Again, Jonathan denies link with Niger Delta Avengers

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan has again denied allegations that he is sponsoring the Niger Delta Avengers.

The former President said this in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Ikechukwu Eze, on Thursday.

Some national newspapers had quoted a presidency source stating that a new report had linked Jonathan to the militant group and that the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had begun probing the former president.

In his response however, Jonathan said that reports in the media against him are being sponsored by those who feel intimidated by his rising profile in Nigeria and abroad.

The ex-President said, “It is sad that the two publications wore the cloak of deceit from the same misguided characters that are hell-bent on pulling down the former President, despite his clear record of diligent service to his country and long standing commitment to the good of society.

“There is no doubt that there exists such people who may have scores to settle with the former President but are now feeling frustrated by the fact that his national and international profile has continued to rise, despite their recourse to endless muck-raking character assassination. Such people will stop at nothing to continue to throw obstacles, albeit futilely, on his path.”

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Niger Delta Avengers Reportedly Agrees To Dialogue with FG

Militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, have reportedly agreed to dialogue with the Federal government to find a solution to the lingering crisis in the Niger Delta region. This development is contained in a statement released today by the spokesman for the dialogue group, Ballantyne Agiri. The statement in part reads 

“The body has collectively and willingly agreed to heed the clarion call of eminent Nigerians and international community to dialogue with the Federal Government. The federal government should from the inception of the dialogue rule out from the agenda any monthly monetary inducement or stipend for the NDA. 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.”

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Jonathan is using Niger Delta Avengers to dis-stablize Buhari Government - mend

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta says it has been vindicated by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers’ allegation that former President Goodluck Jonathan is a grand patron of new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers.

MEND claimed in a statement on Tuesday that Jonathan was sponsoring the NDA to destabilise the government of his successor, President Muhammadu Buhari.

The statement signed by one Jomo Gbomo was MEND’s response to Jonathan’s denial of the allegation by the RNDA, linking the ex-President with the new militant group.

The full text of the statement was made available to online news platform, SaharaReporters by MEND.

MEND said it was highly infuriated by Jonathan’s rebuttal of the RNDA earlier claim, particularly his declaration that Henry Okah was after his life rather than clear the air on the allegation.

The statement said, “MEND cannot hold brief for the RNDA, which pointedly accused Mr. Jonathan of complicity in fueling the ongoing Niger Delta crisis and patronising the NDA, apparently for political reasons.

“We are, however, quick to point out the fact that the RNDA has merely vindicated MEND’s belief and conviction that the former President and his cronies, who lost the 2015 presidential election, were using the illegal and treasonable NDA platform to destabilise President Buhari’s government.”

The group accused Jonathan of wasting the opportunity of the South-South to rule the country, accusing him of failing to develop the region when he was in the saddle as President.

The statement added, “Indeed, the problem in the Niger Delta today has nothing to do with the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Far from it! The problem is simply the failure of Mr. Jonathan to address the root issues confronting the region when he was at the helms of affairs.

”Even though he was from the impoverished region and had, by his own admission in numerous electioneering campaigns, experienced the utter poverty and abject neglect of the region foisted by successive Nigerian governments and the international oil companies since the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri (a few metres away from his native Otuoke) in Bayelsa State, Mr. Jonathan disappointingly frittered away the opportunity to rescue his people when the Nigerian Presidency fortuitously landed on his laps, virtually on a platter of gold.

“For six whole years, Mr. Jonathan was busy drinking, making merry and generally chasing shadows at the State House. Such a fellow deserves to be ostracised from the assembly of reasonable men; because the Nigerian Presidency might never come back to the Niger Delta region as cheap as it came to Mr. Jonathan; perhaps, in the next 100 years.

“Lest we forget, MEND was at the forefront of the armed struggle back in 2006/2007 which forced the then Government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to consider the option of drafting an Ijaw into the mainstream of Nigerian politics. That was how the perpetually timid and naïve Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became Vice-President and later, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When he assumed the reins as President, he did the unthinkable; he tracked down perceived MEND leaders and promptly got them imprisoned on a trumped-up charge of attempt to assassinate him.

“Up until today, Mr. Jonathan is still suffering from an assassination paranoia complex.

The group added that a substantial portion of Jonathan’s statement, “unfortunately, dwelt on judicial matters which are pending in various courts in Nigeria and South Africa.”

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US expresses concern over Niger Delta violence

The United States Mission to Nigeria has said it supports dialogue for the resolution of the violence in the Niger Delta.

It expressed concern over the rising violence and attacks in the Niger Delta, saying it was monitoring reports of attacks and other incidents in the region.

The embassy in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said it shared the concerns of all Nigerians about the attacks, adding that it was in support of efforts, including dialogue, to address the grievances in the Niger Delta.

The mission called on all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means, emphasising that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected.

It said, “We encourage all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and emphasise that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected.

“We continue to call on all Nigerians to persevere in efforts to achieve common goals: to end violence and curb the activities of criminal elements; to establish conditions and mechanisms for profound, positive, and lasting changes in the region; and to provide economic opportunity and needed services for residents of the Niger Delta.”

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EXPECT MORE BOMBINGS IN NIGER DELTA – Joseph Evah

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to embrace dia­logue to resolve renewed insurgency in the Niger Delta which has led to attacks on oil pipelines and facilities by militants.

While urging the President not to listen to bad advisers and hawks in his cabinet who are allegedly urg­ing him to use force to subdue the militants, Evah said military option would exacerbate the situation.

In this interview with SATUR­DAY SUN, Evah also spoke on other national issues including the role of South-south governors in the crisis, the region’s relationship with the North, Amnesty Programme and a host of others. It was conducted by TUNDE THOMAS. Excerpts:

What is your view about the resurgence of militancy in the Niger-Delta because many Nigerians believed that with the Amnesty Pro­gramme initiated in 2009, that lasting peace had re­turned to the region?

It is unfortunate that many Nige­rians didn’t know that all along, we have been sitting on a keg of gun powder in the Niger-Delta.

What you have in the Niger-Delta has been a peace of the graveyard. Although it is true that Amnesty Pro­gramme is in place, but how many people will that programme benefit out of millions of our people whose daily lives and means of livelihood are being destroyed by oil explora­tion?

Niger-Delta people have been re­silient – the suffering have been too much, and unfortunately oil compa­nies operating in the region have little or no feelings at all for the people.

Unfortunately those people that are inhabitants of Niger-Delta would have looked up to for succour, that is the state governors are cowards. They can’t face the oil companies and tell them the bitter truth that the people are suffering as a result of ecological damage to their environ­ment and businesses. It is unfortu­nate that these people we elected to represent our interests are the same set of people that have compromised.

The oil companies have little or no respect at all for these south-south governors because even some of them use to go and beg for money from the oil companies, and in turn the oil companies treat our governors as house boys.

What happens when you have no­body to do your battle, you then re­sort to self-help, that is exactly what is responsible for the renewed mili­tancy in the Niger-Delta.

The people of Niger-Delta, both the young and the old, most espe­cially the youths had expected the governors of the south-south to mobilize the people to demand for improvement in their environment. Most of these youths have been to Lagos, Abuja, Kano and other cities, and having realized that most of the developments you have in this places were carried out with proceeds from sale of crude oil got from the Niger- Delta, they become angry that the region which produce this wealth has been neglected.

Our people in Niger-Delta live in abject neglect. Our angry youths who are now involved in this renewed militancy want Niger-Delta region to be developed – they want the oil rich region to look like Dubai, New York, Paris and host of other beautiful cit­ies across the world. Although as el­ders, we have been advising them to shun violence and embrace dialogue in channeling their grievances to the appropriate authorities.

Are you saying that the state governors in the Niger- Delta should have confront­ed the oil companies …?

Cuts in … No. We are not saying that. Do they need to confront any­body to demand for the rights of their people? No. The demands of the Ni­ger-Delta people are legitimate ones. Is it not the greatest of man’s inhu­manity to fellow human beings that your operations in my environment is causing a lot of damage, and you are not making any moves to amelio­rate the situation?

Go to the Niger-Delta today, see people are living in squalor, and yet this is an oil-rich region. Even oil ex­ploration has destroyed farming and fishing which used to be major occu­pation of the people.

There are some obvious insults which we don’t expect the governors to take from the oil companies. For instance, while these oil companies pay tenement rates to the federal gov­ernment, they neglect the land own­ers from whose land they get the oil. There are other instances, and some of these people have built up anger in our youths.

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Militants attack more Chevron assets

Niger Delta militants on Wednesday blew up two additional facilities belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited, making it the fourth time the oil major’s assets would be attacked in less than a month.

Amid the recent upsurge in attacks on oil and gas installations in the area, some international oil companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Companies have seen their facilities damaged, with the latest being Chevron.

A militant group that calls itself the Niger Delta Avengers, which has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks since the beginning of the year, destroyed two vital Chevron’s Bibi oil wells, RMP 23 and RMP 24, in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday.

One of our correspondents learnt that the incident occurred around 3:44am near Egbema, an Ijaw enclave in Warri North, and the wells have been shut down.

A military source and an employee of Chevron, who did not want their names mentioned, confirmed the incident, adding that the attack led to heavy spillage in the creeks.

The source also said that a team of engineers had been sent to assess the damage and stop further spread of the spillage.

When contacted, the Manager, Communications, Chevron Nigeria, Mr. Sola Adebawo, said, “We will not comment on security issues.”

On May 4, Chevron’s Okan offshore platform came under attack, a development that resulted in the shutdown of the facility.

Okan is the nation’s first offshore production platform located in the Escravos area of Delta State.

Chevron said the damage to the Okan platform had affected about 35,000 barrels per day of its own net crude production, or about 15 per cent of its output in the country.

On May 13, a new blast occurred at a Chevron oil well at the Marakaba pipeline in Warri.

Last week, the NDA carried out another attack on the oil major’s main power line at the Escravos terminal, shutting down its onshore operations in the region.

Onshore oil assets in Nigeria have been attacked for years, forcing the IOCs to reduce their land-bound operations in the area in favour of more secure offshore projects.

The Head of Energy Research, Ecobank Capital, Mr. Dolapo Oni, said, “I think the IOCs have genuine reasons to be worried. As companies that have high safety standards, most major oil companies are likely to take stringent safety protocols, including reducing personnel at fields bordering locations that have been hit or could be hit.”

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BREAKING: Niger Delta Avengers blow up Chevron oil wells again

The Niger Delta Avengers in the early hours of Wednesday broke through the heavy military presence in the Niger Delta region, blowing up two vital Chevron oil wells in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State.

Our correspondent learnt that the incident occurred around 3:44am near Egbema, an Ijaw enclave in Warri North.

The affected pipelines were identified as Chevron Bibi Oil Well RMP 23 and RMP.

It was gathered that Chevron noticed the incident at about 4am following a drop in pressure during production. The wells have since been shut down.

A military source and a staff of Chevron who did not want their names mentioned, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the attack led to heavy spillage in the creeks.

The source also said that a team of engineers had been sent to assess the damage and to stop further spread of the spillage.

NDA also confirmed attacking the oil wells in a tweet.

With the heavy presence of 100 Gunboats, 4 Warships and Jet Bombers NDA blew up Chevron Oil Well RMP 23 and RMP 24 3:44am this Morning.

— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) June 1, 2016

RMP 24 and RMP 23 are Chevron Swamp Highest producing Wells. #Boom

— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) June 1, 2016

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