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Nine militant groups under the aegis of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) have backed out of the ongoing peace talks with the federal government over the non-volatile approach to issues of the continuous operations of oil and gas facilities, warning foreign oil vessels to stay away from the Niger Delta region or face dire consequences.
The peace talk between the RNDA and the federal government, which was initiated last year by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, was recently threatened by the appointment of Mr Akwa Effiong Okon as sole administrator for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)and the non-recognition of the Niger Delta region in the policy statements made by President Muhammadu Buhari during the January 1st broadcast to the nation.
The militant groups that made up the RNDA, in a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by its National Coordinator, threatened that with effect from this day on the 7th of January 2021, its strike force units in the nine states of the region will kick start bombing and destruction of oil facilities and oil pipelines and major oil ships and vessels coming from Lagos to the creek of Niger Delta.
According to the group, ”the major vessels and ships are advised to withdraw their services to Warri ESCRAVOS Waters, to Bonny NLNG Port Harcourt waters from the Gulf of Guinea to Nigeria water ways should stop their services henceforth and any of the ships and the vessels that refuse to comply with our directive will meet with the fire power attack from the dreaded strike force units of the RNDA militant groups”
According to the group, the operation is code named “Operation No Mercy Alfa Piper zero oil” to save NDDC from the hands of politicians including the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the sole Administrator, Mr. Akwa Effiong Okon and some Presidential aides involved in the plot to hold the Niger Delta to ransom.
The RNDA, however, commended the efforts of the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ovie Omo Agege over his efforts at rallying round all stakeholders in the region including traditional rulers, the leadership of Hostcom and the various agitating militant groups in the region for building bridge of peace among all ethnic nationalities in the region.
”We commend those genuinely agitating for the practical development of the region and salute the neglected emancipated long suffering and most oppressed citizens of Nigerian state who are from the oil rich region of Niger Delta.
“The commander in chief, President Muhammadu Buhari refuses to acknowledge that the most significant region in this country that has been sustaining the economy of this nation for all these years should be given proper attention before any other region or sector in this year 2021 while Mr President was addressing the nation in his new year address.
The leadership of the RNDA militant group in the creek has come to the conclusion that even though President Muhammadu Buhari refuse to recognize that the Niger Delta region is more significant and more important than any other region or sector in the country in terms of rapid development in the remaining years of his administration.”
“We the Dreaded Strike Force Unit Commanders of the RNDA in the creek, who are genuinely agitating for the overall development of the region, will not take such from Mr.President, because without the daily production of crude oil in the creek of Niger Delta, there will be no Nigeria. And the RNDA wants to make bold to state that without the constant high volume of crude oil production in the creek the economy of this country will be in comatose and therefore the dreaded RNDA militant group want to state clearly that the people of the oil rich region whose wealth of crude oil that is used to develop Abuja and the northern part of the country will not fold their hands and tolerate such from the federal government any longer.
“And for issues bordering the overall development
of the entire Niger Delta region, it is noted that Mr President has refused to address these issues including that of Niger Delta Development Commission. RNDA wants to say that President Muhammadu Buhari does not mean well for the development of the Niger Delta region.
“The fact that Mr. President kept quiet and refuse to take any action on the inauguration of a substantive NDDC board which had been screened and confirmed by Mr President himself before now, and for him to keep quiet and allow his aides around him to plot a coup against the people of the Niger Delta region.
“He has also allowed Senator Goodwill Akpabio and his corrupt cronies to hold the Niger Delta to ransom for refusing to swear in the already screened substantive board for over two years and for the fact that Mr President refused to make any comment and issue any statement for keeping mute in respect of all the agitations from the various stakeholders, oil producing traditional rulers of Nigeria TROMPCON, governors from the entire nine Niger Delta states, clergy men from the region, various youth groups, the likes of IYC, IJaw Youth Council, stakeholders and various agitating militant groups in the creek of Niger Delta, is a clear show of disregard to the people of the region.”
“ It is also a clear affront and disregard to the people of the region by President Muhammadu Buhari to have allowed such illegality announced by his media aide, Mr Femi Adesina, on the name of Mr. Akwa Effiong Okon as the sole administrator of NDDC. Even though such illegality was perpetuated during his absence from the Villa and in Daura, Katsina state, the refusal of President Buhari to reverse such and sanction those involved in an action not known to the national assembly that gives birth to the creation of the NDDC commission in 2000.
“The only solution to the issue on ground is for President Muhammadu Buhari to listen to the call and agitations of the Niger Delta People. The RNDA have decided to declare war against the oil facilities and to blow up all the major oil pipelines and to attack all the oil vessels entering Nigeria waters that is bringing in NNPC fuel tankers to the Lagos high sea.
“For this reason, the RNDA militant group with the entire nine militant groups has declared curfew with the expiration date of 21 days in the entire Nigerian waterways from the Lagos sea atlas cove manifold, NLNG Bonny waters to the gulf coast of Guinea to Nigeria waters any foreign vessels that refuse to obey this directive from the RNDA is on his own and whatever that happens to any of the vessels and the foriegners the country vessels owners should hold Sen Godswill Akpabio and Mr Akwa with the presidency responsible and that whatever that happens to them in the creek.
“ Mr President should not also hold the RNDA responsible because a word is enough for the wise and we can no longer tolerate the perpetual injustice and the bunch of oppression melted by Mr Akpabio and the aides of Mr President in the villa against the people of the oil rich Niger Delta region”.
