By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, S-South
ASABA— PAN-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, the umbrella group of traditional rulers, leaders and stakeholders of the coastal states of the Niger Delta, yesterday,
advised President Muhammadu Buhari to desist from giving the impression that the people of the region were not prepared for dialogue with the Federal Government, when he knew that it was misleading.
FOR THE NIGER DELTA—From left: Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah; Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, President Muhammadu Buhari, Niger Delta Leader, Chief E.K Clark and former Presidential Adviser on Legislative Matters, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, during the meeting between the Presidency and Pan-Niger Delta Stakeholders on lasting peace in the region at the Aso Chambers, State House, Abuja, yesterday. Photo: Abayomi Adeshida. Co-Chairman of PANDEF and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, who reacted to the statement by President Buhari on Sunday that the Federal Government would persuade Niger Delta militants to dialogue rather than fight, said that Niger Delta militants had since sheathed their swords for talks and expressed shock that Buhari talked as if he was unaware of cessation of hostilities by militants. Pointing out that Niger Delta militants gave their mandate to PANDEF to dialogue and speak on their behalf, a position that the group made known to President Buhari, he said that South-South leaders, who met with Buhari on November 1 in Abuja, expected Buhari since then to announce the Federal Government’s negotiation team, but he had not reverted to the forum since then. The National Coordinator/convener of Niger Delta People’s Congress, NDPC, Chief Mike Loyibo, who toed Attah’s line, said the militants were ready for dialogue and had long given South-South leaders under the auspices of PANDEF the authorization to negotiate on their behalf, as he called on the president to do the needful and stop creating a different impression. Meanwhile, three Niger Delta civil society groups, Niger Delta Security Watch Organisation of Nigeria, NDSWON, Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, and Foundation for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade, FHRACC, in a statement by their leaders, Dickson Bekederemo, Austin Ozobo and Alaowei Cleric, yesterday, lambasted President Buhari for allegedly pretending as if he was ignorant of the fact that militants had since ceased hostilities and were waiting for him to commence dialogue. President Buhari had, while receiving some residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, led by the Minister of FCT, Mallam Mohammed Bello, who paid him Christmas homage at the Presidential Villa, said: “For our friends in the Niger Delta area, we will persuade them that they should please sit down with us and agree to manage our resources, rather than think of fighting it out.” Speaking to Vanguard on phone, Attah said: “It sounds like Mr. President is trying to lay blame where there is no blame. Sincerely, we have passed the stage of whether Niger Delta militants are ready for dialogue, they have indicated their willingness for dialogue by ceasing hostilities and given mandate to PANDEF to dialogue for them. “PANDEF articulated their position, which was conveyed to President Buhari on November 1 in Abuja and we told him to announce the government’s negotiation team for the dialogue. We made it clear that we are acting for the militants and other stakeholders in the region, who have briefed us on their demands. These demands had already been handed over to Mr. President. “So, we do not expect him to be talking as if he is not aware that the militants are ready for dialogue. What we expect of him is to announce government’s negotiation team for talks to commence. I do not know how correct this is, but we are hearing that he said that he wants to discuss with the militants themselves.” On his part, NDPC coordinator, Chief Loyibo said: “I disagree with the President’s statement because from all the facts on ground since this crisis started, the Federal Government has not shown enough sincerity in the dialogue process. “You cannot be talking of dialogue and be doing a different thing all together. Niger Delta does not lack leaders and as leaders, we have invested so much in the peace process, now the atmosphere is very conducive, at least 90 per cent, for us to talk. “The region I must say is waiting for Mr. President to set up a team for us to discuss and that has not been done.” NDSWON, IPDI and FHRACC, in their statement, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to President Buhari, where he was appealing to the Niger Delta militants to dialogue with the government. While we are not averse to any genuine dialogue initiated by the Federal Government, we view the call as a lukewarm disposition of the government to shirk from addressing the issues in dispute. “The President’s call is a telltale sign that he is looking for flimsy excuses to absolve himself of the mounds of blame staring at him. His call can best be described as a banana skin that ridicule the government’s sincerity in addressing the crisis. “It makes no sense for Mr President to call for dialogue with the militants when he already has a barrage of demands in his table presented by a cross section of the Niger Deltans, which include the militants as a prelude to a genuine dialogue,” they said.
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