TENSION: Adaka Boro Avengers Set To Resume Hostilities, Says Military Presence Won't Stop Agitation

 

Adaka Boro Avengers (ABA) has said military presence in the Niger Delta will not stop agitation for control of resources.

The ABA said hostilities will soon break out in the Niger Delta but held out that it is ready for a dialogue process that would be led by Chief Edwin Clark.

 

“All we want you to know is that hostilities in the Niger Delta region will soon begin because the time that was given to you was enough for any meaningful dialogue. This does not mean we are not ready for dialogue.

“We are ready for any meaningful dialogue process that will be headed by Chief Edwin Clark. We want you to know that whenever you are ready to engage in any meaningful dialogue process, you know what to do. Our demands still remain the same. We want to control our resources and pay appropriate tax to the central government; that is fiscal federalism in practice and in principles.

Government, representatives of multinational oil corporations and elders as well as stakeholders should guide themselves with the following documents: the Sir Henry Willinks Commission Report of 1958, The Ogoni Bill of Rights, The Kaiama Declaration of the Ijaw Youth Council, The General Alexander Ogomudia Committee Report, The Niger Delta Technical Committee Report which contains the Pre- amnesty issues and agreement with the government of Nigeria in 2009…”

In a related development, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) said the region has the right to demand control of its resources, just as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it has endorsed the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and representative of Pan Niger Delta Group (PNDG), Chief Clark slated for October 31.

NDA spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo said the Niger Delta region is not a conquered region and the people have a legitimate right to demand control of their resources which is a struggle different from tribal and religious bigotry.

He, however, said “the region is not a conquered unit of the Federation called Nigeria. It is our legitimate right to control our resources and pay appropriate taxes to the central government.

Those concepts of revenue sharing and allocation formula are alien to federalism. Anywhere in the world, there are conflicts, there emerges merchants of conflict and Niger Delta is no exception.

“However, it is the responsibility of government or any interventionist agencies to identify and address conflict agents with genuine intents and spirit rather than pseudo-agents and political profiteers.”

Meanwhile, MEND’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo in a statement endorsed a proposed meeting between President Buhari and Clark. “Nevertheless, with news of the forthcoming meeting between president Buhari and the Chief Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Group, we are confident that the concessions already secured by MEND shall be respected by the Federal Government.

“Consequently, we urge members of the Clark-led PNDG to put aside personal interests and ambitions of primitive aggrandisement.

“Rather, we implore them to realise that the Niger Delta region is at a Zebra-crossing and, therefore, they must remain steadfast and focused on their core mandate, to wit: restoration of sustainable and permanent peace and development of the region.”

Then, the framework can be drawn for achieving the short, medium and long term objectives toward the restoration of our land and reparation for the people that have been raped and colonized since 1914. General Edmos Ayayeibo spokesperson Adaka boro Avengers wrote.