The Niger Delta Avengers has warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government against making “disparaging remarks” about the group.
The militia group in a letter released on Thursday said the President’s hands were “soiled deep in the blood of late writer and human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa.”
NDA said it found it amazing that the President launched the Ogoni cleanup while soldiers of “Operation Delta Safe” were simultaneously burning petroleum products and constituting environmental pollution.
The letter read in full.
“The High Command of the NIGER DELTA AVENGERS (NDA ) is constrained to write you Mr. President, General Muhammadu Buhari on your continuous disparaging remarks since the cessation and suspension of hostilities by our fighters for liberation of the Niger Delta from economic colonialism of Nigeria.
We are curious of comments like “Niger Delta militants’ objective is to colonize Nigeria economically”… “Niger Delta militants are sponsored by economic looters”… During the Passing Out Parade (POP) of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) 63rd Regular Course, where you personally issued misleading statements and threats of decisive military action- if necessary, to deal with Niger Delta agitation because you have purportedly opened up channels of talks through security agencies/agents and the Multinational Corporations.
Mr. President, democratically elected governments open channels for talks in situations like we have in the Niger Delta through security agencies/agents, or you are assuming the Niger Delta as a conquered colony in your 1984 Era?
Mr President, you continue to emphasize on the charade you called “the flagged off process to the cleanup of Ogoni land” as part of your government’s program to salvage the ravaged environment. We are disturbed with the type of rhetoric and politics you are degenerating your age and authority as president of federal republic of Nigeria to on issues concerning Niger Delta since you came into office.
You continue to live in pretence and blind to the history of the Niger Delta agitation because of some psychopaths around; as far as you are concerned, you are as white as the snow! But do I recall that you were once a military governor, a minister of petroleum, military head of state and chairman Petroleum Trust Fund and general Sani Abacha’s henchman (the most corrupt dictator in the history of Africa).
To say the least, your hands are soiled deep in the blood of Kenule Saro Wiwa (the Ogoni nines), and events leading up to the pollution of Ogoni land that you are politicizing the cleanup process. Wait a moment, how come your government is glorifying a charade called Ogoni cleanup while you were a major player in that crime?
How can you justify Ogoni clean up and at the same time constitute a Task Force Called “Operations Delta Safe” that is embarking on environmental pollution with the burning and bombing of petroleum products in the guise of fighting oil theft? Does that amount to lack of genuine ideas or sincerity? OR at least, is there no relationship between environmental pollution and the ongoing indiscriminate burning and bombing of petroleum products by operatives of the so-called ” Operations Delta Safe?
Mr. President, basically, some other factors fueling the Niger Delta conflict are corruption engendered by successive government that you served since oil became the commonwealth of the nation Nigeria. What is wrong in president simply producing a copy of secondary school leaving certificate instead of hiring 13 Senior Advocates of Nigeria to suppress the judiciary? Whilst you start the Ogoni clean up process, what is wrong in reviewing the Sir Henry Willinks Commission Report 1958? The Ogoni Bill of Rights, The Kaiama Declaration document of the Ijaw Youths Council, The General Alexander Ogomudia Committee Report, and The Leedum Mitee led Niger Delta Technical Committee Report?
Conclusively, we are not in the trenches for the sake of arm struggle, the people of Niger Delta, our forefathers have always resisted the colonization and exploitation of the land… we wonder how your desire for decisive military action is going to win this war in your four years term to end our legitimate objective of controlling our resources for posterity.”
Just three days ago, the son of the late Ogoni activist and former adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr. died after suffering from stroke.
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