The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is reportedly seeking a dialogue with Muhammadu Buhari, the president-elect.
Premium Times exclusively reports with reference to its South African source, who asked for anonymity, that Henry Okah, the MEND leader, had already ordered the formation of “Aaron Team 2″ for that purpose.
Amid the oil production problems caused by the Niger Delta crisis, the Movement is interested in finally resolving the lingering conflict with the federal government.
When the group was first set up in 2009, Okah and Farah Dagogo were on the team as observers.
The late Umaru Yar’Adua met with the Aaron Team in November, 2009, against the advice of Godwin Abe, at that time the minister of defence.
Yar’Adua promised to undertake a tour of the Niger Delta to see things for himself and called for cooperation with the aim of reaching peace.
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Shortly after the meeting, the Team launched a website urging Niger Delta people and Nigerians to participate in the dialogue.
The Team leader wrote on the site:
“As you are all aware, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta [MEND] has put together a team of well-meaning Nigerians called Aaron Team, to dialogue with the Federal Government in order to find lasting solutions to the problems plaguing the Niger Delta.
“The Team hopes to use this website as a means through which Niger Deltans, Nigerians, and Friends of Nigeria, can contribute to and follow the process.
“As much as we cannot address each individual comment or question, please know that we will do our best to keep you abreast of the dynamics of our dialogue. We are committed to working with the Federal Government of Nigeria to identify lasting solutions to the problems plaguing the Niger Delta.”
READ ALSO: Imprisoned MEND Leader Henry Okah Speaks Up About Jonathan, Buhari, Asari Dokubo
However, no consensus had been reached. The source disclosed that the MEND had not subscribed to the Amnesty Programme initiated by the government on the grounds that it had not addressed the core issues that led to the armed struggle in the region.
“A new team is being assembled to dialogue with the new government of General Buhari over the root issues that gave rise to militancy. Those issues have not been addressed long after the government singed the fraudulent amnesty deal.
“President Goodluck Jonathan abandoned the blueprint prepared by late Yar’Adua which could have provided a holistic solution to the region’s many problems.
“He even refused to dialogue and rather preferred to court a few commanders to abandon the struggle, employed divide-and-rule tactics and used the fraudulent Niger Delta Amnesty programme as a smokescreen.”
The source explained that the initiative for another round of negotiations had nothing to do with Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat at the presidential election, insisting that the Niger Delta struggle was never an Ijaw cause.
Sabella Abidde, a member of “Aaron Team 1″, confirmed that the Movement would soon name a new team adding:
“As we speak, there is not a single five-star infrastructure anywhere in the Niger Delta region. The Ogoni lands and waters are yet to be cleaned after the UNDP report was published.
“Many oil bearing communities across the region are still drinking polluted water and fishing in waters flowing with spilled crude. They are still cultivating farms with thick parches of crude and nobody is doing anything about it.
“The Niger Delta struggle issue wasn’t about the Ijaws alone. It was about every ethnic nationality that calls the region home — including the Isoko, Ibibios, Itsekiris, Urhobos, Binins, Esangs, Ogonis, Efiks, Ikweres and many others.”
The Movement leader, Henry Okah, was on March 26, 2013, sentenced to 24 years in prison by a South African court. He was found guilty on 13 counts of terrorism.
Speaking recently from the jail ahead of the Nigerian polls, Okah described Jonathan as timid and cowardly. Regarding Buhari, Okah said that “he does not appear vain and would very likely be a more prudent civilian leader” adding, however:
“This is not to say that I would vote for him in any elections as much as I respect him. I am disillusioned with Nigerian politics and have never voted or participated in any form of politics at any level.”
Premium Times exclusively reports with reference to its South African source, who asked for anonymity, that Henry Okah, the MEND leader, had already ordered the formation of “Aaron Team 2″ for that purpose.
Amid the oil production problems caused by the Niger Delta crisis, the Movement is interested in finally resolving the lingering conflict with the federal government.
When the group was first set up in 2009, Okah and Farah Dagogo were on the team as observers.
The late Umaru Yar’Adua met with the Aaron Team in November, 2009, against the advice of Godwin Abe, at that time the minister of defence.
Yar’Adua promised to undertake a tour of the Niger Delta to see things for himself and called for cooperation with the aim of reaching peace.
Advertisement
Shortly after the meeting, the Team launched a website urging Niger Delta people and Nigerians to participate in the dialogue.
The Team leader wrote on the site:
“As you are all aware, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta [MEND] has put together a team of well-meaning Nigerians called Aaron Team, to dialogue with the Federal Government in order to find lasting solutions to the problems plaguing the Niger Delta.
“The Team hopes to use this website as a means through which Niger Deltans, Nigerians, and Friends of Nigeria, can contribute to and follow the process.
“As much as we cannot address each individual comment or question, please know that we will do our best to keep you abreast of the dynamics of our dialogue. We are committed to working with the Federal Government of Nigeria to identify lasting solutions to the problems plaguing the Niger Delta.”
READ ALSO: Imprisoned MEND Leader Henry Okah Speaks Up About Jonathan, Buhari, Asari Dokubo
However, no consensus had been reached. The source disclosed that the MEND had not subscribed to the Amnesty Programme initiated by the government on the grounds that it had not addressed the core issues that led to the armed struggle in the region.
“A new team is being assembled to dialogue with the new government of General Buhari over the root issues that gave rise to militancy. Those issues have not been addressed long after the government singed the fraudulent amnesty deal.
“President Goodluck Jonathan abandoned the blueprint prepared by late Yar’Adua which could have provided a holistic solution to the region’s many problems.
“He even refused to dialogue and rather preferred to court a few commanders to abandon the struggle, employed divide-and-rule tactics and used the fraudulent Niger Delta Amnesty programme as a smokescreen.”
The source explained that the initiative for another round of negotiations had nothing to do with Goodluck Jonathan’s defeat at the presidential election, insisting that the Niger Delta struggle was never an Ijaw cause.
Sabella Abidde, a member of “Aaron Team 1″, confirmed that the Movement would soon name a new team adding:
“As we speak, there is not a single five-star infrastructure anywhere in the Niger Delta region. The Ogoni lands and waters are yet to be cleaned after the UNDP report was published.
“Many oil bearing communities across the region are still drinking polluted water and fishing in waters flowing with spilled crude. They are still cultivating farms with thick parches of crude and nobody is doing anything about it.
“The Niger Delta struggle issue wasn’t about the Ijaws alone. It was about every ethnic nationality that calls the region home — including the Isoko, Ibibios, Itsekiris, Urhobos, Binins, Esangs, Ogonis, Efiks, Ikweres and many others.”
The Movement leader, Henry Okah, was on March 26, 2013, sentenced to 24 years in prison by a South African court. He was found guilty on 13 counts of terrorism.
Speaking recently from the jail ahead of the Nigerian polls, Okah described Jonathan as timid and cowardly. Regarding Buhari, Okah said that “he does not appear vain and would very likely be a more prudent civilian leader” adding, however:
“This is not to say that I would vote for him in any elections as much as I respect him. I am disillusioned with Nigerian politics and have never voted or participated in any form of politics at any level.”
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