25 May 2009
editorial
Lagos — The renewed flare-up in the volatile Niger- Delta region came to a head last week when the military admitted that 12 of its men had been killed or taken hostage by the militants. By Thursday May 21, the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) charged with maintaining peace in the region, had declared a factional leader of one of the militant groups, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Mr. Tompolo wanted. The tone of the statement showed that the Taskforce was determined to smoke out all the militants from their hide-outs. It said it would no longer tolerate the killing of military personnel by militants that have turned violence and hostage taking into an industry. All these forebode ill for the people of the area.
There were reports of massive military attacks on the suspected havens of the militants in which some innocent civilians were said to have been killed or displaced. While some have condemned the attack as high-handedness, the government and the military authorities have justified it as part of measures aimed at restoring order in the region. Last week, the House of Representatives even called for similar military action in Bayelsa and Rivers States. The JTF has denied any deliberate hostility against civilian populations. According to its spokes person, the military action by the taskforce is aimed at punishing killers and hostage-takers that have turned the Niger-Delta into a war zone.
Between those two claims may lie the truth-which is that the militants might have killed some military personnel and that in response the JTF might have hit back and some civilians may have been affected in the ensuing clashes. In that likely circumstance, it is necessary to caution both sides to refrain from actions that could further escalate the violence and fatalities in the troubled region.
Any meaningful solution to the Niger Delta crisis must shun both extremes. The militants must realise the harm they are causing the very same people they purport to be fighting for each time they take one innocent hostage. By killing soldiers on national assignment in the region, the militants are only endangering the lives of the people as has become obvious in the past few weeks. Unless they seek a peaceful means of expressing their grievance they risk losing public sympathy and escalating the violence in the area. This is not only detrimental to the economic well-being of the nation but more so to the survival of the Niger-Delta people.
The aphorism that violence begets violence is particularly true of the Niger-Delta. Each time the militants take a hostage, the JTF goes after them. In the process, some innocent civilians get caught up in the cross fire.
We believe that unless the Niger Delta crisis is handled with greater maturity the line between peace-keeping and genocide may be wiped off. This must be avoided. And to do this, both parties-the militants and the JTF - must refrain from undue resort to violence.
While we condemn the attitude of the militants who have turned hostage taking into a lucrative industry, we urge the JTF to apply targeted attacks on the criminals in order to minimize casualties among innocent citizens. We appeal to both parties not to block access to the wounded who need to be evacuated and rehabilitated. While the government must intensify efforts at alleviating the suffering of the people of the Niger-Delta, the militant elements need to understand that violence will not make that process faster. Instead it will only make things worse.
No government, worth its authority, will fold its arms while criminal elements hold innocent citizens to ransom and disrupt the economic jugular of a nation. The government certainly owes it a duty to defend law-abiding citizens from such criminals. In doing that, however, it must be careful to minimize collateral damage.
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This is against human right, killing innocent people for their own resources, these injustices can not happen in Northern Area, they have anions, cow, rice resources and they are controlled by Alhaji’s and Mallams, why Niger Delta resources is now a curse to the people, Federal Government, should stop this madness.
Our God is not author of confusion
Mr. President this is not true, the innocent people you send military to kill in Niger Delta, and they elected you as their president, violate their human right, why do you choose to pay them with Evil?
This is what former President did to odi community, citizens are rendered homeless and helpless, and they are citizens like you.
I think you know where this problem generated from, the Evil Men that cause it, but you ignored them and send military to kill innocent citizen like you.
Mr. President, you are taken life that God created for his our image and likeness. The problem can not be solve by killing people, because you what to kill the militant, but you will not succeed in reasons that you refuse to pass judgment on those that course this Evil act. They did it to enrich themselves.
You need to think whatever that is good to that region, and accomplish them, this is your opportunity to create a good record for the development of Niger Deltal Region is done on your administration, what a grate record, World will record it, for the reason that world focus are on that region.
If the nigeria govt call the miltants crimals then the president himself and all the members of the national assemble are all crimals,let us know their salaries. The whole of nig is fighting for what does not belong to them,the oil belongs to the niger delta people.The nig govt has declear war against the niger delta people just because of our oil,and our so called leaders of the ijaw people has failed us and sold our pride to the govt of nigeria
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