By Emma Amaize
WARRI—IZON-EBE Oil Producing Communities Forum (IOCPF) in Warri, Delta, yesterday disowned the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND), saying the insurgent armed group has lost focus and the appropriate authorities should carry out a full-scale investigation to bring the criminals to book.
In a statement by the forum condemning the attack on Atlas Cove Jetty, Lagos, by MEND, signed by the president and secretary general of the forum, Chief Favour Izoukumor and Mr. Moses Edougha respectively, the forum said the militant group was exposing the oil communities to grave environmental hazards with its unrestrained bombing of oil facilities.
According to them, “we make bold to disown the so-called MEND and without equivocation declare their action criminal and thus require the appropriate authorities to carry out a full-scale investigation and ensure that the culprits are made to face the full wrath of the law.
“We condemn also so-called MEND’s encroachment into areas outside the geographical and cultural boundary of Niger-Delta. Such act is not in consonance with the struggle and tends to breed regional conflict.
“The oil producing communities for which the struggle for economic and political actualization hinges, and which MEND claims to be fighting for, do not agree with MEND’s insubordination to our respected national leaders and various spirited individuals and groups’ call to stop vandalization of oil installations for the interest of these communities and Nigeria as a whole”, they added.
Continuing, the forum said “these abnormal trends of vandalization of oil facilities and the bombing of Atlas Cove Jetty now showed that MEND has derailed long ago
“If MEND has ever meant well for sufferings of the region, MEND would have considered the economic and environmental effects of their actions, which is not solution-directed, but rather exposes oil producing communities to serious environmental effects.
“MEND has lost focus and has consequently lost the confidence of the people they claimed to be fighting for with their continual criminal exploits.
“We and our communities will not allow this criminal infiltration into the genuine agitation by these criminal elements hijacking the struggle for self aggrandizement. The attack on the Atlas Cove Jetty is an irresponsible one”.
AS LONG AS THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA AND THE NIGER DELTA ARE REGARDED OR TREATED AS INDUSTRIAL WASTE, BY THE OIL COMPANIES WHO OPERATE, AS COW BOYS IN THE NIGER DELTA AND THE GOVERNMENTS DO NOTHING ABOUT THIS AND IN MOST CASES GIVE THE OIL COMPANIES THE NOD, THERE WILL BE NO PEACE IN THE NIGER DELTA. THE RAG TAGGED GOVERNMENT SO CALLED AMNESTY NOT WITH STANDING. EVEN WITH IDUSTRIAL WASTES, COMPANIES HAVE MORAL AND LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES, TO MANAGE THE INDUSTRIAL WASTES PROPERLY AND HARMLESSLY BUT THE REVERSE IS HAPPENING IN THE NIGER DELTA AND THE GOVERNMENT AND THE OIL COMPANIES ARE TELLING US THAT THESE SHAMELESS PRACTICES ARE ACCEPTABLE AND THAT WE MUST LIVE WITH THEM.
A true Niger Deltan would agree with this group. Our environment is worsen every day with pollution from this vandalized pipelines and I wonder whether some of you encouraging MEND to bomb these installations are truly IZONS who live in these communities. The fact is that most of you making these statement don’t even know the extent of damage the villages have suffered through these wanton destruction of oil installation by the so called MEND. Please lets tell our selves the truth, the fine houses, cars in these villages are owned by these criminals. Where are they getting the money from? Please, IZONS, we must stop this wanton destruction of oil installations in our communities so that we can go about our fishing business, not spoiling our ecosystem further by damaging pipes. These pipes are not in the north, so it does not affect any one up there but our selves.
Neighbours
why are we afraid of sovereign national conference. this will help solve some problem
no mind dem, the usual traitors. they are already aware of their strings of failures and if they are really izon ebe, what stops dem from supporting the NOW popular true federalism? or dont they know that we have downgraded to “justice and equity” as against faith in kunu?
It is very easy, Vanguard should verify the contacts address of this group, -IZON-EBE Oil Producing Communities Forum (IOCPF) in Warri- And if they are not in exixtence, the the Vanguard News should come up with an editorial report.
I dont think any Ijaw group will have so much hatred and animosity towards the Niger Delta Question.
The so-called article is against the spirit of the ND question. We deserve to hear from the real IZON-EBE people if they are really in existence.
Vanguard, kindly make this finding and get back to us as quickly as possible.
BY HOLY THIRD EYE, aka eyezzzzzzzz wey see morow
Let them keep blabbing. We said before that gradually the truths will be known to the world.
These few traitors are just looking for patronage from the N50billion Amnesty sharing committee, that is if they have not been given their share of N1000 (NOTE: one thousand Naira – Some of them can disown their mother & father for a boil of fish pepper soup).
They are the greatest enemy of NIGER DELTA.
What are they talking about? MEND this, MEND that. They don’t know that MEND is their only hope, They should go back to NIGER DELTA struggle and check which struggle that has been as successful as this ongoing MEND hurricane.
Even the recent case Shell lost in far away US has something to do with the activities of MEND. The whole world know about these freedom fighters, with this age internet & cable TV broadcast, anywhere you talk of Nigeria injustice be it oil communities or any part of Nigeria, what the world will do is just GOGGLE NIGERIA and MEND will pop up.
These few shameless cowards, lazy dogs that will prefer to put their tail between their legs and eat stale crumbs rather participate in eating from the real pot of soup should just keep their MOUTH SHUT if they don’t have anything to say. Even a one year old listening to them knows that they are agent of traitors in this whole struggle.
MEND activities is a wake up call for every right thinking Nigerians all over the world to started rethinking the future of this country because even our leaders don’t believe in it or how else can you explain that every Obasanjos and IBBs that get any government post’s priority is how to steal and acquire estates, investment outside Nigeria, send their children to the best schools in the world why laughing at our Universities and other Higher institutions’ lecturers playing boju-boju game with minister of education. VISION this, VISION that, please is there anywhere there is a successful nationhood without Education?
We can’t keep suffering and smiling!
My advice to these fools is for them to check their background very well, are they sure they are real IJAWs or they are just claiming to be IJAWs so as to benefit from the N50 billion windfall from the Govt.
Please disregard these fools! they know not what they are saying (doing)!
Of the about 20 million people of Niger River Delta, who truly constitute this so-called and shameless group? Even some Hausa people will not talk like this. And I don’t blame them ’cause they’re looking for recognition and bribes from the federal and state governments, if not already sponsoring their inglorious publication or meeting.
And of over 50 years of environmental degradation of N-Delta by the government and oil companies, it’s now that MEND blew up pipelines or installations in the interest of these saboteurs names and those of their children and generations yet unborn, that they’re seeing the menace. Pity!
By the way what environmental issue are they babbling about? I’ve said it before, and will say it again: no group in this world has ever fought for its rights and gain everything in the process or end. Somethings must be lost for others to be gained. Does this people understand what it means to struggle, or they just think it’s bread and butter?
At some points it’s proper for those-such as the so-called IOCPF-who have nothing to say or do for this struggle to just stitch their mouth with sticks. Period! Great enough MEND has most Niger Deltans behind its cause for among other things, social, environmental and economic justice, which is the people’s existence.
Well said,it is nice to know that there are people equally from the Niger delta,who know there is a better way of addressing the issues oh the ground,I hope MEND will listen to this wise voices of wisdom,rather than youth exuberance….
THIS AMNESTY OF THING IS JUST POSTURING, A SHINANIGAN, A 419, IT IS JUST A DISTRACTION, IT IS UNCALLED FOR, IT IS PATHETIC, DISTASTEFUL, DISGRACEFUL, DISHONOURABLE AND IT IS DISHONESTLY NEGOTIATED AND HOISTED ON THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA. ABOVE ALL MICHAEL THE AGF, THE EX CORRUPT INDICTED AND SHAMELESS GOVERNORS JAMES IBORI, ODILLI, IGBINEDION, KALU, DUKE AND THE LIKES OF SEKIBO ARE AT THE VERY HEART OF THIS DISHONESTY. THEY ARE SEEKING FOR EASY ESCAPE ROUTES TO CLEAN UP THEIR DIRTY NAMES. WHY DO WE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA, NEED AMNESTY ARE WE CRIMINALS OR ARE WE CRIMINALS BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING FOR FAIRNESS, JUSTICE AND EQUITY? WE ARE ONLY SAYING THAT, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DEVELOPE NIGER DELTA WITH THE SAME SPEED THAT WAS USED IN DEVELOPEING ABUJA. ABI NOT THE MONEY, WE DEM COLLECT FROM THE NIGER DELTA, THEY TAKE DEVELOPE ABUJA WITH SPEED? WHICH CAN WAHALA BE THIS YEYE AMNESTY. THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA THINK! THINK!! THINK!!!