*Says FG’s body language shows lack of seriousness
One of the militant groups in the Niger
Delta, the Ultimate Warriors, on Saturday rejected the position taken by
the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta to lead the
agitators’ negotiations with the federal government.
The group, in a statement by its
spokesman, Sibiri Taiowoh, accused MEND of lacking the credibility to
take on such a huge task, noting that the ex-militant group would only
worsen the current situation.
“Furthermore, MEND should stop playing
itself up as if they are one credible body to reckon with in respect to
the renewed agitations.
“We did not embrace the dialogue initiative because of MEND; so, it is not for MEND to dictate and set the pace for us.
“Let them not give us or any of our
affiliates bogus criteria… otherwise, they would only succeed in
worsening the situation”, the group said.
But MEND, while recently accepting the
dialogue option, held that the aegis under which all militants would
negotiate should be its Aaron 2 Peace Initiative to be headed by a
former Foreign Affairs Minister, Odein Ajumogobia.
“With this development, it has become
more imperative for the entire Niger Delta region to unite and speak
with one voice under a single umbrella in the forthcoming dialogue on
the Niger Delta question with the government of President Muhammadu
Buhari.
“The single umbrella is the MEND Aaron
Team 2 peace initiative headed by Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, SAN,” the
militant group stressed, after it said it had received “firm assurances
from the highest level of government about its readiness to dialogue
with the Aaron Team”.
Aside from dissociating itself from the
position held by MEND, the Ultimate Warriors also took a swipe at
President Buhari, saying that the federal government has refused to put
its house in order as the militants prepare for the proposed talks.
“We have watched with chagrin the recent
utterances by the President and his Vice and all we are seeing is their
tacit double standard and lip service to the demand of the groups as it
concerns the Niger Delta question.
“That is why all of our units and
affiliates have not fully heeded to the ceasefire. Today the President
will say something, tomorrow his Vice and some of their dishonest and
selfish lieutenants will contradict him.”
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