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Nigeria: Militants Warn
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Vanguard (Lagos)
26 July 2008
Posted to the web 26 July 2008
Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South
Should the Federal Government of Nigeria bring in British soldiers for the purpose of containing the violence in the Niger Delta, Nigeria will be seized by an uncontrollable violence.
In fact, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will open talks with Colombian and other African rebels to fight the coalition in that region.
Meanwhile, hostilities will continue in the region until justice is done. And soon, the oil companies, due to their non attention to the development of the Niger Delta will be dealt with to see which of them will work in the region.
"We can assure Mr. President one thing: that on the same day that the United Kingdom armies shall set their foot on the Niger-Delta, the country shall witness uncontrollable violence; and we have been praying for such a day. We must keep fighting against injustice and insist that Niger-Delta must develop."
This was the reaction of the MEND second in command, known as 'General Boyloaf' in an exclusive interview with Saturday Vanguard early this week.
Saying that many young boys have been recruited for different types of operations, the commander said the country is in trouble as it has not seen the real brutality of the real MEND.
President Umaru Yar'Adua was reported to have sought the assistance of G8 countries and the United Kingdom for military assistance to control the rising militancy in the Niger Delta Region.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported by the British media to have promised military assistance to Yar'Adua to quell the crisis in the region.
The President's reason for visiting the UK as well as his subsequent meeting with Brown and the UK government last week was said to be part of the Nigerian/British plan to wrap up a military deal with the former colonial master, which some Nigerian activists in London protested.
But General Boyloaf frowned at the approval of N446.6b for security and just N69 billion for development in the Niger Delta, saying that the real security threat in the region is lack of development in the first place.
He also condemned government's plan to hire militants to guard its oil pipelines, saying that it will not work as some criminals now open camps for kidnaping women and children.
"The highest thing, if any militant guides pipeline, the militant won't last. That is the truth because there is no way we can be security in our own house, where we are supposed to employ a security.
We cannot be guarding our property for the people that ought to be exploiting it for our benefit, which is real foolishness. It won't even work. It is just a stupid idea," he went on.
But the MEND commander also gave recipe for peace in the region, saying that only justice and being sensitive to the Niger Delta plight will enhance peace there.
The problem in the region, he went on, has escalated because as he put it, "these so-called owners of Nigeria have not deemed it necessary that the Niger-Delta deserve any form of compensation, whether just, equitable or commensurate or whatever name it is called. They think that the Niger-Delta people are asking for too much, despite all the good the region is doing for the country, especially as the goose that lays the golden egg."
General Boyloaf, on why the problem in the region took a new dimension, enumerated several ex British colonial commissions that gave fair deals to the regions. For the militant, the problem began when Nigerians such as Prof Ojetunji Aboyede Technical Commission of 1977 and Dr. Pius Okigbo of 1979 took over the commissions.
"The problems started as they both recommended that derivation principle should be abolished. This goes a long away to tell us where and how the Niger-Delta problem started and why the Federal Government is reluctant to resolve it," he said.
The militant leader was pained by the environmental despoliation of the region as well as the level of poverty there and wondered whether Niger Deltans are "equal partners in this enterprise called Nigeria."
He also fingered poor treatment of the region by the major ethnic groups, saying, " Is Nigeria not funny country, where people who do not know what the creeks look like own oil blocs, yet you have those who live in the creeks, earn their living in the creeks and die in the creeks, but do not know what oil blocs look like.
Look at the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PDTF), where thousands of youths are sent abroad for petroleum development training, year in, year out. This system has been hijacked by the North.
Recently, 1,200 persons have concluded arrangement for the PTDF training. It is, however, most painful to note that out of the total of 1,200 persons, we have just one from Bayelsa state and two from Rivers state. God knows how many we have from other Niger-Delta states. This nonsense must stop."
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The commander also spoke on the brains behind MEND and its plans to fight kidnappers in the region who he said gives the group a bad name.
IT'S ALL NONSENSE AND MOCKERY OF A NATION AS THE FEDERAL GOVRNMENT HOPE TO BRING IN SOME FOREIGN FORCES TO HELP SOLVE A PROBLEM WHICH THEY SHOULD HANDLE. THIS ARE PEOPLE FIGHTING FOR THEIR RIGHT AND THIS RIGHT OF DEVELOPING THE NIGER DELTA SHOULD COMMERCE WITHOUT FURTHER SUMMIT. IT'S UNFAIR DIVRTING THE MASSIVE RESOURCES OF A CERTAIN AREA FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHEN REGION.
mr president did u think that british like that country called nigeria infact if u dont know, know it now the word hate nigeria just because of the wealth GOD gave to them.if u call urself a president just do some thing that will favoure ur country.the word are coming in now because this one afecting them if not u will never in life see uk to give u asistance that will help u on eart.if nigeria can manage what God gave to them very well no any nigerian shuld go out of that country and the word know it... [Read Full Text]
The BRITISH played a significant role in today's mess in Nigeria. The whole NIGER DELTA region is a massive undeveloped mess. The MEND must continue with their struggle for fair treatment in this fraudulent entity called NIGERIA.
If Nelson Mandela had not fought so hard to end apartheid and liberate his people through arm struggle via ANC, I am sure the racist whites would still be ruling South Africa. Remember Nelson Mandela was considered a terrorist by the British and Americans.
In life, there is always the Good Vs Bad and the only reason why bad people wins is becomes... [Read Full Text]
Those who never respect history can never learn from history. Was Yar'adua not old enough during the Nigerian-Biafran civil war? Or has he forgotten the role played by the Uk? Well, he may need to be informed of the manner Britain helped sustain our suffering, by sending daily fleets of aircrafts, some carrying food to Biafra and some carrying weapons to Nigeria, just to make sure the war lasted. If Yar'adua never knew (because he grew up in the north), let him consult his history books. Britain will never sustain the interest of the nation. But why not begin to... [Read Full Text]
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