Oscarline Onwuemenyi
09 August 2017, Sweetcrude, Abuja – Niger Delta militants under the aegis of the Niger Delta Volunteers (NDV) have stated that arrangements have reached an advance stage with other agitators to declare a Sovereign Republic of Niger Delta (SRND) on October 1, 2017.
The group has also called on International Oil Companies (IOCs) to relocate to the region before the set date, failure, which would attract resumption of hostilities against oil and gas infrastructure in the region.
These threats were contained in a statement signed by the leader of the group, General Ekpo Ekpo, and made available to reporters yesterday.
The self-acclaimed leader of the group, criticized the action of some Niger Delta leaders who recently met with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo under the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
According to him, “We totally condemn the recent meeting of PANDEF with the Acting President and wish to state clearly that the delegates from Akwa Ibom State to that meeting did so on their own because they did not consult with relevant groups and therefore cannot claim to speak for everybody in the region.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government says it has commenced efforts at gainfully engaging 50,000 youths from oil producing states for pipeline surveillance jobs in their communities.
Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Co-ordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, who stated this yesterday during a media interaction in Abuja, said nine governments of the oil producing states had forwarded an aggregate of 10,000 names to his office for the take-off of the initial stage of the programme.He noted that the aim was to get the youths in those communities engaged to stem the tide of militancy, kidnapping and other vices in the region.
Boroh also used the occasion to present certificates to three beneficiaries of the amnesty programme who recently graduated with First Class degrees from the Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radio Electronics.
