Avengers ‘willingly agree’ to dialogue with FG

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have agreed to dialogue with the federal government to resolve the lingering crisis in the Niger Delta region.

Ballantyne Agiri, spokesman for the dialogue group, said this in a signed statement on Wednesday.

Agiri said that the NDA had constituted contact and a dialogue group to engage the federal government in meaningful dialogue as part of the initiatives to resolve the crisis.

He added that the group was determined to come out with results that would yield lasting peace, equity, justice and harmony among all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

“The body has collectively and willingly agreed to heed the clarion call of eminent Nigerians and international community to dialogue with the Federal Government,” he said.

He urged Nigerians and the international community to follow the event and watch out which side would default in terms of abiding by the rules and spirit of the dialogue.

“The federal government should from the inception of the dialogue rule out from the agenda any monthly monetary inducement or stipend for the NDA,” Agiri said.

“The federal government should be ready for structural changes that should be human and development oriented.

“Members of the avengers’ group (who will participate in the dialogue) have already been selected, each based on his integrity, forthrightness, honesty and life track records.

“The names of members of the group for now shall not be made public for personal reasons until they begin functioning in few days ahead.”

NDA has claimed responsibility for series of bombings of oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta in the last few months.

The activities of the group put a strain on Nigeria’s economy with crude oil production, Nigeria’s economic mainstay, disrupted.