The Ijaw Peoples Development initiative, (IPDI) has challenged President Mohammadu Buhari to name looters are recruiting Niger delta militants to fight his government.
Below is a statement by Comrade Austin Ozobo, IPDI National President
Our attention has been drawn to a spurious and malicious claim or statement by president Buhari alleging that looters are recruiting Niger delta militants to fight his government.
This is a calculated attempt to sabotage the robust struggle of equitable share of Niger delta oil wealth. It is barbaric, odious, lackadaisical and mischievous.
He should name those looters recruiting Niger delta militants against his government to substantiate evidence of his wild claim. The world understood the suffering of Niger Delta and that his blackmails and criminal colouration will not derail genuine struggle in Niger delta.
Arm agitation in Niger delta is as old as Nigeria itself. It is unfortunate for president Buhari to say Niger delta militants are been recruited by looters to fight his government.
Buhari should talk less and work more to impress Nigerians of his electioneering promises.
Niger delta militants are not recruited by anybody but seems to be fighting for the well being of Niger delta region, and the struggle for resource control and true federalism are not politically motivated and has no business with looters of Nigeria treasury.
President Buhari should stop blackmailing and criminalizing Niger delta struggle. He is only looking for a cheap excuse why the government will not dialogue with the region to continue enslaving, exploiting and impoverishing the region after a long period of ceasefire of militia groups in the region.
Buhari should tell the world looters who recruited Isaac Adaka Boro to fight the eastern government during the first republic?. He should name looters who recruited Ken Sari wiwa to fight Abacha military government?
He should name those looters who recruited Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and MEND to fight his predecessors in previous governments in the country?
Often times, the message has been ignored, instead of dealing or addressing the message, successive governments in the country chose to deal with the messengers. Is the messengers really the problem?
All these are signs of lack of willingness and seriousness on the part of Buhari government to dialogue with Niger delta people. He that fight and run away will come back and fight again in another day. Buhari should address Niger demands for restructuring or carry it over to his successor in next administration.
If Niger delta Militants are been recruited, how will he described the activities of his direction less Boko haram extremists who had killed millions of people in the country for no just cause?
The issue is not militants that are fighting, most significantly is the demands of self-determination Niger delta is agitating for after been exploited for over 55years of oil exploration in the region.
Buhari should address these demands of restructuring and resources ownership and militancy will fade away.
It is a pity that Buhari does not understands the suffering of Niger delta and instead of finding lasting solution or coming to the drawing board of dialogue, he is busy giving the region and its agitation for restructuring a criminal colouration.
Comrade Austin Ozobo
National President Ijaw Peoples Development initiative, IPDI.
