Daily Independent (Lagos)
Harris-Okon Emmanuel
22 May 2009
Warri — A prominent Ijaw leader, Tunde Smooth, on Thursday implored the Federal Government to order a ceasefire in the ongoing confrontation between the military and militants in some riverine communities of Delta State.
Smooth, in a press statement made available to Daily Independent, urged President Umaru Yar'Adua to order the Joint Task Force (JTF) to stop bombarding Ijaw communities, adding that the Presidency should take the step in the interest of the law abiding and innocent persons affected by the conflict.
According to him, many persons have been killed and maimed by troops of the JTF in the six-day operation in the area.
"I am appealing to Mr. President to order a ceasefire in order to avert further needless loss of innocent lives and destruction of property in the region. Mr. President as the father of the nation should please temper justice with mercy at this point in time.
"Two wrongs do not make a right. Mr. President should forgive a recalcitrant child after effecting little punishment. My plea is informed by the plights of innocent persons who are not in any way connected or involved in militancy," he said.
Smooth also urged the militants to stop violent activities, especially attack on security agencies and oil workers as well as oil equipment, adding that no individual or group could successfully withstand the Federal might.
He said the crisis got out of hands because the Federal and state governments in the region did not relate with credible leaders of the region, adding that reputable and well-meaning leaders should henceforth be involved in the search for peace in the region.
Smooth thumbed up Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State for the success of his peace initiatives in the past two years, adding that the peace process was truncated by aboteurs.
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I sincerely respect Tunde's view untill he said thumbs up for Emmanuel (Governor of Delta State)
Emanuel was hand picked by Ibori, just like Fashola in Lagos state. But, that is where the similarity ended. I wish he could visit Lagos State more often. That way he will learn from the master.
Emanuel of Delta is an appology, when compared with Fashola of Lagos State. If he has used half of the resourses given to him in the past two years judiciously like Fashola did in Lagos State, he could have reduce the miscreants activities by at least half.
The likes of James Ibori and Emmanuel are the reason we have militancy in the Niger Delta, and they should tried after all these dust have settled.
i will advise the militant to produce the body of the soldiers,and end the hostitility. figthting the govment will only worsen the case of the niger deltan people.they should try to achieve thiere agitatoins through dailogue.
all these military opersations are ridiculous african leaders are ready to sacrifice their poeple for a peace of bread offered to them by their masters. Stupid How comes a giant oil producer of oil (6th in the world) run out of fuel or fuel price sky rocketing. let MEND be a challange may be the gov't can change the policy I don't support the war , but the gov't is ridiculous
Amnesty International should shut its frigging mouth and get out Nigeria's business. For it to say use "reasonable force" is tantamount to condoning, indirectly, the use of any force, at all, by the civilian politicians to accomplish what should have been a democratic approach of dialogue with the minority’s demand for its right to co-exist peacefully in its homeland without harassment by the majority. If the military juntas of the past had been reluctant in using any force, whatsoever, to 'Keep Nigeria One" why is a corrupt, greedy civilian govt using this undemocratic approach to compel compliance when the same govt cannot even compel foreign oil companies to stop gas flaring and polluting the local land, air and waters? The world sat by sending subliminal messages to the "democratic" govt to continue the use of “reasonable force”, (hook, hook, wink, wink), as long as the uncaring govt keeps the oil pipeline flowing to the West for their consumption, regardless of the effects of pollution on the lives of the locals. What is more shocking is the do-nothing attitude of the national assembly who are supposed to be the representatives of all Nigerian people, not the defender of the Executive branch's brutality – whatever happens to the role of "checks and balances" between the separate arms of the govt? This civilian govt deserves to be overthrown immediately and let us go back to old days of military rule. At least, there were some peaceful order in the land - the only people that suffered were the politicians. What we have learned in the last 2 years is that democracy by civilian politicians does not necessarily guarantee freedom and peace but misery and death due to the greed of the so-called people's representatives. What a sham.
HELLO PEOPLE, am k-ci from bayelsa state, i want to tell the federal government that they should make peace for them to save life of women and children. to stop millitant they can not because it is very had except they conply to their needs
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