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"But while the land is ravaged
And our pure air poisoned
When streams choke with pollution
Silence would be treason
Punishable by a term in prison"
Ken Saro-Wiwa(1941-1995)
"We
see frantic efforts being made to stop the spill in the USA. In Nigeria, oil
companies largely ignore their spills, cover them up and destroy people's
livelihood and environments." ..Nnimmo Bassey
MEND threatens
fresh attacks on oil facilities
Friday, 30
July 2010 00:00 From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt News -
National
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND) has threatened fresh attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta over
what it believes is the slow pace of action by the administration of
President Goodluck Jonathan in tackling the problems of the oil region.
The militant group also insisted on the retention of Prof. Wole Soyinka as
part of the Aaron Team since, in their words, “his presence and guidance
through this stage will be invaluable to the credibility of any talks with
the Federal Government.”
MEND, which said it always preferred dialogue to armed conflict, has
confirmed that though there has been some indirect contact with government,
it would not waste its time and energy on what it described as “aimless
talks, which avoid the sore issue of resource control.”
The Nobel laureate had last week during the 13th Professor Wole Soyinka
Lecture organised by the National Association of Seadogs (NAS) allegedly
threatened to pull out of the Aaron Team if MEND fails to resume talks with
the government by the end of this month.
MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, in an online interview with The Guardian, said
that Soyinka's comments might have been informed by
his frustration over inactivity regarding the talks with which he
had been associated. This inactivity, according him, is solely the fault
of the government, which believes agitation in the Niger Delta can
be quelled by “bribing criminals and traitors.”
“Professor Soyinka was approached by MEND to volunteer his presence as an
observer to our anticipated talks with the Nigerian government on account of
his unblemished reputation as a fair campaigner for justice in Nigeria. His
presence and guidance through this stage will be invaluable to the
credibility of any talks,” said Gbomo.
MEND reiterated its commitment to the fight for justice in the Niger
Delta and vowed to continue with its quest for justice regardless of the
composition of its negotiators.
The group blamed the stalling of talks with government on the illness and
later, death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
According to Gbomo, President Yar’Adua accepted to dialogue on all points
demanded by MEND concerning the agitation and armed conflict in the Niger
Delta.
“His death (Yar’Adua) was a huge blow to genuine attempts aimed at resolving
the injustice in the Niger Delta. Our demands to the Nigerian state for a
cessation of hostilities remain the same. Any talks unwilling to address the
cause of agitation in the Niger Delta as stated in our demands, will never
take place,” said Gbomo.
MEND noted that it had in January 2010 called off its unilateral ceasefire
and this in effect means it is still in a state of war with the oil industry
and the Nigerian military operating in the Niger Delta.
“Our attacks on the oil industry are imminent, seeing that the government of
Goodluck Jonathan has nothing to offer the people of the Niger Delta,” Gbomo
said.
MEND warned that the foundation upon which President Jonathan is attempting
to build Nigeria is weak and would not sustain a positive growth of the
nation.
It said corruption remains rife with the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) acting as a tool of oppression and persecution for the
government.
An oil slick in the Niger Delta in March 2003.....click
American
Oil Spills In Gulf of Mexico Is A Good Thing....
NIGERIA
IS A DYSFUNCTIONAL AND A FAILED STATE.....
NIGER
DELTA CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND PRAY FOR UNITED STATES SUPPORT
FOR INDEPENDENCE.....
NIGER DELTA
VIDEOS....
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