Daily Independent (Lagos)

Nigeria: Army Will Pay for Desecrating Ijawland, Militants Vow

Ofonime Umanah

21 May 2009


Port Harcourt — There may be no end in sight to the ongoing oil war involving militants and the military in the Niger Delta, as the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) has given indication that the Army will be made to pay dearly for the destructions in Delta State.

The group has also joined the league of those demanding the resignation of the vice-president for failing to stop the Federal Government from launching the attack on the people of the region.

JRC is an umbrella militant organisation comprising the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Martyrs Brigade and the Reformed Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force.

Its spokesman, Cynthia White, said in an online interview with our correspondent that events of the last few weeks only demonstrated that the country is being governed by sick leaders who do not consider the fate of the masses.

According to the militant leader, the nation would have been better governed if the people really won their elections.

The vice-president, the organisation insisted, must vacate his office, and urged the Army to get ready to pay for " desecrating the Ijawland".

"Which of the governors of the Niger Delta (apart from Adams Oshiomhole) protects the common man on the streets? Name one?

"Is it Rotimi Amaechi who sat on the corridors of power for eight years as third most powerful man in Rivers State (Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly) and yet today blames Peter Odili for all the woes in Rivers State? What did he do in that time?

"The people of the Niger Delta have been losing a lot since oil was discovered in their land. The Nigerian state is very ill. All is not well.

Whyte said the solution was to remove President Musa Yar'Adua because "he is not capable of ruling the Nigerian state".

When asked to speak on the calls for the resignation of the vice- president as initiated by MEND, Whyte said: "The people of the Niger Delta existed before Goodluck Jonathan existed. We never saw Jonathan as a messiah of even his own home talk less of the Niger Delta. He was handpicked by (former President Olusegun) Obasanjo to deputise Yar'Adua. He was not voted by the people. It is for the good of the people of the Niger Delta that Jonathan resigns. We can do more without him."

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Author: neuilly3
Wed May 27 08:05:25 2009

James Ibori was the governor of this state. During his time, Billions of petrol Dollar money was sunk in the state. He was currupt, and made no impact. He is an indegine.

NNDC was saddled with certain developmental responsibilities. Billions of petrol dollar money was sunk into it. Members of NNDC were all indegines.

Federal government in the past 10 years had sunk billions. All these money were stolen by the same leader of Niger Delta .. This does not exclude Executive Governors past and present, Chairmen of Local government in the states. These are the same people employing the service of the miscreants to preasure the Federal government to allocate more and more funds which have always gone under the drain.

Militants were remnants of criminals that were used by James Ibori to fight and won an illegitimate elections, he was also a miscreant during Abachas regime.

The criminal gangs are illitrates that have upturn a just struggle into a money making venture for themselves, and remained stooges of the likes of James Ibori and the gangs in government.

These miscreants should be stoped, not by the Federal government, not by the JTF, but by their irresponsible elders who encourages criminality in the name of struggle. This is because, at the end of time, their children, and great grand children will be the looser.

Biafra is instructive. Look at the possition of the Ibos today in the scheme of things in Nigeria since the civil war. While this is not commendable, any section of a whole (Federation) that attempted self determination in this manner is difficult to be trusted by others in future. Where is Ojukwu today???

Author: mkorap2
Sat Jun 13 22:44:49 2009

I BELIEVE THIS IS THE WAR THAT WILL GIVE US INDEPENDENCE FROM NIGERIA. NIGER DELTA REPUBLIC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Author: EYE OF PEACE
Thu May 21 23:25:52 2009

sorry to say this, Nigeri as country lacks a sincere leader,hence everything goes in this nation. take for intsance we call ourselves oil gaint, without a REFINARY that is working to capacity and we are talking of exporting crud oil and importing PMS,what about the rest of the residue? this is what the leaders shold be considering not all this talk on we are trying to see how to get fule across the country.

Author: Plassy:
Fri May 22 08:54:23 2009

This is not happening! And this statement credited to N'Allah - "What is happening in the Niger Delta is pure criminality of the highest order, arising from total disregard for constituted authority. In Iraq, thousands of people lost their lives because of an insurrection against the government during the reign of former Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein. We can do away with 20 million militants for the rest 120 million Nigerians to live," - can not even be imagined in this century. The world can now see the type of idiots that unfair politics put in one of Nigeria's legislature. Thank Allah for the likes of Dr Davis Sokonte.

Author: olajidejummy
Fri May 22 20:08:38 2009

I think the man has apologise to the nigerian for his statement he was just saying this out of anoyance. to be frank to ourself the millitant are taking the issues out of hand they are not realing fight for the freedom of thre people. the true poeple among them are just very few.the leader of tha region should be held responsiple for the killing of the innosent poeple in the current situation that resulted to this millity action.

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