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Power struggle among competing Niger Delta militants may derail truce talks recently agreed between the Nigerian government and the Niger Delta Avengers whose unrelenting attacks on oil and gas infrastructure have shaved over 800,000 barrels per day of Nigeria’s crude output.
Sources say splinter groups are emerging from prominent groups who anticipate a 2009 Amnesty-type arrangement wherein Nigeria committed as much as $500 million yearly in programmes that sought to rehabilitate over 30,000 erstwhile agitators.
The Nigerian government had exploited back channels to initiate dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers, whose sustained bombing campaign has shorn national earnings of N60 billion over the past three months according to NNPC data, prompting rival groups like Reformed Egbesu Boys, Egbesu Water Lions and Egbesu Mythier Fraternity, insisting that neither Niger Delta Avengers nor the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, can speak for the people of the Delta region.
“We write on behalf of the Reformed Egbesu Boys of the Niger Delta, Egbesu Water Lions and Egbesu Mythier Fraternity to bring to the urgent attention of the Federal Government that the negotiation with the Avengers is lopsided,” writes Tony Alagbakeriowei and Ebi Abakoromor in a statement to the press made available to BusinessDay.
It further said, “We condemn in strong terms the emerging trend where those in MEND, who took to kidnapping and hostage-taking to criminalise the legitimate agitation and had since been disbanded and accepted the poorly coordinated Amnesty Programme, are now seeking relevance and purporting to have raised a negotiation team to dialogue with the federal government,” the groups said.
Meanwhile the Niger Delta Avengers has released their own statement accusing certain individuals of trying to resurrect the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), they described as defunct group in other for them to participate in talks with the Federal government.
“We are making the last appeal and warning to this so-called MEND to excuse the NDA from their criminal ways and gang up. We have never minced words in telling the whole listening world that the Niger Delta Avengers will not be part of any dialogue deal that will not bring about the peace of our time; but we want a peace with honour.” Mudoch Agbinibo, the group’s spokesman said in the statement.
Stakeholders in the Niger Delta has called on the Federal government to develop a proper framework for the negotiations and use an holistic approach in their renewed bid to engage with the people of the region.
“Government needs to totally restructure the programme, in terms of attitude towards the Niger Delta, in terms of development, in terms of engagement with the international oil companies and their host community,” said Lucky Akaruese professor of Philosophy, University of Port Harcourt, who has been involved in the settlement talks in the past.
He added, “I know of an oil conglomerate that has been operating in the Niger Delta since 1963 but has only built houseboats and no permanent structure in the Niger Delta. The amount spent to ferry workers to site is more than what is required to build roads. What we are calling for is for the government to avoid tokenism and seriously engage the people of the region.”
Chris Ekiyor, former President Ijaw Youth Council said the problem with the previous amnesty deal was that the certain elements did not allow it run its course to give it a chance to succeed.
“Under late President Umaru Yardua, amnesty was meant to be a gateway, a measure by which the government was to begin engagement with the communities. It was supposed to be stepping stone for real development but it was abandoned and what we have now amounts to tokenism. It is why only 11,000 of the 30,000 ended up benefiting from the programme. This is what has prompted the boys back into the creeks.”
According to Ekiyor, the pathway to finding amicable solution to the impasse is for those who initiated and managed the amnesty be invited back to chart a fresh course and for those who abused the process to be brought to book.
“Those who handled the amnesty can be consulted, they are still alive. The programme need to be expended. Government has to pay serious attentions to development issues in the region. How many ports are working in the Niger Delta? Government needs to resuscitate the ports in Niger Delta, and oil companies should engage in development, build infrastructure and facilities in the Niger Delta and force should be discouraged.”
