By Emma Amaize, Samuel Oyadongha, Emma Arubi, Jimitota Onoyume & Daniel Idonor
YENAGOA — AHEAD of today’s announcement of the amnesty package by President Umaru Yar’Adua, main militant leader, Boyloaf, yesterday said he and other militant leaders would not surrender their arms tomorrow (Friday) to the Federal Government, but rather study the amnesty package to be announced by the President today, before taking an action.
Also, Ijaw elders and leaders, yesterday, after a review of the amnesty deal unveiled by the Federal Government declared the offer faulty saying the tentative acceptance of the deal by the youths engaged in the struggle along the creeks and waterways was for the infrastructural development of the region.
militants
In Abuja, President Umaru Yar’Adua, worried by the obvious negative impact of the arrest of the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, on the amnesty deal, yesterday ordered his unconditional release.
Asari was picked up Tuesday by men believed to be officials of the State Security Service (SSS), operating at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 8:00 pm on arrival from Frankfurt, Germany, where he had gone on a medical check-up.
Presidential spokesman, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi who announced President Yar’Adua’s decision disclosed that the President was highly miffed by Asari-Dokubo’s arrest, especially at this time when the Federal Government was working assiduously to calm frayed nerves of the people of the region.
According to him, the President has directed the security agencies to set Asari free to enable him go home and participate in the ongoing peace process in the region without further delay.
In a twist, main militant leader, Boyloaf, yesterday described as untrue the claim that he and other militant leaders would surrender their arms tomorrow (Friday) to the Federal Government, saying the Presidential Panel on Amnesty and Disarmament of Militants in the Niger Delta should report the correct situation of things to President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Similarly, the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) in an online statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, also denied the report that other militant leaders like Farah Dagogo, Boyloaf and Soboma George have accepted to receive amnesty by proxy.
The Ijaw elders, including former Federal Information Commissioner, Chief Edwin Clark, Chairman of the Bayelsa State Elders Forum, Chief Francis Doukpola and Chief Thompson Okorotie said though the Federal Government’s offer of amnesty is one of the rule of disarmament, the offer should have been preceded by the implementation of the recommendations of the report submitted by the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta.
Approach amnesty with caution
The elders and leaders, who made their position known at the end of a consultative meeting at Kiagbodo in Delta State said the offer of amnesty by the Federal Government and acceptance of same by the militants should be approached with caution in view of the urgent need for the leaders of the region to study the content of the offer.
In a nine-point communiqué signed by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and eleven others, they called on the President to check section 175 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution which considered the youths as innocent of any crime and the offer amnesty a gesture not backed by law.
The forum noted that the offer of amnesty should have been preceded by a concrete step by the Federal Government to implement some parts of the Technical Committee recommendation for the establishment of a credible and authoritative institution including international negotiators to plan, implement and oversee the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of militant groups in the region.
“We hope the acceptance of amnesty will not put the technical report in the dilemma of lack of political will to implement like previous reports,” they lamented.
The elders and leaders further reiterated their earlier position that the continued presence of the military in the Niger Delta serve more of their personal (military) interests and a direct effect on the increased illegal bunkering activities and called on President Yar’Adua to make public the alleged list of those perpetrating illegal bunkering in the region.
The forum noted that the demilitarisation of the region is critical and essential to allow for meaningful intervention by the elders and leaders to create an atmosphere congenial for flourishing economic activities for sustainable development of the region.
The fundamental purpose of the crises in Ijaw land and by extension the Niger Delta they argued must not be glossed over on the basis of perceived criminal acts by some disgruntled and frustrated youths but must be understood from the context of the renewed Kaiama Declaration which only re-echoed the long standing agitation of leaders of the region over decades of criminal neglect and underdevelopment.
According to the forum, the genuine protagonists of the struggle for economic freedom and resource control and management were only constrained to express their dissatisfaction with the Nigerian state through the employ of unorthodox means.
The Ijaw elders and leaders reiterated their strong disapproval of criminal activities associated with kidnapping and hijacking for ransom stressing that recent developments in the country have confirmed their belief on this as criminal elements in other parts of the country have become more ferociously engaged in acts of kidnapping than the alleged Niger Delta militants.
“Today, we have more cases of kidnapping in other parts of the country than the Niger Delta. This further emphasises the need to separate genuine agitators for their rights (economic and political freedom) from core criminals in the Niger Delta crises,” they explained.
The forum noted with sadness that seven months after the submission of the Report of the Technical Committee on Niger Delta, the Federal Government has taken no concrete step to implement any of its recommendation which had the prospects of ushering in the much-needed peace for sustainable development of the region.
While thanking Mr. President for his commitment and pledge to grant amnesty t militants in the Niger Delta the forum strongly contends that the rule of law which is one of the cardinal points in the administration’s seven point agenda should be followed to the letter.
Boyloaf doubts govt’s sincerity
On the announcement that militant leaders will surrender arms tomorrow, Boyloaf said: “My position is that I am waiting for the Federal Government to release the amnesty package on Thursday, I will study it and know the terms before I take further position on the amnesty, I never told anybody I was going to surrender arms on Friday.
“I, therefore, suggest that the Presidential Committee should tell the President the whole truth because that was not what we told them”, he added.
Boyloaf also expressed doubt on government’s sincerity on the planned amnesty following the arrest of Dokubo-Asari.
“I don’t know what they are doing. How can they be talking to us about amnesty and they are arresting Dokubo-Asari? I doubt their sincerity and I want to say that they should release him immediately. I am watching them because these people are telling us that we should not believe them with their action and you know that action speaks louder than voice”, he stated.
Coordinator of a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), Niger-Delta Orientation Project, Comrade Sheriff Mulade also stated, “It is disheartening and unfortunate to arrest Dokubo-Asari at this critical period. It is pertinent to state that the untimely and unwise arrest is a great threat to the amnesty package”.
His words, “I, therefore, urge Mr. President to immediately intervene and order his release to maintain his sincerity in the amnesty to militants”.
In his own reaction, founding president, Ijaw Youth Council, Dr Felix Tuodolor said though he heard Asari had been released but quickly added that the arrest had cast doubt on the sincerity of the federal government to genuinely pursue peace in the region.
He wondered why the arrest should come up at a time there was so much hype about amnesty for militants in the region. While urging the federal government to take steps that would invoke confidence in its peace and consensus building process in the region he also called for the release of other youths from the region in various detention centers round the country.
High Chief Anabs Sarah Igbe, said the arrest in the first place was wrong as it sent fears round youths in the region. According to him, it had again raised question on whether the federal government could be taken seriously on the proposed amnesty project for militants in the region.
“Can we take government sincerely? We must see sincerity to believe the federal government. Imagine, you are bombing our communities, arresting youths and at the same time talking of amnesty.”
Leaders won’t surrender —MEND
On its part, MEND said “the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) categorically denies the orchestrated rumours being peddled by government agents and propagandists that MEND senior commanders, Farah Dagogo, Boyloaf and Soboma George have accepted to receive amnesty by proxy as carried in some local newspapers”.
Instructively, MEND did not mention Ateke Tom in its statement, but, it pointed out all the same, “It is a shame that the Interior Minister and his cohorts are offering bribes and incentives to militants in a desperate attempt to get our cooperation in sharing the 50 billion naira budgeted for the amnesty exercise.
“While it is true that some of us will succumb to the temptation of money as Judas did, there are a majority that will remain steadfast to integrity, honour and a commitment to the people who cannot fight for their rights.
“We want to reassure our people who are looking up to us that we will never compromise our birthright for a price”, the group added.
“MEND is waiting to hear if President Yar’Adua has anything new to offer in his expected address on Thursday, June 25 before responding accordingly.
“Meanwhile, Hurricane Piper Alpha remains on course”, it stated.
EBY, which part of ijaw waterside do you hail from-i know-you are the recycled bits and pieces of Agbobu-perhaps Adolf Hitla had filthy pigs like you in mind, when he said (one energetic man like Asare Dokubo, is worth more than ONE thousand intellectual babblers like you).You dance around the genocidal statements, such as the one Na allah vomited out recently-The plan to exterminate the entire Ijaw race-He will have his day with the ICC someday-for that genocidal comment he made to the public-it will hunt him and pigs like you for the rest of his life-But by the way, do the evil views you often throw-out here, matter to us in our struggle to right the wrongs done us for decades?-Just like the propaganda works of the unthinking empty heads like Peter Otabor. Begging the powers that be, the Nigerian way (oga give me small make i chop now) At least if for nothing, for my writeup, which was published on the website of sahara reporters-today-They are the homeless mad dogs-the spoilers, parading themselves as learned men of the tripod. Whereas they are Doras hired thugs, working as Federal government bloggers-theirs is to confuse issues-along ethnic lines-for Aso Rock-So it was when they hanged Ken Saro Wiwa-that allegation then was that, he burnt Ogonis-and forced red hot iron rods, pulled out from the tribal burners in Ogoni, into their anus-its here again-just like yesterday-only this time it will not work for you and your hate filled group.
There should be no more slogans, meetings, talks and committees. There should be and must be positive actions.
The problem in the Niger Delta was caused by the followings,
1. The International Multi National companies in the Niger Delta. These companies operate as cow boys, recklessly, with dis regard to the environment, the waters, the lands of the Niger Delta. They polluted the waters, waters and the environment as a result, the people can not farm on their land or fish in their waters, which is their main occupations. The people are dieing dailly of diseases caused by the polution to the environment by the multinational companies. These multi nationals build cheap infrastrutures like pipe lines etc., with disregards to internationally accepted norms and good practices. There will never do such things in other parts of the world they are operating, otherwise they will pay very dearly for such horrible practices. The multi Nationals have made a lot of money from these sharp practices, at the expence of the lives of the people of the Niger Delta.
2. The next offender are federal and state governments of all shades, both past and present, who have made lot of money by ignoring and encouraging the multi National companies to get away with murder. Most of them are in the council of state, The President now want to get advice from. They are now being asked by the President to mark their papers or be the judge and jury in their own case.
3. The third group are the so called selfish leaders or do i say dealears of the Niger Delta, who have also made a lot of money from the sufferings of the people of niger Delta, they claim they are leading. These same persons are some of the those who sponsor the criminals to forment and cause a lot of sufferings to the people of the Niger Delta.
4. The President must without futher delay, publish the names of those, who have been sponsoring these criminals in the Niger Delta. The President must name and shame them.
We then can talk of amnesty, truth and reconcilliation. Why talk of amnesty when we do not know these people who sponsor these criminals. If The President names and shame them, then grants amnesty, the criminals will now openly come out.
The federal government should introduce a wind fall tax on the huge profits the mnltinationals made over the period and use ALL the money for the developement of the Niger Delta and the ecconomic empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta. ALL the money realised from the excess crude, which was got any way, from the Niger Delta, should be used for the ecconomic development and empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta. The federal government should draw down now, 30% of its external revenue for the ecconomic developement of the Niger Delta and ecconomic empowerment of the people of the Niger Delta. The ferderal government should not give the usual excuse, that this draw down will affect the value of the naira, as this is a price that, we should pay for the peace and stability of the Niger Delta and Nigeria. ALL THESE MUST BE DONE NOW!! Mr. President do all these and you have solved the problem permanently. If you do ALL of these history and prosterity will remember you very kindly.
EBY, which part of the IJAW waterside-do you hail from?-know what? developemnt in the Niger Delta region, is going to be the Akwa Ibom and Cross River state way-all jobs must go to the indigenes of the area-for your commnets on the above issue does not make sense-Perhaps Adolf Hitla, had filthy pigs like you<in mind when he said (one energetic man like (Asare Dokubo) is worth more than a thousand intellectual babblers who are USELESS products of A FAILED NATION LIKE NIGERIA)-soon it will be because of TOMPOLO, that the nation has been without electricity for 50yrs-that is the way empty, unthinking heads reason with their deep seated hatred for the Ijaws-aware that you are the recycled pieces and bits of ( Agbobu) who joys in the dreams of NA allah-plans to exterminate the entire Ijaw race-that statement unknown to him, is enough to send him the International Criminal Court-ICC it was pure genocide-an ethnic cleansing scheme which he folishly revealed to the world-it will hunt him and your likes for the rest of their rotten life on earth here. By the way your views and that of the latest propagandist- Peter Otabor does not matter to our vision-they thought from trained political kidnappers parading their evil wares in the Niger Delta-
the first step to the socalled amnesty should be the de-militarisation of the zone-let the soldiers go home-else its just a waste of time-
THIS YEYE AMNESTY NA TRAP.BEWARE!!!!
EBY, you are not an Ijaw man as claimed and you have not visited Ijaw land since you were born else, you will not speak this way.