By Festus Ahon
UGHELLI — Former militant commanders of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, forum, has condemned the bombing of the country home of Mr. Timi Alaibe, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, describing it as callous and barbaric.

The group in a statement signed, Tuesday , by Mr. Josiah Oyakonghan, Chairman; Thompson Igere, Vice Chairman; Peremor Ekpesegba, Secretary; Peter Ekpebide, PRO; Stephen Julius, Denis Kpadia and 32 others, also appealed to those behind the abduction of seven oil workers in Akwa-Ibom State to grant them unconditional release.

According to the statement, criminal activities were not part of the struggle, disclosing that the ex-commanders of MEND forum were the true persons that fought for the genuine agitation for emancipation of the people of Niger Delta before the amnesty.

It read: “We are telling Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the security agents that these hoodlums who committed this act are not part of us and should be brought to book and treated as criminals.

“We believe in the Niger Delta struggle and not personal interest that is why we are calling on these security agents to work very hard in ensuring that these callous and barbaric unknown hoodlums hiding under the name of the MEND be brought to book.”

Sympathising with Alaibe on the bombing, the group urged the Federal Government not to relent in implementing the amnesty programme in full.

It added that the programme would bring about peace in the Niger Delta.

The need for the electorate to prepare themselves for massive voters registration exercise towards the forthcoming general election has been re_echoed by a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant for Bomadi House of Assembly seat in 2011, Mr. Victor Azebiri

Speaking at Ogriagbene Community of the Local Government, he charged the people of the community of the importance of participating in the forth coming voter’s registration exercise fully,  noting that those who register have the power to change the political directions of the nation, state and the council area.

According to him “ I am here to intimate you on the essence of the forthcoming voters exercise and to oblige you to fully partake in the exercise “ adding that their votes is a political power enshrine in the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

Azebiri  who was former State Security Service ,SSS, officer, argued that the votes of the electorates were their inalienable right, and  called on them to disseminate the news to the remotest  part of the community.

Responding, a (PDP)stalwart  from the community, Pa Angadi Biloupesibo thanked  Ezebiri for his visit and promised to mobilize members of the community to support him for his election victory.