Lagos — There were fears at the weekend that the multi-billion dollar Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project being midwifed by Nigeria, Algeria and Niger is now a target for sabotage by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).
The militant group, which has launched a string of onslaughts against operators in the oil industry, in its latest threat to attack Federal Government's facilities, said yesterday it would hit the gas project and oil facilities in the next 72 hours.
Spokesman for MEND said in a statement yesterday that his group would not hesitate to sabotage the gas project.
According to agency reports," MEND warns the investors to the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project that unless the Niger Delta root issues have been addressed and resolved, any money put into the project will go down the drain."
Nigeria earlier on Friday signed an agreement with Algeria and Niger to build a multi-billion dollar gas pipeline across the Sahara that could send up to 30 billion cubic metres a year of supplies to Europe.
In an interview with Dow Jones Newswires, Chakib Khelil said state-owned "NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation) will search for gas in Algerian deposits," while Algeria will explore Nigerian reservoirs.
"We will ensure that it faces the same fate other pipelines are facing today," the MEND spokesman said. He claimed the new threat came as a traditional ruler in the delta was allegedly seized by the army.
The MEND spokesman said "armistice as against amnesty for freedom fighters is what MEND and Tompolo (a MEND leader) are favourably disposed to for adoption as the next step to take towards resolving the crisis."
In an e-mail, the spokesman for MEND warned companies still operating in the delta, "namely Agip, Total (TOT), Shell and Exxon Mobil (XOM) to leave while there is still time because within the next 72 hours" it may launch new attacks.
Chevron Corporation said on May 25 it had interrupted its onshore operations after a string of attacks on its pipelines.
The MEND threat is coming barely one month to the commencement of the amnesty granted militants groups in the Niger Delta.
According to the Federal Government timetable, a 60-day grace period, which is to run between August and October 4, has been handed down to militants to denounce their armed struggle.
The offer of amnesty, according to the Federal Government, is predicated on the willingness and readiness of the militants to give up all illegal arms in their possession, completely renounce militancy in all its ramifications unconditionally, and depose to an undertaking to this effect."
Meanwhile, Commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Major General Sarkin Yarki-Bello, has asked oil companies threatened by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta not to mind them but go ahead with their lawful duties as his men would not shy away from protecting them.
"It is not the first time MEND is issuing this kind statement and my reaction has always been the same. Even though we are observing a ceasefire to make the amnesty work, we shall not shy away from our responsibilities.
"If they attack any of our locations or where we are deployed, we will not fold our hands but will confront them. What did they say the oil companies have done to them? Let them come and confront us. They know their propaganda is failing and no one is taking them seriously.
"They had given 72 hours, 42 hours, 24 hours and nothing happened, so they are only sitting down somewhere and churning out statements on the internet and you people believe them.
"The other time they claimed that they killed 23 soldiers, do you believe them? Can we lose 23 soldiers and no one has complained? This is all propaganda. They wake up and accuse our soldiers of all manner of evil, from rape, extra-judicial killing and anything on this earth but we are not bordered. That is their way and life - propaganda", he said.
On the alleged kidnap and possible killing of a royal father, the Agadagba of Egbema Kingdom, HRM Isaac Thikan, who they said was a stanch critic of JTF operations, General Bello said he has never heard of the name and has never read anything on the said criticism of their operations by the said monarch.
"I have never heard of the man before and we can't arrest anybody unless he is a militant or a member of MEND. I am not surprised by MEND, they can say anything. They have accused us of everything", he explained.
MEND has said the monarch was arrested on June 24, 2009 by JTF and taken to their office and that they were yet to her anything from him except that he may have been killed, warning that if the royal father was killed, they will embark on retaliatory strikes.
"A traditional ruler from the oil bearing Egbema kingdom in the Niger Delta, HRM Isaac Thikan, the Agadagba of Egbema and a staunch critic of the military excesses in the region was forcibly abducted on June 24, 2009 by the JTF and taken to their headquarters in Effurun, Warri where we are hearing he may have been killed", MEND claimed.
By Festus Akanbi in Lagos and Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt with agency reports
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Common sense dictates that charity begins at home: 1) The underlying cause for the agitation in the Niger Delta is yet to be resolved it is not about money, it is about respect for human right and common decency. 2) What hope does this administration have in getting the crude oil to traverse 5000 miles to Europe if it cannot even feed the Kaduna refineries, successfully, which is less than 500 miles away from the source? 3) You need the permit from the Landlords, that have been so marginalized and abused for decades, first before you can tap, talk-less of shipping to far away land. Obviously, this visionless administration continues to think that this is business as usual, forget about the locals concerns, just put the buggy before the horse when it ought to be the other way around. How do you hope to cure the disease if you have not, honestly, identified and address the symptoms? We shall see how the supply will take off after waisting "multi billion dollars" to construct the pipeline - Dream on, as usual. How many Deltan women & children will Alhaji Yar and his JTF murderers kill b4 they learn that it ain't happenin' regardless of your big-guns. Not anymore.
Each generation teaches the next that "two wrongs don't make a right". Do we really need fresh examples? We always seem to provide them.
Nigeria needs its fuel resources. It does not really need foreign money The ability of foreign money to employ local labor is limited. Solving Nigeria's material problems can be done with your resources and labor, and done more effectively without much foreign money.
MATTHEW 10:26 DONT BE AFRAID OF THEM, FOR THERE IS NOTHING COVERED THAT WONT BE REVEALED AND THERE IS NOTHING HIDDEN THAT WONT BE KNOWN.
Remember the 120 ! in the Upperroom, Gideons 300, One(1) believer can chase 1,000 demons & Two (2) can make 10,000 run .
How many will 1 million chase ?
Heres An abbreviated Spirit Bomb prayer that Id like for us to say to God The Creator Of All :
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN , HOLY IS YOUR NAME, YOUR KINGDOM COME , YOUR WILL BE DONE, IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN .
- In Jesus Name We Pray Amen
Pray twice per day once around sunset & once around sunrise .
Have prayer lists which include Family, Chritians, Truthseekers ,& Worthy Causes , etc
SOME OF OUR LEADERS OR UNDER DEMONIC INFLUENCE , SOME OF OUR
WORLD IS UNDER THE SAME,. OUR UNITED , CONSISTENT, CONTINUOUS
PRAYERS WILL HELP US TO SEE THROUGH JESUS EYES. REMEMBER , HES
THE HEAD, WE HAVE NO EYES, EARS, NOSE, MOUTH, ETC..WITHOUT THE
HEAD. THAT IS WHY WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT, SOUND, TASTE
OR ANY OTHER NATURAL DISTRACTION. WE ARE SPIRITUAL WARRIORS !!!
Make a Habit Of Praying Twice a Day (Sunset / Sunrise). Have A Daily Prayer, Weekly
Prayer , Monthly Prayer, even Yearly Prayer ; keeping persons, organizations and causes
in mind that youd like to pray for at these intervals of time ( Daily-Weekly-Monthly-
Yearly).
Some prayer list suggestions
(DAILY PRAYER LIST ) -
Christian & Natural Family -
TOP-PRIORITY Persons, Causes & Oragnizations
(WEEKLY PRAYER LIST ) -
MID-LEVEL Persons, Causes & Oragnizations
(MONTHLY PRAYER LIST ) -
- Persons, Causes & Oragnizations ( For Example Heads Of Countries)
(YEARLY PRAYER LIST ) -
LOWER LEVEL - Persons, Causes & Oragnizations
[God Bless You Readers To Want To Know And Seek To Know The Truth] - MAY GOD BE A HAVEN OF PEACE IN OUR TIME OF TROUBLE --
[This inspiring poem was featuring in the movie Coach Carter ]
Our Deepest Fear Is Not That We Are Inadequate, Our Deepest Fear Is That We Are Powerful Beyond Measure. It Is Our Light , Not Our Darkness That Most Frightens Us.
We Ask Ourselves, Who Am I To Be Brilliant, Gorgeous, Talented, And Fabulous ?
Actually Who Are We Not To Be ? You Are A Child Of God.
Your Playing Small Doesnt Serve The World.
There Is Nothing Enlightened About Shrinking So That Other People Wont Feel Insecure Around You.
We Are All Meant To Shine, As Children Do.
We Were Born To Make Manifest The Glory Of God That Is Within Us.
Its Not Just In Some Of Us; Its In Everyone.
And When We Let Our Own Light Shine We Unconsciously Give Other People Permission To Do The Same.
And As We Are Liberated From Our Own Fear, Our Presence Automatically Liberates Others
- Marianne Williamson -
[NOTE BEING AFRAID AND REFUSING TO GET INVOLVED WONT STOP US FROM DYING. BUT BEING AFRAID CAN PREVENT US FROM LIVING]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/]
WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]
MEND needs not waste its effort. The area through which the pipeline is expected to pass is infected with different Muslim terrorist groups, including Al-kaida. They will take care of it. If the unthinkable happens. That is to say, even if the project succeeds, we all know what will happen to the proceeds. The stinkingly corrupt Muslim feudalists, (the Hausa/Fulani thieves) will steal it all. It will be of no benefit to Nigeria. This project is doomed right from the beginning. --- excisionist(at)gmx.com