Militants counsel Yar'Adua against military option E-mail
Written by Jimitota Onoyume
Monday, 23 June 2008
MILITANTS have warned the Federal Government against its resolve to carry out full scale war against them in the region, saying it would further heighten the level of insecurity in the region.
In a statement issued under the aegis of Reformed Grand Alliance of Niger Delta and signed by its president, General Prikoli Iwo, they said government should rather begin the process of addressing the injustice in the region.
The statement reads, "Nigerian state and government have refused to acknowledge the level of injustice in the Niger Delta. The people are suffering and rather than carry out an aggressive developmental programme the Nigerian state has continued to embark on their politics of extracting our resources in addition to excercebating the use of naked force on the Niger Delta people.”
“A lot of our youths have laid down their arms, trusting that the Nigerian government will reciprocate with viable developmental programmes. But the reverse is the case. Nine-nine per cent of Niger Delta people are aggrieved with the primitive and internal colonisation on the Niger Delta people by the Nigerian government.
To declare military option on the Niger Delta, youths waiting for such opportunity will join in the arms struggle. President Yar'Adua should rescind his decision as this policy will not solve the problem but will worsen the situation and create an uncontrollable measure of militants.”
“Only viable programs can bring peace, of which the greatest onus lies in the hands of the government and not the militants. Mr. president should be well advised by history not to make this mistake in such a declaration it is only one who fights the course of justice that can prevail on the supreme ’’
