By Emma Amaize

WARRI -DESPITE the declaration, last week, by the Special Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the Amnesty Programme, Mr Kingsley Kuku, that the government was prepared to dialogue with the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-Delta, MEND, over its recent threats, it was gathered that talks have not commenced because nobody has come out to identify himself as a leader or representative of the militant group.

Vanguard learnt, weekend, that since Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, Farah Dagogo, Victor Ebikabowei Ben, alias Boyloaf and other leaders of MEND had accepted amnesty, including Henry Okah, who is facing trial in South-Africa, it will be difficult for somebody, who is not known in the Niger-Delta struggle to  claim leadership of the group. 

“Also, those who have regrouped in the name of MEND after the arrest of Henry Okah and Charles Okah would not want government to know them, so as not to expose themselves to arrest by security agents,” a source told Vanguard.

Kuku who spoke to Vanguard, yesterday, restated government’s readiness to engage militants in the region, but pointed out that it will not be with faceless persons.

“As I stated before, the Federal Government is ready and prepared to engage militants and other persons, who have issues with the amnesty programme but not  with people who we cannot see,” he added.