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NDLF:We `ll not back out of our non-violent position
By
Capt. Mark Anthony Pres statement
Newsdiaryonline Wed June 22,2011
A press statement e mailed to newsdiaryonline by
spokesman of NDLF affirming the group's resolve not to resort to
bombing of oil installations now is published below unedited:
There is growing fear on renewed insurgency in the Niger Delta
over federal government position of not including NDLF dreaded
fighters and others into the presidential amnesty deal. The
leadership of the Niger Delta Liberation force (NDLF) hereby
wants to assure the multinationals and the general public that
the current position of government will not lead NDLF fighters
to back out of our current non-violent position by going back to
bomb oil installations in Niger Delta and create tension in the
region.
We surrendered for JTF and abandoned our Israel barrack not
because we are tired of fighting or are gone out of resources to
fight. Our position was basically humanitarian and secondly the
factor of President Goodluck Jonathan emergence as president who
we have confidence and faith, will help to address injustice,
underdevelopment and poverty which are fore burner (sic)issues
of our agitation.
We will still insist and urge government to have a rethink of
her position, especially with the high caliber of weapons left
in our hands at this trying moment. NDLF has stunning
military hard wares in our armoury.The JTF field soldiers who
have had a romance with NDLF soldiers in battle know the
security implication of any faulty decision by federal
Government of leaving these dangerous weapons in the hands of
local fighters who are willing to hand over to government
voluntarily as part of peace process. The issues in Niger Delta
are age- long and are dimensional which have created and
infected the psyche of numerous youths in Niger Delta. In most
cases, violence which was left for us by our martyr Major Isaac
Boro is glaringly seen optional.
Therefore, managers of peace building in the nation should not
expect total and overnight peace by miracle in Niger Delta,
except there is confidence and visible symbol to measure in the
system by the agitators over the cause they fought for to
willingly revert. It is indeed, psychological. Peace and piece
are contrary. While the later is costly and the former is
cheaper. Though, both are processes and they must be handled
technically by conflict/crisis managers in anywhere in the world
without a group feeling of losing one’s honour for the interest
of peace in the society. It takes the grace of God for NDLF to
reach at this stage through the effort of the chairman of the
amnesty council, Hon. Kingsley Kuku and other notable Nigerians,
particularly CAN’s President Pastor, Ayo Oritsejarfor. We
advise, security Chiefs in the nation should give free hands to
Hon. Kingsley Kuku to operate on issues bordering on security
and Niger Delta. Nobody should interfere in his job, if the
nation wants the best in him as Presidential adviser on Niger
Delta. We know him and he knows us across the nooks and crannies
in Niger Delta.
On Northern bombing, we urge Boko Haram sects to a restraint and
have respect and sanctity for life by sparing innocent lives in
the country while agitating for what they feel is legitimate.
NDLF does not kill innocent persons. It is against the
principles of our NDLF struggle and yet federal troops were
deployed to confront us. We must understand the fact, NDLF has
one of the best high capacity bombs improvised locally detonated
through remote control that may pass US bomb lab test. But
we have respect for lives; so we did not use them on human
environment, hence we cancelled our land
operations for the protection of human lives.
We urge all Niger Delta agitators who are affected by this
federal government decision to end amnesty programme to be calm,
and embrace the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, as
government of “our own government” and expect the best from him
by working with them government for the total development and
transformation of the neglected region over 50 years, which
resources from the region are used to develop other regions,
leaving us in wreck and poverty.
Although, we are aware that Presidency is not the solution to
the problems of Niger Delta, but it is a means to an end of the
problems of underdevelopment, marginalization and neglect, which
we should not lose faith as a divine solution, especially to end
further bloodshed in Niger Delta, if it is maximized to our
benefit and benefit of every Nigerian.
Capt. Mark Anthony, Spokesman NDLF
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