By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South and Perez Brisibe

THREE militant groups in the Niger Delta region, Reformed Egbesu Boys of the Niger Delta, Egbesu Red Water Lions and Egbesu Mightier Fraternity have capitulated on their earlier decision not to allow the Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group, NDDCG, to represent them in the ongoing dialogue with the Federal Government.

A former military governor of old Rivers State, His Royal Majesty Alfred Diette-Spiff is the leader of NDDCG, which is a member of the Aaron Team 2 put in place by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, to dialogue with government.

Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the foremost militant group in the region, had earlier rejected MEND and its Aaron Team 2 initiative, but President Muhammadu Buhari confirmed, last week, that the federal government was discussing with militants through  security agencies and multinational oil companies.

MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, confirmed the talks, but said groups like Avengers and other internet-based militants were not part of it.

The leadership of Reformed Egbesu Boys of Niger Delta in an electronic mail on behalf of other affiliate groups, said: “A fortnight ago,  we responded to this subject matter wherein we stated emphatically that the Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group  had no mandate to negotiate on our behalf in respect of the renewed hostilities against oil and gas facilities.”

“We wish to state that the leadership of the Reformed Egbesu Boys of the Niger Delta, including the Egbesu Red Water Lions  and the Egbesu  Mightier Fraternity have been duly consulted and our mandate secured for the negotiation by the  Diette- Spiff- led committee,” it said.

Why we made a volte face

On why they reconsidered its position, the militant groups said: “Our decision to accede to the pleas of well-meaning citizens and interest groups to yield to dialogue should not be misconstrued to mean we are intimidated by the military threat to launch Operation Crocodile Tears.  We make bold to invite the military to launch the said operation, which they have concluded all logistic arrangements.”

“However, we have it on good authority within the military establishment that the service chiefs of the Armed Forces are averse to dialogue, so as to launch a full-scale military operation to justify the utilization of the defense budget earmarked for the Niger Delta.

Why they removed Kachikwu

“Also, a cabal within the government went to convince President Muhammadu Buh ari while in London on medical vacation to rule out negotiation with Niger Delta militants.  This was the reason  they removed Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu as GMD of NNPC because he was going beyond the thinking of the military leadership,” it asserted.

The militants noted: “In the history of armed struggle, the Niger Delta had been bombed by successive governments, but this has not solved the problems of the region, as this generation of youths and those unborn would continue to demand and agitate for true federalism and restructuring of the country.”

“These are the minimum acceptable preconditions for the continued passage of our oil and gas to be exported as a national commodity for the development of the arid regions to the exclusion of our communities.

“We never consented that anybody should lump us together with the Nigerian state in the political and constitutional issues that characterized flag independence. Rather, we demanded for a separate government, but the conspiracy of the British imperialists and the Northern monarchy culminated in the establishment of development commissions for the Niger Delta. Today, all these commissions have all failed to develop the region,” they said.

“In the light of the above circumstances,” they added, “we join hands with well-meaning Nigerians and  the progressive- minded ethnic nationalities’ self- determination groups to reaffirm that the present political structure of Nigeria is no longer workable and acceptable to the larger interests of Nigerians and that it should be abandoned.”

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/3-militant-groups-accept-dialogue-buhari/

Cc:Lalasticlala,Mynd44,Dominique

Hungry people.

The Militants in Jonathan's time,won the lottery big time. Their unlimited access to money stopped with Buhari,and since Buhari became President,ONE NAIRA with a HOLE in it has not been given to any militant.

The Militants think they can threaten a WAR tested President?when President Buhari was busy dodging the Biafran bombs and bullets to unite Nigeria,these Militants had not even been born then.

This President did not not Dialogue with Boko Haram,neither will he dialogue with uneducated fishermen Militants.

When you guys get tired of blowing your own land into pieces,and get tired too from the mosquito bites from hiding in the creeks,then you can surrender.

But SHISHI this Government will not give to you guys.

Useless lazy illiterates.

Yeye dey worry all of them

They have no choice. atleast what happened in turkey should make them to be wise. THE days and years of group of people overtaking a sitting government or trying to use violence to force their needs on a sitting government are past. Welcome to the new age. "peaceful protest and dialogue is the key. For even the devil will dialogue with you when you do it in peace.

If they are not the avengers then no problem. Only the Avengers issue threats and carry it out.

The fear of Operation Ex-crocodile smile is already making them fidget.I believe in dialogue as the best way out.
President Buhari must know that not every dispute requires force.

All i see are cult groups, ahbi Buhari don join...

Have they seen the hand writing on the wall?
I was at Odi Bayelsa on Thursday, I was told it took FG Few hours to make Odi look like a grave yard, that the military men who came for the cleansing was not up to 100.
Let them better do it the right way instead of causing more fatalities to there aged parents and little once, from what I've seen in the past few days the military men are just waiting for that call so they will step in.
Do not come to masturbate, here asking me can the military enter those creeks, for your information they don't need to after aerial surveillance and comprehensive investigation, the military might decide to block water ways attack from air that is bomb the creeks then lay ambush on the outlets it is simple attack.

nnachukz:
If they are not the avengers then no problem. Only the Avengers issue threats and carry it out.

What about the 'red scorpions'? What about the "ultimate warriors"? Guy u dull ooo, I just hope they will take their activities to SE sha, because it seems you guys enjoy every single bit of their struggle. Cheèr!

Meanwhile, right now iPod face be like......

those three groups seems same to me plus never heard of em before now. I smell lies, they re bringing this up now to make it look like the NDA don't want a dialogue, mean while we all kw the government are the ones running away from dialogue.

This one looked fake to me
Egbesu egbesu, na only egbesu waka come?
The only militants we know is umu avangers!

Woke up and have been having this unusual feeling something magical would happen today..

Just don't know why and what it could be..

I dey laugh ooo.

Naija government and deceit.

Teensway:
All i see are cult groups, ahbi Buhari don join...

Honestly this looks like pure scam to me. I take it these are just some cult groups trying to take advantage and feed on the present state of things in SS

God help Nigeria

HungerBAD:
Hungry people.

The Militants in Jonathan's time,won the lottery big time. Their unlimited access to money stopped with Buhari,and since Buhari became President,ONE NAIRA with a HOLE in it has not been given to any militant.

The Militants think they can threaten a WAR tested President?when President Buhari was busy dodging the Biafran bombs and bullets to unite Nigeria,these Militants had not even been born then.

This President did not not Dialogue with Boko Haram,neither will he dialogue with uneducated fishermen Militants.

When you guys get tired of blowing your own land into pieces,and get tired too from the mosquito bites from hiding in the creeks,then you can surrender.

But SHISHI this Government will not give to you guys.

Useless lazy illiterates.

Yaradua and GEJ were turned to cashcow. They forgot Buhari na ex soldier like OBJ.

Set of nitwits takin a whole region for ransom.....wake up niger deltans, these niggies bout themselves

Have never seen any Nigerian mention any thing about our gold, our tin, our coal , our cocoa etc Its only our oil and this got me thinking. From what I was told , 20 something years ago Abuja was nearly desert but with The miracle from.oil dividend it Is now paradise and you expect us to fold our hands and watch how we are being raped repeatedly. The truth Is that we want to develop our region and so shall it be.


I know The will tell me our governors siphoned The money given to them but I have a question for them ..... Who developed Abuja and from what proceedings

the northern politicians were wise to use the SS oil money to develop abuja, while SS politicians used the money to enrich themselves and buy arms for fishermen...

And why haven't this thread gotten to FP? Is it only bad news and Tonto Dikeh and Tiwa sagave threads that gets FP attention? Lalasticlala why na?