The movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) have officially set up a team to dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers.
According to Sahara Reporters, Jomo Gbomo, the spokesperson of the group, in a statement made this known and said the decision came after talks with the current government.
The team to participate in this dialogue are; Members of the team comprise Henry Odein Ajumogobia SAN (Rivers); Bismark Rewane (Delta); Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross River); Timipa Jenkins Okponipere (Bayelsa); Ibanga Isine (Akwa Ibom); Ledum Mitee (Rivers); and Lawson Omokhodion (Edo state).
MEND went on to claim that some of its former commanders went on to form the Niger Delta Avengers, the NDA however, has denied this.
MEND also warned the Avengers that if they truly were fighting for the cause of the Niger Delta, then their best option was to dialogue.
It will be recalled that the NDA had refused such an offer from the Federal government already.
MEND is of the opinion that if they don’t come and dialogue then their interests might not be fully represented and their cause will be hijacked.
The statement reads in part,
“Our message to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is simple: The Niger Delta struggle is beyond attacks on oil installations.
“Indeed, prior to the MEND ceasefire; the group had, among numerous daring attacks, on Thursday, June 19, 2008, successfully carried out the spectacular attack on Royal Dutch Shell’s offshore Bonga oilfield which is located at a whooping distance of 120 kilometres (75miles) south-west of the Niger Delta.”
“If indeed your cause is to avenge the injustice done to the Niger Delta region; then, we urge you to ceasefire and join us to the table of negotiation with the Federal government; otherwise, the Niger Delta struggle shall be hijacked, once again, by selfish interests for their own personal aggrandizement,” the group told the Niger Delta Avengers.
“One such example is the recent purported NDA demand made through the region’s governors that the Federal government should drop charges of corruption against certain individuals and politicians from the region. This absurd and ridiculous demand, to say the least, is far removed from the Niger Delta struggle.”
If the NDA do indeed go with the ceasefire they will be the second militant group to do that in the last few days as the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force also called a ceasefire a few days ago and listed their demands.
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