By Soni Daniel

Association for Non-Violence in the Niger Delta, ANND, has warned persons and groups attacking the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, to desist forthwith or face its wrath.

The ex-militants had, in a statement by their Publicity Secretary, Diepreye Dikibo, called on President Goodluck Jonathan to sack Kuku, whom they accused of incompetence and mismanagement of the Federal Government’s Amnesty programme for former agitators in the Niger Delta.

ANND, in a statement by its President, Mr. Kennedy West, dismissed the accusations as tissues of lies meant to tarnish Kuku’s reputation, adding that no such group exists in the Niger Delta region.

It said: “The so-called ELF allegations against  Kuku are laughable, blatant lies and a cheap blackmail. The public and Mr. President should dicountenance the allegation because these people are ghosts.

“For instance, who are the people in the Ex-militants’ Leadership Forum? Where is their office and who is their president? Is Diepreye Dikibo, an ex-militant and from which camp? Who knows him among the ex-militants? We know the ‘General’ Reuben Wilson-led group of former ex-militant leaders. We know the one led by ‘General’ Busta Rhymes. So, who is the ELF leader?”

West said that the ELF was a creation of political detractors bent on tarnishing the image of Kuku, who he said, has been working hard to bring the presidential amnesty programme to where it is today, leading to the training of thousands of youths from the Niger Delta, within and outside the country.