
Declaration, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua, which resulted in the Presidential
Amnesty Programme, and even ex-President Goodluck Jonathan despite
the allegation that we did not do anything during Jonathan,” he
said.
IYC kicks against withdrawal of purported ultimatum
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has called on militant
groups in the Niger Delta region threatening renewed hostilities to
exercise restraint to still give room for peaceful resolution of
the Niger Delta question. It is the inconsistent posture and lack
of sincerity on the part of federal government towards resolving
the issues that has led to agitators running out of patience and
threatening to resume hostilities. However, we strongly believe
that dialogue remains the best option towards resolving the
issues.
Omare in a statement, said: “The IYC is of the view that the
federal government’s mere promise of dialogue and briefing on
progress made with the PANDEF’s 16- point demand are not enough for
PANDEF to withdraw its ultimatum to the federal government to
dialogue with the Niger Delta people.”
“As far as the IYC is concerned, the key issue that the federal
government need to dialogue with the Niger Delta people is the
question of restructuring with a view to achieving fiscal
federalism and resource control. The other issues on the PANDEF 16-
point demand do not require a dialogue team between the federal
government and the Niger Delta people because they are routine
government responsibilities.
“Our demand for dialogue with the federal government is to
primarily address the resource ownership and control question which
underpin the Niger Delta struggle over the years. It is only a
resolution of the resource ownership question which gives the
communities a stake in the natural resources found in their land
that would lead to permanent peace in the Niger Delta region.
“The other issues on the PANDEF 16 -point agenda such as
take-off of academic activities at the Nigerian Maritime
University, construction of East- West Road, funding of NDDC,
Amnesty programme, Ogoni clean up, etc are only palliatives, but
not the root cause of the Niger Delta agitation,” Omare
asserted.
According to him, “Therefore, any dialogue between the federal
government and the Niger Delta people must be geared toward
resolving the resource ownership and control question. We make bold
to say that no amount of meeting between federal government and
Niger Delta leaders would bring permanent peace to the region
without addressing restructuring and the resource ownership
question.”
* Says PANDEF never issued ultimatum to govt on
dialogue
* Hails Acting President, Osinbajo as straightforward leader
* PANDEF too hasty in withdrawing ultimatum – IJAW
YOUTHS
CONVENER and national leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum,
PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, cautioned militants
threatening to recommence bombing of oil installations and declare
a Republic of Niger Delta, October 1, on account of Federal
Government alleged apathy to the peace process in the region, to
back out of the dangerous plot.
Chief Clark, who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on phone on PANDEF’s
Thursday meeting with Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, in
Abuja, said PANDEF was now satisfied that the Federal Government
meant well for the region and also disposed to dialogue with the
regional body.
He also appealed to the militants, especially the groups that
claimed to have withdrawn their mandate from PANDEF to simmer down,
adding: “Rome was not built in day; the Acting President was
honest, straightforward and forthright in his discussion with us
and I do not see the need for war.”
Clark warned that any militant group that restarts hostilities
in the region was on its own, and does have the support of the
people of Niger Delta which he is the leader.
On the withdrawal of the November 1 ultimatum earlier given the
Federal Government on dialogue, he said the group never issued
ultimatum to government, explaining that it only urged it to set up
a dialogue team to discuss with PANDEF or the body would pull out
of further meetings with it.
However, factional president of the Ijaw Youth Council, Mr. Eric
Omare, yesterday, described the withdrawal of the supposed
ultimatum given to the Federal Government by PANDEF because of the
mere promise of dialogue as “too hasty.”
The South-South leader said: “The press asked me the question
after our meeting and I told them that we did not issue any
ultimatum to the government, but if they misconstrue it as an
ultimatum, we are withdrawing it, that is what I told them,” he
said.
The elder statesman told Saturday Vanguard: “Our discussion with
the Acting President centered on the 16-point agenda and what
government is doing about them, the two-year Strategic
Implementation Work Plan, SWIP also contains some things that will
be done by the government and the International Oil Companies,
IOCs.”
“So I do not what they (militants) are looking for, there is no
need to go to war because between now and October 1, government
would have started a lot of things based on what they told us. we
are appealing to them, they mandated us to do something, government
is ready, we had a long discussion with them,
“We are satisfied; government is also satisfied with our
advocacy for the region. If there are still grumbles, they should
tell us and we will take it up with government, “the elder
statesman asserted.
The PANDEF national leader stated: “If we create insecurity in
the area, the IOCs we are expecting to come and help us in
development of the region will pull out. I can say from our meeting
on Thursday that government is ready to act, we should give them
the opportunity by being patient.”
He added: “Nobody is compromised among us as some people are
insinuating, we are looking for how to improve our region, provide
jobs for our youths, and we should give government time. They
explained a lot of things to us, including what they are doing in
the Ogoni cleanup, the amount Shell is paying yearly, what they are
doing about water in the area and so on.”
“We asked questions on the Export Processing Zone, Ogidigben,
Deep Sea Port, Gbaramatu, we discussed all these.
“It is true that MEND made a statement, but the representative
of the group was with us. What I know is that the MEND people want
amnesty, we are working on it, we did not abandon it, it is not
automatic. We will see to it that those that merit amnesty based on
political nature of their case will be looked into, but the
criminality will surely be treated for what it is,” he said.
On the issue of dialogue, he stated: “Yes, government is now
open to dialogue, we discussed our insistence on dialogue with
Osinbajo and he now understands what we mean by dialogue and said
that it will holding from time to time.”
“We told him that we had held dialogue with former military
President, General Abdulsalami Abubakar in the time Kaiama
Declaration, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the late
President Umaru Yar’Adua, which resulted in the Presidential
Amnesty Programme, and even ex-President Goodluck Jonathan despite
the allegation that we did not do anything during Jonathan,” he
said.
IYC kicks against withdrawal of purported ultimatum
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has called on militant
groups in the Niger Delta region threatening renewed hostilities to
exercise restraint to still give room for peaceful resolution of
the Niger Delta question. It is the inconsistent posture and lack
of sincerity on the part of federal government towards resolving
the issues that has led to agitators running out of patience and
threatening to resume hostilities. However, we strongly believe
that dialogue remains the best option towards resolving the
issues.
Omare in a statement, said: “The IYC is of the view that the
federal government’s mere promise of dialogue and briefing on
progress made with the PANDEF’s 16- point demand are not enough for
PANDEF to withdraw its ultimatum to the federal government to
dialogue with the Niger Delta people.”
“As far as the IYC is concerned, the key issue that the federal
government need to dialogue with the Niger Delta people is the
question of restructuring with a view to achieving fiscal
federalism and resource control. The other issues on the PANDEF 16-
point demand do not require a dialogue team between the federal
government and the Niger Delta people because they are routine
government responsibilities.
“Our demand for dialogue with the federal government is to
primarily address the resource ownership and control question which
underpin the Niger Delta struggle over the years. It is only a
resolution of the resource ownership question which gives the
communities a stake in the natural resources found in their land
that would lead to permanent peace in the Niger Delta region.
“The other issues on the PANDEF 16 -point agenda such as
take-off of academic activities at the Nigerian Maritime
University, construction of East- West Road, funding of NDDC,
Amnesty programme, Ogoni clean up, etc are only palliatives, but
not the root cause of the Niger Delta agitation,” Omare
asserted.
According to him, “Therefore, any dialogue between the federal
government and the Niger Delta people must be geared toward
resolving the resource ownership and control question. We make bold
to say that no amount of meeting between federal government and
Niger Delta leaders would bring permanent peace to the region
without addressing restructuring and the resource ownership
question.”
Read more https://www.nairalaw.com/dont-resume-bombing-declare-ndelta-republic-oct-1-clark-begs-militants/