Chuks Okocha
23 May 2009
Abuja — House of Representatives caucus members from Delta State have regretted support for the motion for military option against the militants.
This is coming against the recent motion for military action by the House of Representatives, just as the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) said that military option was not the best alternative.
Also, the Action Congress has condemened the support which the House of Representatives gave towards the on going military confrontation against the militants in the Niger Delta. The party described the support as infantile.
The House of Representatives on Thursday said that it supported the military option embarked by the federal government.
But the Delta State caucus of the House in a statement signed on their behalf by the same mover of the motion, Halims Agoda representing Ethiope East/Ethiope West Federal Constituency of Delta State said they regretted that the motion on Niger Delta went out of the control of its sponsors as a result of the procedures of the House, which allowed for amendments from interested members leading to the insertion of additional prayers that were later adopted.
According to Agoda, "we drafted a motion signed by members, and I was asked to move it on behalf of the caucus. The principal prayers were to call on all parties to the Niger Delta confrontation to maintain peace and to encourage the Hon. Abdul Ningi ad-hoc committee on the Niger Delta crises to expedite action in proffering workable and enduring solutions to the crises."
Agoda recalled that the caucus also urged the federal government to through the National Emergency Mana-gement Agency (NEMA) to urgently send relief materials to the displaced victims.
"Unfortunately, the democratic system in place changed the course of our prayers because once you introduce a motion to the House, it becomes the property of the House and no longer that of the individual or group which introduced it," Agoda stated.
The lawmaker who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Air Force remarked that it would have been "awful" if such an action was going on the Niger Delta and their representatives in the House failed to draw
the House's attention to it. He advised the people not to see the resolution of the House from the point of view of the amendment but the initial intendment of its sponsors which was to put a halt to the suffering of the citizens and create
avenue for enduring solutions to the Niger Delta crises. The caucus had noted the military on onslaught in the region
and the accompanying displacement of people especially innocent women and children who had been left without food or shelter
Meanwhile, the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has called on the federal government to halt further military options in tackling the Niger Delta crisis , advising government to adopt negotiations and dialogue towards the resolution of the crisis.
The call was made yesterday by the National Chairman of ANPP, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke at a press conference in Abuja.
According to the ANPP Chairman, "the position of ANPP is that the use of force in the Niger Delta will not obviously solve the problem. As we said when we went into the Government of National Unity (GNU), the use of force can not change any political equation in this country.
"So, it is our position that the use of force cannot bring peace in the Niger Delta. The Niger Delta problem can only be solved through peaceful negotiation." The ANPP Chairman stated.
Ume-Ezeoke who called on government to initiate dialogue in solving the crisis, further appealed to President to increase the level of development within the region, so as to tackle the poverty and underdevelopment in the zone.
According to him, "the people of the Niger Delta have suffered tremendously. There are great environmental degredation caused by the oil companies operating in the Niger Delta. In the Niger Delta of today, you no longer talk of farming, no drinking water, the people cannot fish, which is their major occupation, because of oil pullution. And worse of all, you don't even want them to speak out." Accordingly, the ANPP Chairman said, "the use of the military option cannot solve the problem. Government must initiate dialogue and not force. Use of force have not solved any of such crisis all over the world.
"ANPP is of the view that Force or the use of military cannot solve the problem of the Niger Delta as force has not solved the electoral problem in this country" he said, but appealed on the militants in the region to embrace peace and allow government tackle the developmental problems in the zone.
Also the Action Congress (AC) has described as infantile and reckless the resolution by the House of Representatives urging the Joint Task Force to extend the ongoing military offensive in Delta state to Rivers and Bayelsa.
According to a statment by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the resolution simply shows that the honourable members do not understand what is expected of them as the true representatives of the people.
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The people of the area should submit to Millitary order and focus on our One Nigeria, But they are not to blame because this is their own Biafran war, but Government should take it easy on civilans there, because all is not millitant (Rebels)
The people of the area should understand that we all have accepted to be one Nigeria weather you like it or not, because their people are there when our one Nigeria was sign, let known body violet it
ONE NIGERIA WILL TAKE ITS STANDS IF THE FEDERAL GOVT. ADMITS HER RESPONSIBILITIES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RURAL AREAS IN NIGER DELTA REGION. AS A MATTER OF FACT, JTF MUST STOP THEIR ONSLAUGHT AGAINST NIGER DELTA REGION OR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Perhaps the corrupt Nigerian govt will stop digging itself into a much deeper hole when the national income accruing to the federal coffers reaches zero for which the Patriots have nothing to lose. That is when Emperor Yar's administration and his foreign MNE masters, for which he is killing innocent Nigerians to please, will soon realize their errors that this is a war of attrition; let us see who will blink, first. Malam Yar has opened the Pandora's Box - let’s see how he puts the genie back into the bottle, unless it blows up in his face.
The so called criminality, militancy and restiveness of the Niger Delta youths is the outcome or better still 'refined product' of the 'crude' and insensitive exploitation and marginalisation that has taken place for over 50 years. The petro-dollars that were suppose to have made a difference in the region, have been largely stolen. The chickens have come home to roost. The major act of criminal neglect of the communities by the Federal Government is the root cause of the problem. The force of arms is not the solution.
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