• Militants are criminals – S/S Leaders
• Nigeria shouldn’t submit to blackmail – Oshiomhole
EBOJELE AKHERE PATRICK, Benin
THE Niger Delta Avengers in the early hours of Wednesday blew up two major oil wells located at Dibi in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The affected oil wells are Well RMP 23 and RMP 24 belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited.
Claiming responsibility for the attack, the Niger Delta Avengers on its twitter handle @NDAvengers on Wednesday morning, said: “With the heavy presence of 100 gunboats, 4 warships and jet bombers, NDA blew up Chevron Oil Well RMP 23 and RMP 24, 3:44AM this morning. “This is to show the whole world that the Nigeria military is good in harassing innocent Nigerians.”
It would be recalled that the Nigerian military recently moved war ships, gun boats and deployed fighter jets to the Niger Delta creeks with a vow to crush the Avengers
Meanwhile, some prominent leaders of the Niger Delta region under the auspicies of Concerned Niger Delta Leaders have described the recent attacks on the nation’s oil facilities by the Niger Delta Avengers as a criminal act targeted at destroying the collective heritage of the people of the region.
The National Coordinator of the group, Chief Mike Loyibo, said that the attacks by the group were unacceptable not only to the Federal Government but also to the people of the area.
Loyibo who addressed the press alongside a former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Ebebi Peremobowei, said that while the agenda of the group was not clear, their actions which had threatened the unity of the country should be condemned by all well-meaning stakeholders.
Other leaders are a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Francis Tabai, former Military Administrator of the Old Bendel State, Gen. John Yeri, the First Military Administrator of Rivers State and the His majesty, the Amayanabo of Twon Brass, Alfred Diete-Spiff.
They called on the group to lay down their arms as no developmental effort could yield any positive result in an era of violence.
Noting that violence was not the option to the solution of human problems, the leaders expressed support of the decisive steps being taken by the President to prevent vandals from sabotaging the efforts of the government to bring development to the oil rich region.
He said, “We have for some time watched with utmost dismay the manner in which the Niger Delta Avengers, a group with an aimless agenda, has been destroying our common heritage and the economic mainstay of the country through the vandalisation of critical government infrastructure and oil installations.
“To us, the agenda of these people still remains unclear. At best, their actions are clear acts of sabotage and criminality, both against the state and humanity. It is also a direct threat to the collective existence of us all. The activities of the Niger Delta Avengers also threaten the un-negotiable unity of Nigeria to its very foundation, and this must be condemned by all well meaning stakeholders.”
The leaders urged the military to carry out the ongoing operation to fish out the members of the group with caution as the last operation in Gbaramatu resulted in the suffering of innocent people including children, the aged and women.
Loyibo said that the use of the military to solve problems could not be preferred to dialogue which could result in lasting solution to the issue adding that the leaders would also explore the use of leaders of ex-agitators to play a necessary role in the resolution of the current crisis.
“You don’t use military solutions in addressing problems, one of the steps, we want to use is to be able to use former agitators who embraced the Amnesty Programme. If you bring all the military, you have not solved the problem.
“The problem is not to go and crush them, the problem is to dialogue with them and ensure that you solve the problem once and for all. If there are any issues then, try to address them,” he added.
He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to provide critical infrastructure to the area, give serious consideration to the region in the next round of political appointments and also ensure the take off of academic activities at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko.
Meanwhile, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State on Wednesday in Abuja condemned the activities of Niger Delta Avengers, saying Nigeria should not submit to blackmail from any quarters.
The governor stated this while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, the country deserves respect from all, adding that the political elite should help in promoting and strengthening the bridge of unity in the country. “I don’t think the state should submit to blackmail, for me I think the state should be respected.
“For me I believe in Nigeria, I believe no part can do without the other, I believe our unity is not negotiable, I believe the responsibility of the political elite is to strengthen the bridge of unity, to discourage preaching hatred; discourage amplifying weak points rather work to strengthen those points.
“I salute our armed forces for what they are doing and the confidence they have brought back to our security,’’ he said.
Oshiomhole further stated that “President Buhari deserves the support of everyone and there is no part of Nigeria that can be better off without the other part”.
He said: “The sooner we accept this reality the better it is for all of us. The days of ethnic champions and imaginary divides will not help anyone.’’
He said that the president had shown leadership and determination to keep the country going and “for once, we are enjoying respect in world capitals, in different continents’’.
He urged all Nigerians, particularly the people of the South-South region, to support and cooperate with the Buhari-led administration in his efforts to transform the country.
“We don’t need to be security experts to accept the universal truth that wherever there is insecurity there will be no investment because no investor will go to where is unsafe. And where there is no investment poverty will be endemic because there will be no job for our people. I appeal to all of us in the South South, we need to wake up; it is for our own self interest that we make the region the most investor friendly.
“The assets being destroyed is not just national assets, it is our own assets. It is what makes the South South the hub of the Nigerian economy. So, if somebody for whatever reason decides to destroy pipelines and thereby compounding the problem of pollution, the cost of cleaning up that area, making it attractive either for fishing, farming or other business, is a huge cost,’’ he added.
He commended Buhari for his commitment to clean up Ogoni land and other polluted areas in the Niger Delta. He urged the people of the region to work together and encourage the President and the Federal Government to continue to do.