The Niger Delta
Avengers (NDA) yesterday renewed its reign of terror on oil installations in
the region with an attack on Chevron Escravos Export Pipeline in Warri South
West Local Government Area of Delta State.
With the action,
the group had made good its recent threat to return to the trenches over what
it termed insensitivity of the Federal Government to respect the wishes of the
people of the region to convene a pan-Niger Delta stakeholders forum where
issues that border on the genuine development of the region would be
extensively discussed.
The group, in a
statement by its spokesman, Brig-Gen. Murdoch Agbinibo, said NDA strike team
attacked the oil facility at about 3:45am yesterday.
The attack, he
said, was to further warn international oil companies (IOCs) to cease the
repairs of oil pipeline pending the conclusion of peace talks between
representatives of the region and the Federal Government.
The statement
read in part: “At about 3:45am our strike team 06 took down Chevron Escravos
export pipeline at Escravos offshore. This action is to further warn all IOCs
that when we warn that there should be no repairs pending negotiation/dialogue
with the people of the Niger Delta, it means there should be no repairs. Any
attempt to use dialogue to distract us so as to allow the free flow of our oil
will halt the dialogue process.”
The Niger Delta
Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) had last week issued similar warning to
multinational oil companies not to attempt repair works on some damaged
pipelines especially the Trans-loading Forcardos Pipelines (TFP).
The group which
threatened more devastating attacks on multinational facility in the region
should its warning be discountenance, restated its commitment to the regional
struggle.
Meanwhile,
militants have threatened to withdraw support for the proposed meeting between
the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Edwin
Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Forum (PNDF) if the lopsided representations was not
addressed.
Reports
indicated that Buhari and Clark are set for a meeting on Monday, October 31, in
Abuja to fashion out a way to resolve the lingering crisis in the region, which
has drastically affected oil output in the country with a ripple effect on the
economy.
The Movement for
the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had recently thrown its back behind
the meeting expressing confidence in Buhari to address the issues of the
region.
However,
militants under the aegis of Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) and Niger
Delta Peoples Professional Volunteers Force (NDPPVF) kicked against the
composition of the PNDF, and called for a re-composition if the proposed
meeting would have their blessings.
The two militant
groups in a joint press statement to Chief Clark and signed by Cynthia Whyte
called for the inclusion of Mr. Timipa Jenkins Okonipere as a member of PNDF
because of his understanding of the problems in the region and his link with
the militant group.
According to
them, Okonipere, an international lawyer being a member of the PNDF would give
militants assurance that they are being carried along in the peace process.
They called on
Chief Clark’s PNDF to contact Okonipere and include him as a member, adding
that if they refused the two groups would withdraw support for the meeting and
resume passive hostility
Okonipere when
contacted said he has been in the struggle and would continue to fight for the
emancipation of the Niger Delta region.
An Ijaw
traditional title-holder from Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has
urged the militants to ceasefire and give peace a chance.
“Having waited
these long, the agitators should still give the Federal Government more time to
decide on the dialogue with the people of the region,” he said
He also appealed
to the Federal Government not to delay in convening the pan Niger Delta
Stakeholders meeting in order to bring peace to the region.
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