Sheathe your sword, save Niger Delta from ruins – South-East APC begs militant group

      

The South-East Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to sheathe their swords and give President Muhammadu Buhari more time to look into their demands.
Mr. Osita Okechukwu, spokesman of the Caucus, in a statement made available to DAILY POST said, “we are making this appeal taking into cognizance of the laudable projects President Buhari has charted and lined up for the Niger Delta region, like Clean-Up of Ogoniland, completion of East-West road and Calabar-Lagos Railways.
“Secondly, no sane Nigerian will pray for the reoccurrence of the ugly incident of Odi in 1999, Zaki Ibiam in 2000 and Gbaramatu in 2009; unwarranted ugly scenario which the Niger Delta Avengers are consciously simulating.

   “It is our candid view that bombing of Forcados pipeline, Bonga Oil field, Chevron trunk lines and other Oil and Gas installations will neither facilitate the implementation of 2014 National Conference Report, funding of the Amnesty Program, nor the Clean-Up of the Niger Delta region.
“Therefore, escalation of bombings of the Niger Delta region is an ill-wind which blows no one good, not the least the good people of Niger Delta whom the Avengers claim to avenge their age long ills.

“Otherwise, may we honestly ask the Niger Delta Avengers, where they were, when our dear former president, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, from 6 May, 2010 to 29 May, 2015 presided over Nigeria?
“In other words, were the Niger Delta Avengers in deep slumber when Jonathan for good five years failed to Clean-Up the Niger Delta, failed to complete East-West road, failed to review Oil Blocks, failed to Amend the Constitution to their taste, and failed to build the three Greenfield Refineries which he awarded?”

   Okechukwu added that, “In actual fact, if there is anything to avenge, or anybody to blame, the barb should be directed at ex-president Jonathan and cohorts who criminally neglected the Niger Delta and by extension Nigeria via unconscionable planlessness and squandermania.
“Accordingly, we plead with our brothers, the Niger Delta Avengers for God’s sake, to do a deep re-think and graciously allow peace to reign; for our collective national interest and indeed to save the Niger Delta from ruins.”