A meeting of Niger Delta militants fixed for today in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, triggered a flurry of security activities in Abuja and across the Niger Delta on Friday with the military putting its men on high alert.
A former warlord, Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a. Tompolo, had on Thursday summoned a meeting of ex-militants under the aegis of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) without stating the agenda of the meeting.
Saturday Tribune gathered that security forces and the presidency interpreted the proposed meeting as the response of the Niger Delta political establishment to the announcement of the Federal Government’s resolve to probe the immediate past Goodluck Jonathan government, particularly its handling of the oil industry and the amnesty programme.
Former President Jonathan’s Special Adviser on the Amnesty programme, Kingsley Kuku has reportedly been summoned by the EFCC to appear before it on Tuesday next week. Sources said the invitation is part of the Federal Government’s probe of the multi-billion naira Amnesty programme.
There were fears of a resurgence of militancy in the oil-rich region which could cripple the nation’s economy. The military and the police responded on Friday with warnings that their men were on high alert.
However, Tompolo issued a statement on Friday explaining that the meeting was not intended to start another round of insurgency but to “stem a relapse of the relative peace in the Niger Delta region.”
A faction of MEND, led by Jomo Gbomo also, on Friday, issued a statement denouncing Tompolo and others behind the proposed meeting as “reacting on behalf of oil thieves and corrupt officials of the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.”
It was gathered that the militants were feeling agitated and “incensed by pronouncements of the presidency against Jonathan and his people.”
Tompolo, in the statement issued by his media officer, Paul Bebeminibo, stated that the tension generated by the summons for a meeting among ex-agitators and ex-militant leaders was misplaced, uncalled for and mischievous as they are not out to oppose the present administration of President Buhari on any issues.
“Therefore, I consider it unfortunate that a section of the Nigerian nation and the media have chosen to mischievously tread the path of misinforming the public and right-thinking persons by linking the meeting to whatever decision the current government at the centre may have taken in relation to the stoppage of the pipeline surveillance contract, even though payment has not been made for the services rendered in the renewed contract, or termination of appointments. This is highly provocative and despicable.
“The tension generated by the meeting is uncalled for, diversionary and mischievous as no evil is intended in whatever form. We appreciate the pressures being mounted by leaders from the region, especially as some have expressed concern that the meeting could be misinterpreted to mean the resurgence of hostilities in the region. We affirm that it is not true. However, we take into account the fact that having embraced peace and remained supportive of various governments at all levels, including President Burhari’s government, we are surprised that a meeting of ex-agitators could prop anxiety.
“Hence, we shall ensure our genuine intentions are reflected in our attitude towards peace, security and development of the region. Calling off Saturday’s meeting can also be an option if need be, in order to strengthen our belief in a peaceful Niger Delta,” he said.
On the agenda for the convened meeting, which he insisted will go on as planned despite efforts by some governors of the region to prevail on them to cancel it, Tompolo insisted that the tension being created over the delay in the payment of stipends to beneficiaries of the Federal Government amnesty programme necessitated the need to meet and discuss the way forward for the youth of the region.
The ex-warlord said: “The nation will recall that in the build-up to the amnesty offer of the late president, Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, there was hesitance on the part of most of Niger Delta agitators until God, in His infinite mercies, granted me wisdom to provide leadership. The nation will also recall that under the amnesty programme as inherited by the immediate past president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, relative peace was enjoyed even as security of lives and property was enhanced to an appreciable level.”
“Also, oil production increased from 700 barrels per day to 2.5 million barrels per day. Put simply, hitherto aggrieved Niger-Delta youths who inadvertently became agitators, upon the acceptance of the amnesty offer, refrained from armed agitation to face normal urban life. Nonetheless, while some of us understand to an extent, the apparent delay in the continued payment of the monthly stipend to the ex-agitators in view of the seeming scrutiny of government agencies, including the amnesty office by the current administration, same cannot be said of the majority of beneficiaries of the amnesty programme.”
“To this extent, some of us, particularly me and other leaders have been under intense pressure from ex-agitators commanders, individuals, parents and guardians as well as communities who are beneficiaries of the amnesty programme. While a few see the delay in the payment of their monthly stipends in the light of the need for the current government to settle in properly, others see the delay as a template to stop the programme. The expulsion of some students (home and overseas) by their schools and training institutions particularly has heightened these fears.
“Hence, I thought it wise that a meeting of the collegiate leadership of the platform under which we operated as agitators could be convened to appraise the situation and possibly, explore means to douse the tension that is growing among the disarmed youth whose stipends (training allowances and tuition fees) have been delayed for months.
“This becomes more compelling in view of the fact that as leaders of the platform that served as midwife to the amnesty offer, we owe the nation a duty to play our roles in order to stem a relapse of the relative peace in the Niger Delta region,” he said.
A faction of MEND dissociated itself from the purported meeting of “MEND/ex-MEND leaders,” convened by Tompolo and scheduled to hold today.
According to the statement, signed by Jomo Gbomo, “MEND wishes to state categorically that the proposed meeting is merely an assembly of dubious contractors and disgruntled elements, reacting on behalf of oil thieves and corrupt officials of the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) reaffirms our support for President Buhari and his government’s courage to probe President Jonathan’s administration, which should also include the office of the former First Lady and the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
“MEND wishes to reiterate our commitment to the Niger Delta struggle which has no relationship with seeking political appointments, power or contracts.”
Bayelsa government bans meeting
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, who noted that the timing of the meeting is not ripe, cancelled the meeting of the ex-agitators, scheduled for today in Yenagoa.
In a statement, in Yenagoa, signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Iworiso Markson, Dickson called for the postponement of the meeting.
According to the statement, “the governor will soon meet with them to discuss issues as they affect the ex-agitators and other issues of strategic interest of the Niger Delta region and the nation as a whole.”
The Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Paul Okafor, said that the command was aware of the proposed meeting of the ex-agitators.
Okafor averred that though there were conflicting reports over the proposed meeting of the ex-militants, a statement by Governor Dickson had called on them to postpone the meeting, as he planned to meet with them soon, while other reports have it that the ex-agitators are bent on having their meeting today as scheduled.
The state police boss said the command was fully alert and was monitoring the situation.
Should the meeting hold, the command said security would be beefed up to prevent anything that could jeopardise public peace, such as maiming, arson, killing, among other crimes.
To this end, he posited that the command and its sister agencies were prepared to avert any security breech that could be injurious to the government both at the state and federal levels.
On its part, the Delta State police command’s spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, shuddered off any fear from the planned meeting of the former militants in Yenagoa.
Kalu described Tompolo as a no-threat to any other citizen of Delta State, noting that in case of any plan to breach the peace of the state, personnel of the command were on ground to provide security for all law-abiding citizens.
Military on high alert
Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Lieutenant-Colonel Isa Ado, said that they also read about the development on pages of newspapers on Friday.
According to him, “we will maintain vigilance in all the waterways and creeks of the Niger Delta, as usual and always be at alert.”
Colonel Ado added that the meeting of the former leaders of MEND had nothing to do with the JTF, inasmuch as it does not breach the peace of the Niger Delta.
He admonished people to be calm and go about their normal businesses, promising that within the Niger Delta, “there is and will be absolute security as the JTF will operate within its mandate.” – Nigerian Tribune.
