Following
its recent cease fire from breaking pipelines in the creeks, the Niger Delta
Avengers have declared their readiness to engage federal government in a
meaningful dialogue that would return peace in the oil region. File: Militants
File: Militants They however demanded that government must also be ready to
show commitment towards the proposed dialogue by withdrawing the military from
carrying out further actions within the region. One of the stakeholders of the Amnesty
Programme and leader from the region, Elder Timi Ogoriba made the decision
known on Friday, after an indoor stakeholders meeting held in the Presidential
Amnesty Office, Abuja. He said that the meeting was necessitated by the recent
happenings in the Niger Delta region which had impacted negatively on the
economy. “I see an end to the militancy in the Niger Delta, definitely, there
is nothing that starts that does not end. Right now, there is a cease fire
because of the interfacing by some of us with the people that are involved.
“Government on its part has to show commitment by trying to put up a dialogue
team, doing some of the things the young men had asked for, which I know they
are very much aware of.” On the military action in the area, Elder Ogoriba said
it would be reasonable for government to also cease fire by withdrawing its
troops from carrying out further action against the Avengers to pave way for a
meaningful dialogue. ‘’Well, they say the military action in the region is a
routine thing, but the timing is not proper. Now that there is what is called a
cease fire, cease is not a one way thing, it is a two way thing. “As far as we
are concerned, the military is on one side then the agitators are on one side.
If at this time, the agitators have pronounced a cease fire, and the military
is still there, it may appear provocative, it may be misconstrued. “So, we have
been making several appeals to ensure that they withdraw. And if they think it
is a routine thing that they are doing, let them not carry out actions that
might provoke others which could bring about a combat, which we do not want
now.” On when the dialogue will start, he said, “we would not know when the
dialogue will commence, we have asked the government to put up a team for the
dialogue. The moment the government put up a team, within the next one or two
days, the other side will also put up theirs, which we are trying to take care
of. Dialoguing is a process. So long as it begins, and we are sincere in our
approach, everybody will lay down his arm.” Speaking on the possible extension
of the amnesty programme, he said that the moment the dialogue starts, few of
the things that were demanded by the agitators, which made them to agitate will
be addressed within the confine of dialogue, insisting that sincerity is the
hallmark of all the efforts. “Once dialogue starts, what people of the region
must be seen doing is to put up a bill of right, collectively, putting all the
problems of the area together because it is not everybody that will be there.
“I am believing that at the end of the day, these issues causing problems for
us will be addressed. Everybody should be interested, government should be
proactive. People from the Niger Delta too should take care of their people and
address the issues when they come up, adding that amnesty programme is not only
the programme earmarked for training of people that are viable but noted that
there exist other programmes that would meaningfully engage them at the end of
the dialogue
No comments:
Post a Comment