Warri Meeting: The issues before N-Delta leaders

WARRI- ONE of the imperative tasks before the monarchs, leaders of thought and stakeholders from the Niger Delta coastal states, converging on Warri, Delta State,

Friday, for a high- level meeting is how to get the rampaging militants, particularly the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, to cease hostilities and dialogue with the Federal Government to give the region a fresh breath.

For months, the region has been on edge. 

However, with the governors of the six South-South states, Hon Emmanuel Udom (Akwa Ibom), Henry Dickson (Bayelsa), Prof Ben Ayade (Cross River) Senator Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) Comrade Adams Oshiomohole (Edo) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers) expected to be in attendance, the meeting should not lack the political will and contact to tackle the matter head-on. Former Federal Commissioner for Information and national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, an old hand of many Niger Delta battles, who convened the meeting and former governors, Major Gen David Ejoor (retd), Brig Gen Osaigbovo Ogbemudia (retd) should be clear on the expectations. 

With His Majesty Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri, HRM King Alfred Diette-Spiff, HRM Pere Charles Ayemi-Botu and others, including the social-cultural groups and organizations, the people should speak with voice and get the combatants to sheath their sword. 

Discordant tone Lately, the Niger Delta Avengers and indeed, the militant groups, which had initially indicated willingness to come to the dialogue table, though under certain conditions, has ruled out jaw-jaw based on the actions and inactions of the federal government. 

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, is dialoguing with the Federal Government on behalf of militants, which no less a person than Buhari has confirmed. Bluntly, the group has made some inroads in the negotiation. 

Government has, however, not denied or confirmed the far-reaching concessions reached with the group, which it had proclaimed. 

However, the group tried as it could does have the imprimatur of the militants involved blowing pipelines in the creek. Presumably, MEND has a good intention, but it also appears that it did not carry out a wider consultation with other militant groups and leaders in the region before brokering peace on their behalf. 

Unquestionably, there is a communication gap between MEND and Avengers, the arrowhead of the struggle and except they mend it, the confusion continues. But the reality is that it they can bridge the gap. 

Barely 48 hours ago, a former director of youth development in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Ballantyne Agiri, claimed: “The body (referring to NDA) has collectively and willingly agreed to heed the clarion call of eminent Nigerians and international community to dialogue with the Federal Government. 

The federal government should from the inception of the dialogue rule out from the agenda any monthly monetary inducement or stipend for the NDA. The federal government should be ready for structural changes that should be human and development oriented.”

 His words “Members of the Avengers’ group (who will participate in the dialogue) have already been selected, each based on his integrity, forthrightness, honesty and life track records. 

The names of members of the group for now shall not be made public for personal reasons until they begin functioning in few days ahead.” 

Agiri spoke as the acting spokesperson of the Contact and Dialogue Team allegedly constituted by NDA. However, the Avengers literally breathing fire debunked his claim, saying: “That report is not from us. 

We are not in any form of dialogue agreement with anybody. It is as the government wants to dialogue with themselves. We do not know him. 

They are all government agents working against the Niger Delta struggle. We never had any meeting with the said Ballantyne. We wonder how, On Wednesday night, Avengers’ spokesperson, self-styled Brig Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, asserted: “Since Mr. Ballantyne Agiri claims to know a lot about NDA, we are asking the DSS to declare him wanted.” Unauthorized mandate Niger Delta leaders should clinically appraise why the militants are making a U-turn on dialogue after agreeing to it. 

They must come up with a win-win panacea. Without mincing words, the Avengers and other so-called militants do not have the mandate of the people of Niger Delta, who they purport to represent, to blow up any pipeline in the name of Niger-Delta struggle. 

Unquestionable facts That Niger Delta is under developed is indubitable, but that is not a cogent reason for militants purportedly fighting for the region to blow up the crude oil and gas pipelines in the region. That, however, does not mean that their agitation is misplaced.

 This, they must be made to understand. Some of the leaders that would attend the Warri meeting are probably in contact with the faceless Avengers and should be able to pass the message privately, besides the public denunciation by well-meaning Nigerians. 

Unfortunately, past and successive governments and leaders of the region have not helped matters with the manner they appropriated the resources shared to the Niger Delta states from the federal allocation. Only an insignificant few can beat their chests that they have clean hands. 

No problem without solution Nevertheless, there must be a way out. President Buhari has tried to manage the situation, but he had taken and is still taking some defective steps in the resolution of renewed militancy in the region. 

The issue is not militancy per se; it is about development of the region. Moreover, it is not a matter for him (Buhari) or anybody to grandstand, the economy of the nation is bleeding. 

Everybody feels the pain, from the President himself, governors, civil servant and traders to the common person. Niger Delta leaders should arise from the meeting with the vexing issues marshaled. 

I make bold to assert that militants, including the Avengers, officially invited or not, will be at the Warri meeting. 

All they expect from their leaders is to say the home truth about the predicament of the region and get the President to commit himself to a genuine dialogue like former President, Late Umaru Yar’Adua prefaced.

 The real worry It is at the dialogue table, not the battlefront that both sides can broker peace. 

The militants suspect that President Buhari employing the timeworn military tactics of diverting the attention of the enemy while aiming at his jugular. That is actually, where the problem lies. 

The militants think they have read and understood the president’s language, which often times conveys the opposite of his intended actions. 

Truth and only the truth The way out is to spot the truth, make a clean breast and put it into operation. 

Niger Delta leaders should transmit the truth to the militants and President Buhari, who, as a leader, no matter what you think is more than interested in resolving the problem.

 For instance, where did the militants get is wrong in the dangerous game; where is the President, who had made it clear that he was ready for dialogue faltering; is it not possible MEND , Avengers and other militants to join forces and sit on the same table to talk Niger Delta? 

If these and others are done, the leaders would have helped in providing the much needed panacea to the renewed militancy, the heart of which is under development of the region despite its huge contributions to the nation’s economy.

Vanguardngr

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