Tension mounts in Niger Delta

There was concern in military circles in the Niger Delta region yesterday following the planned meeting of leaders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND).

The meeting, slated for Izon House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is being convened by MEND leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo.

A terse invitation, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, reads: “My dearly beloved commanders and leaders of various wings of the Movement of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), I greet you all.

“It is my pleasure to humbly invite you to a very crucial and urgent meeting as follows: Venue: Izon House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

“Date (of the meeting is) Saturday, July 25th, 2015. Time (is) 2pm prompt,” concluded the letter, which was signed with Tompolo signing off with his traditional title – Izon Ibe-Ebidouwei of Izon nation.

Contacted, Tompolo said the meeting was to deliberate on recent developments in Nigeria as well as the fate of the Niger Delta region in the current political dispensation.

Speaking through his media aide, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, who did not divulge further detail about the meeting, he said the MEND leaders would chart a path for the progress of the region.

However, it was gathered that the planned meeting is a source of concern for top military commanders in the region.

Tompolo, a known supporter of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was the founder of the deadly group that crippled oil production in the region from 2005.

It was also gathered that he was placed under security watch following the defeat of Jonathan in the March 28 presidential election.

The former militant leader had maintained a low profile since after the election and subsequent inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.

In a related Niger Delta development, Ijaw youths, under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, have tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on economic plan for the people of the Niger Delta.

They said they were not against the president’s moves to curb oil-related theft in the region, but advised Buhari to do the needful before deploying soldiers in the region.

President, IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who spoke at a news conference in Yenagoa, yesterday, after an expanded meeting of executives of the body, urged Buhari to go after the big guns stealing oil in large quantities.

He also said as part of the measures to empower the people of the Niger Delta, the president should order redundant vessels and those yet to berth in Lagos to ports in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar to spring up business activities in the region.

He commended the president for his well articulated speech on the Niger Delta during his visit to the United States, but said such a speech would not achieve the desired result if the people were not empowered.

“We want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for his trip abroad. During which, he was able to articulate issues concerning Nigeria’s policies especially the Niger Delta. We must commend him for the way he addressed the world about Nigeria. Truly, he is the pride of Nigeria.

“But while addressing the world, he raised certain issues which we need to make inputs: He talked about the oil theft in the Niger Delta, which we support fully, his approach towards curbing the menace because the stealing of oil is actually degrading our environment.

“Also, the development is actually a crime against humanity when people carry out certain actions that in the long run they destroy the people’s land and their way of life.

“But we must say that this oil theft did not start today. It is the attitude of successive governments that have led to our people struggling to survive. We want him to go after the big guns – those merchants who bring in big vessels to steal oil. They are the people he should go after.

“We are not against the stoppage of vandalism of oil pipelines but he must have an economic plan.

“Our people right now need to survive. There is no more fishing in our areas and our lands can no longer produce the kind of things they used to produce. It is our position that while Buhari is coming to fight the menace he must come with an economic plan.

“We are saying that all those vessels in Lagos doing nothing, waiting to berth should be ordered to the ports in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar. By so doing, a lot of economic activities would begin to spring up in these areas and support the local economies.”

He also lamented that many oil-related projects in the region had been abandoned by the Federal Government, insisting that there should be a clear-cut programme by the government in expanding the ports.