Unlike Avengers, MEND offers to dialogue with FG

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has announced a seven-member team led by Odein Ajumogobia, a former minister of petroleum, to dialogue with the federal government.

In a statement on Monday Jomo Gbomo, MEND’s spokesman, said that other members of the group, tagged ‘Aaron Team 2’, are Bismark Rewane, renowned economist from Delta state and Florence Ita-Giwa, former senator from Cross River.

The rest are Timipa Jenkins Okponipere (Bayelsa), human rights activist; Ibanga Isine (Akwa Ibom), regional editor at Premium Times; Ledum Mitee (Rivers), former chairman of the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI); and Lawson Omokhodion (Edo).

Gbomo said other members of the team would be made public in due course after consultations with relevant stakeholders.

He described members of the team as “patriotic and selfless men and women with good track records and character drawn from different parts of the Niger Delta region”.

Gbomo also said the team would dialogue with the federal government on the immediate, medium and long-term future of the Niger Delta region.

He said members had already agreed to serve on behalf of the Niger Delta Region.

He recalled that on May 30, 2014, MEND declared a ceasefire on attacks against the nation’s key economic and strategic interests.

The spokesman said the group took the decision in response to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Democracy Day speech.

“Our message to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is simple: The Niger Delta struggle is beyond attacks on oil installations,” Gbomo said.

“If indeed your cause is to avenge the injustice done to the Niger Delta region; then we urge you to ceasefire and join us to the table of negotiation with the federal government.

“Otherwise, the Niger Delta struggle shall be hijacked, once again by selfish interests for their own personal aggrandizement.”

He said that the problems and challenges facing the region after attacks on key installations were environmental pollution and political corruption.

MEND’s moves comes after the refusal of Niger Delta Avengers to cease attacks on oil installations, despite the federal government’s peace moves.

Last Wednesday, it blew up another pipeline of Chevron Nigeria Limited in Delta state, vowing not to enter into any agreement with the government.

“At 1:00am today, the @NDAvengers blow up Well RMP 20 belonging to Chevron located 20 meters away from Dibi flow Station in Warri North local government area,”the militants had tweeted.

“This is to inform the general public that we are not negotiating with any committee. If federal government is discussing with any group they’re doing that on their own.”