Brethren,
Aside from the moral issues involved, the thing about negotiating with terrorists (whatever names they call themslves and whatever causes they claim to fight for) is that its always about the money. After i read the posts on this topic, i was intrigued and i tried to find out what the average going rate for an AK47 rifle with 2 mags and ammo costs. On the average, the gn costs about $500, 2 mags and ammo would be an additional $250. If you assume the dollar exchanges for 1:170 or thereabouts, the 10,000 rifles that would be surrendered would have cost our dear friends about N1.3 Billion even with importation costs,various bribes and smuggling expenses.

Hmm, what stops them from replacing thosen wepons (with newer, more powerful ones) and sharing the balance of N1.7 Billion as some kind of productivity bonus among themselves while they resume hostilities from the comfort of the houses Nigeria provides for them? Afterall, they would have discovered that it is very easy to make money from the government.

Bottom line: Beos Umoru should show some spine and say NO to any kind of deal. Istead, he should in all good concience embark on a radical development and empowerment drive down in the Delta.

History will judge him as the first to do so and our dear friends would be revealed for what they really are: greedy corroupt people who would hamelessly use any cause to enrich themselves.

God Save Nigeria, One Love

yara my guy!! give them the dough now!

na wa o.

No be small kata kata this cash for arms and amnesty negotitions go cause.Some people are pushing for the removal of boyloaf as a commander.Heard they're still accusing Fara Dagogo of surreptitious meeting with an SA to Yara Dull per the cash for arms levels.

I don't know how these people think this amnesty thing is done.

There's nothing like amnesty "package". Amnesty simply means we'll completely disregard your fuçk up, get out of sight and don't do it again.

There are no conditions attached either from the granter or recipient.

How can someone ask you to attach N3 billion to the forgiveness you're giving them.

The problem though is that the people of the Niger Delta whom MEND has gracefully excluded from any benefit coming to the Niger Delta will never open their eyes.

Where's Jakumo?!

3b naira?3bdrm flats per person?pls keep dis info. away from d typical okoroman,na beta biz b dis o!

Few things became apparent!

1.) Those who lord it over Nigerians, those looting politrikcians and Govt officials are WEAK, TIMID LILLY-LIVERED AND CHICKEN!
They are soooo scared they would do anything to keep their hats on!, and that is what l've always said, "How can a few thousand people, hold 140million others to ransom? Even with all the Police and Armed forces, How many are they in all?
Now, we have seen how scared they can be, and we thank the N.D millitants for this!

Now is the time for the masses to seize the opportunity and over-run the scumbags and take back our country from them.
CONFEDERATION is the government we want: Each region will develop at its own pace, control its own resources and secure its own people (Policing).
No more South fighting East or West fighting North over resources/executive posts.

The regions (as was operated in the 60's when Zik, Awolowo and Balewa ran their regions on behalf of their people) will then pay a certain "to be agreed amount" to the "Center" (The Federal) who will be in charge of external, national security.

Before you know it, N.D will become like London,
Oduduwa land will brace-up with its Cocoa and Rubber,
The North will once again delight in the Groundnut and Cola pyramids!
Everyone will export what they have and earn as much as they can produce.

And there will be less attraction to become Nigeria's President! Less Money to steal at the center!!

Whatzsup, my people, is that not better than killing each other in some stupid ethnic or civil war?

2.)The Militants started out well, since the Federal Govt will not do its responsibility to its citizens and the citizens themselves are either "Mumu" or too selfish to raise an eyebrow.

But along the line, greed and criminality did set-in and the current demands (even Harry himself should have been ashamed to read out those demands) have actually convinced us that these Militants are better referred to and treated as "Terrorist".
Mind you, the aspirations in the N.D are legitimate and the Federal govt MUST heavily improve lives in that terrain and other parts of the nation are also due for an "upgrade".

Those spearheading the current agitations have derailed and they are loosing, if not already lost, the goodwill of every sane person in Nigeria and world over.

As scared as Yar'aslow is, THIS IS PURE BLACKMAIL and no group must be allowed to blackmail a country or Govt.
All Nigerians must unite to
(a) Make/force the Federal govt to build roads, schools, Hospitals in the N.D
(b)Pressure the Federal govt to provide stable electricity in this country
(c) Sequel to (b) above, provide enabling environment for the start-up of small and medium scale industries so as to provide employment for people.
(d) Condemn these criminals using a noble "N.D cause" to blackmail and intimidate Nigeria.
We must stamp them out mercilessly.
The genuine people of N.D know that 3Billion naira for gun exchange is not on their list of demands and we all know it too.

Having lost face and spine, the F.G needs to live up to its responsibility (and l doubt they ever can, only looting the treasury is their main concern) in the country and in N.D in particular.

Certainly, MEND has ruined a good cause but then, its an opportunity to "reshape and re-negotiate our unity", as a country.

Who will be the losers here?
The criminals masquerading as Regional activists and the Treasury looters sitting on-top of our national assets and income, and both will fight back because their "free lunch" is about to end  

Events are crystallizing for a showdown,, between life and death, poverty and enjoyment, evil and good.


Lastpage

So, with these requests, are they still fighting for the interest of the Niger Delta people?

That's gross criminalism!

haha!! ;d ;d ;d.

Kill this thread! This is a fake story.  

http://saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3382:mend-clarifies-position-on-amnesty-and-the-qdefectionq-of-boyloaf&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

I said it earlier!!!

HAHA!! . This is very funny news.If the Federal Government dear pays this men the N3bn,a new business scheme will be born in this country!

Beaf:

Kill this thread! This is a fake story.  

http://saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3382:mend-clarifies-position-on-amnesty-and-the-qdefectionq-of-boyloaf&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

I said it earlier!!!

No mind that yeye vanguard news paper wey one fall our hand before. Na who even get that paper self, i sure say na one of mend enemies.

my point still stands.Irrespective of the other faction's comments on Sahara.
in my view, they are all the same. approaches may differ but the uniting thread is the monetary ideology that they all share.
i will reconsider my view if someone can answer a couple of the questions i asked earlier, rather than all these long rhetorics.

they are all getting richer and building houses all over the ND, while encouraging criminality in their rank and file.
which kind just cause be that?
which of them have been able to articulate a solution to the problem?
which of the above named persons or their ilks are poorer in the cause of this 'struggle'?
which of them have not been enriched in the process?
how do they intend maintaining this riches if this 'struggle' ends?
these are questions i will love you to answer.
the only ideology these militants know is money.
all the major militants in ND are better off financially and physically than they were 5 or 6 years ago.
go and figure.
how come ND militant leaders' wealth has risen astronomically within the time of the struggle?
example of the leaders i am referring to are prince Harry, Okah, victor Ben, Asari, Soboma and Ateke Tom,boyloaf,Tombolah and Fara

Beaf:

Kill this thread! This is a fake story.

http://saharareporters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3382:mend-clarifies-position-on-amnesty-and-the-qdefectionq-of-boyloaf&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18

I said it earlier!!!

This is not about whether there are factions in MEND, or who gets to say what. It's simply that MEND have done nothing to show that they are in this struggle for anyone apart from themselves.
Once again i draw a parallel between the self-serving actions of these people and the actions of other groups like Hezbollah and Hamas that actually actively take steps to assist the common man in their areas of operation.

At the end of the day, you'll see the demands they'll make will be no less selfish than these ludicrous demands.

when una wake up, i will be expecting answers to my humble questions.
thank you.

@lastpage

Am I missing something here? You make the easy assumption that to solve deep rooted socio-economic problems you just need a 'fairer' system of allocation of finite natural resources? (By the way such finite natural resources will always be in the hands of those with a monopoly of the instruments of violence)

I really don't know what economic system you are really getting at in your various posts. But if it is Communism then it has proved worldwide to be a failure (even if some people here are soft on Castro and admiring of the Cuban model).

By the way what happens when the oil finishes or becomes uneconomic to produce? What then will Nigeria be 'sharing'?

texazzpete:

This is not about whether there are factions in MEND, or who gets to say what. It's simply that MEND have done nothing to show that they are in this struggle for anyone apart from themselves.
Once again i draw a parallel between the self-serving actions of these people and the actions of other groups like Hezbollah and Hamas that actually actively take steps to assist the common man in their areas of operation.

At the end of the day, you'll see the demands they'll make will be no less selfish than these ludicrous demands.

You gotta be one of the silliest MFs known to humankind. . . . what do you term as "being in the struggle for anyone apart from themselves". . . . whats the monetary gain of travelling 200miles offshore to blow-up Bonga oil platform? Or travelling 200 miles to Lagos?. . . . . you have been warned that it is open-season on members of your profession in the Niger-Delta . . . . I am sure its affecting you, thats why you are constantly spewing gobbledygook.

though i support the Mend fight. i wont advise the govt to pay money for peace. it's cheap blackmail by mend, and it will expose the weakness of

the federal govt. and it will promote militancy, as other groups will see it as a means to exploit govt.

@Ibime

calculate the monetary cost of an operation to blow up an oil installation or the Atlas Cove, then subtract it from the N3 billion plus the price of 10,000 three bedroom flats.

It must be clear to all now that there are fewer whitey to kidnap and fewer functioning pipelines to bunker oil. MEND has decided to cut their losses before "market fall press them".

nex:

@Ibime

calculate the monetary cost of an operation to blow up an oil installation or the Atlas Cove, then subtract it from the N3 billion plus the price of 10,000 three bedroom flats.

It must be clear to all now that there are fewer whitey to kidnap and fewer functioning pipelines to bunker oil. MEND has decided to cut their losses before "market fall press them".

Even Forest Gump couldnt draw a more asinine conjecture. . . . yeah, lets go and blow up Atlas Cove so we can demand more money. . . . how foolish!

And for the umpteenth time, MEND is not participating in any amnesty deal for N3bn. Victor Ben aka General Boyloaf is.

ibime, good morning/afternoon/evening (depending on where you are)
could you please address my questions.
i am eager for answers.
thank you.

please devoid of insults o!
if you want us to have a conversation.

mbulela:

could you please address my questions.
i am eager for answers.

He who comes to the table must do so with clean hands. . . . your hands are not clean, so I will not waste energy answering your questions. 

The answers to most of those are everywhere if you care to look. Asking me if MEND has articulated a solution to the problem just shows your hard-heartedness, because MEND have stated repeatedly that the fight will not end until a SNC is called and true federalism is implemented, time without number. They have put together (and are putting together) a team of negotiators, of which Rochas Okorocha and Timi Alaibe are confirmed. They are also reaching out to others, of which Wole Soyinka has been muted. He who has eyes, let him see, and who has ears, let him hear.

If you like you can keep pulling out innuendo written by lazy journalists who rope MENDS name in with other militants, but until these issues are addressed, you can expect more bombings from now till Kingdom come. Its been almost 5 years of silly inuendo, and MEND are still standing, even getting stronger. If MEND could be bought off, they would have done so by now. This is an organisation which is costing the Nigerian economy up to half of its revenue per year.

thank you for your response but i am not satisfied.
you have not addressed my issues adequately.
asking for the SNC and true federalism to be conveyed is a very generic and vague solution and does not look like a solution profered by a group of persons who want this matter to be resolved urgently.
are there no short term goals that can be set,which will be visible to ordinary folks (like specific development in the ND) which can stand as a pointer that the govt is serious or not in the resolution of this matter?
did you say Timi Alaibe? i am waiting for a confirmation that that was a typo. because in my view, he is one of the problems of the ND.
bros, i repeat that the only ideology evident in this militancy is that of money.
secondly, the crooks in high places (govt officials) are benefiting from this ND militancy, hence do not even want it to end.if it must end, there must be a bazaar and unrestrained looting because the opportunity might not present itself again.
therein lies the reality of the failed state we call Nigeria.
meanwhile, we the people suffer continually.
i still they wait for specific answers to my simple minded questions.
just answer them simply, in addition to addressing my issues raised here.
cheers.

No doubt Timi Alaibe is a crook, but he is the face of the Government to the Niger-Delta as head of the NDDC, and no doubt all representations to the Govt will inevitably go through his office.

As for the rest, it doesnt matter what you think. Its the same old boring cycle of accusation and counter-accusation against MEND.

The money has come and the segregation has started. Today Boyloaf and his representative, Harry are not for MEND. Tomorrow, Gbomo Jomo and his representative are not for MEND because MEND already has proclaimed that Kofi Anan should be their representative.


Ibime, I have previously advised you about you rude nature of approaching users of Nairaland. This is now a warning. If you continue in your wayward manner, I will teach you a lesson. I am from the Niger Delta and I didn't ask any terrorist group to fight for me or to sell AK 47s at usury terms in the name of the struggle of my homeland. So don't come in here to tell me what is not.

First you say It's lazy press, then you add that it is Boyloaf and you'd claims It's also propaganda. Is everybody in the world just working against our own demise? The other day James Ibori was at a Delta state elders' council, and you people sat Ibru on the same table as that monkey. Deltans seem happy for what he did to them. Then look at Alamieseigha. Did MEND not freedom fight for that criminal to be released?

For you to tell me about who MEND is, it is the same as a horse telling a lion how meat tastes.

@ mbuela

You are the one coming up with a lot of unfounded assumptions and negativism about both yourself and your nation. Address your own problems and stop bothering yourself about militants.

nex:

The money has come and the segregation has started. Today Boyloaf and his representative, Harry are not for MEND. Tomorrow, Gbomo Jomo and his representative are not for MEND because MEND already has proclaimed that Kofi Anan should be their representative.


Ibime, I have previously advised you about you rude nature of approaching users of Nairaland. This is now a warning. If you continue in your wayward manner, I will teach you a lesson. I am from the Niger Delta and I didn't ask any terrorist group to fight for me or to sell AK 47s at usury terms in the name of the struggle of my homeland. So don't come in here to tell me what is not.
First you say It's lazy press, then you add that it is Boyloaf and you'd claims It's also propaganda. Is everybody in the world just working against our own demise? The other day James Ibori was at a Delta state elders' council, and you people sat Ibru on the same table as that monkey. Deltans seem happy for what he did to them. Then look at Alamieseigha. Did MEND not freedom fight for that criminal to be released?

For you to tell me about who MEND is, it is the same as a horse telling a lion how meat tastes.

That says it all. I don't know why people come here with a lot of unfounded assumptions.

I said it then, and I say it now again. I wish OBJ got his 3rd term. With the vigour in his economic team, the strong fist he deployed against curruption and intolorance for militant activity, we would have been much much better off today.

Weak leadership is the bane of our country today,  Oh how I wish.

nex:

Ibime, I have previously advised you about you rude nature of approaching users of Nairaland. This is now a warning. If you continue in your wayward manner, I will teach you a lesson.

I am from the Niger Delta and I didn't ask any terrorist group to fight for me or to sell AK 47s at usury terms in the name of the struggle of my homeland. So don't come in here to tell me what is not.

My friend sharrap dia! If you have a problem, report to the moderator. Teach lesson ke? Na for internet wey you dey form egbewager? I am curt to people with dysfunctional thinking. If you take it personal, na your own problem be dat. Na my style be dat.

Look at this Bini man claiming Niger-Delta. FYI, the Niger-Delta we are talking about here is not Obasanjos definition of 2000.