According to a statement issued by the spokesperson for the
Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), Brigadier-General Mudoch Agbinibo, the Niger
Delta region has sustained Nigeria for a long time but has received
little in return.Mr. Agbinibo’s statement lamented the neglect of the
region by successive governments and emphasized that Niger Delta must be
given the right to control its own resources and possibly be carved out
from Nigeria.
“Since the day crude oil was discovered in
commercial quantity and quality at Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa
State, what we have been asking from successive governments in Nigeria
is potable drinking water in the midst of plenty of water mass,
electricity, roads, employment, quality education/educational
facilities, resource control, participation in the oil business and
inclusive governance that would engender substantial freedom.
The
statement continued by contrasting the living situations between local
residents living lives of “terror of poverty, inhumanity, and desolate
living conditions” compared to individuals who live at the oil
facilities “operated by the multinational oil corporations, they are
living like kings and presidents.”
Mr. Agbinibo elaborated by
saying, “for over five decades, we have given the multinational oil
corporations and their collaborator Nigerians peace, cooperation, and
love for the crude oil to flow unhindered from our land. The continuous
tranquility is only manifesting in the development of mountains, rock,
valleys, deserts, and lagoon, while the Niger Delta territory
continually alienated from all types of development and essence of
quality human life.
Meanwhile, all successive governments worship
the crude oil taken from the region. Our communities and the people are
only good at securing the pipelines, oil and gas facilities.
"What
a tragedy! We are calling on the international community, especially
Britain, France, United States, Russia, China and European Union (EU) to
speak up against this ongoing terror and come to the aid of Niger Delta
as witnesses to the grave inhumanity and history of terror perpetuated
against the people of Niger Delta on daily basis."
Excerpts of the statement are below:
“This
history of terror, we the Niger Delta Avengers will resist and correct
with every means necessary. We have nothing to lose in the battles
ahead; justice they say is only found within the structure of a nation
state, rather than provide this justice the Nigerian government has
decided to mobilise her military might to intimidate, torture, maim,
victimise and bombard a section of the nation state and her citizenry to
allow the free flow of our oil. Some persons, groups, and commentators
may ask, what do the people of Niger Delta want?
We are not like some
of these personalities who run champagne parties or turn Rivers State
Government House into a house patrimony of god-sons and prebendalism.
They say the progress and success of a nation state is the reflection of
her constitution that is not manufactured to favour some section and
excludes the yearning and aspirations of others; but the indwelling
spiritual and historical development of its people.
“Since the
amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 to date, our resources have been used to
sustain the political, administrative live wire of Nigeria to the
exclusion of the Niger Delta. Finally, we are calling on the
international community, to come and support the restoration of our
right to peaceful self- determination from this tragedy of 1914 that has
expired since 2014.
“We want our resources back to restore the
essence of human life in our region for generations to come because
Nigeria has failed to do that. The world should not wait until we go the
Sudan ways. Enough is enough.”
http://saharareporters.com/2016/06/10/niger-delta-avengers-give-nigerian-government-condition-ceasefire-pipeline-bombing
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