Oscarline Onwuemenyi 31 January 2018, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, has urged the Belema Community in Kula Kingdom…
Browsing: Chief Edwin Clark
Youths from Belema community have in the past five months occupied the Belema Flow Station, a facility belonging to Shell, in their demand for the multinational oil company to leave the community following alleged ill-treatment.
“Those are laptop militants; they don’t exist. Four of them will sit down in their houses and be issuing threats. These threats have existed since November 2016 when we met with Mr. President at the Villa. Some of these faceless boys issued the same threat and since then, they have been issuing threats.”
He stated, “It appears that the Federal Government has not learnt from history. If the only answer it has is to use the military to fight back the threats and attacks of the militants in the creeks, then it will not succeed, it will not work.”
“Any resumption of hostilities will not be in the interest of our people. This is not the time to resume hostilities. It is true that the federal government has not been quite serious about the negotiations, but we are asking the NDA to maintain the peace.”
“Peace comes from being able to contribute the best we could to create a region that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute and that’s what President Buhari’s administration is doing.”
“The coalition will be forced to resume hostilities in the creeks in a well coordinated approach, if the Federal Government enters into any discussion with PANDEF, as the group no longer enjoys the blessing and support of militants and stakeholders in the region.”
The inter-ministerial group, consisting of all relevant ministries, departments and agencies, MDAs of the FG, with the involvement of relevant State governments led by the Acting President, meets regularly to drive the different initiatives and ensure effective and ongoing implementation of the FG Niger Delta new vision.
“There is no ultimatum. We agreed on many things and we came in with our own address, presented it; the ministers presented their cases. Mr Acting President rounded it off and we saw in him the genuineness, truthfulness and forthrightness.”
He said, “It is highly selfish and unpatriotic for the Chief E. K. Clark-led PANDEF to give the Federal Government an ultimatum considering the right steps taken so far by the government towards a permanent solution to the age-long crisis that had bedeviled the Niger Delta region.”