Date Published: 05/18/09

Why we rejected peace talks, by Militants

INSURGENTS of the Niger Delta who are currently locked in a bloody confrontation with soldiers in the Delta State axis of the volatile oil and gas region, have said that they are no longer interested in any peace talks with the Federal Government.

According to them, ''the Nigerian state can no longer be trusted by us. Experience has shown us that they usually use peace talks to deal us a fatal blow'', the insurgents said in an on-line statement to our correspondent yesterday.

Spokesperson of the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), Cynthia Whyte, who made this known to our correspondent insisted, ''let it be known that the combatants of the Niger Delta struggle will not be party to any of the so-called peace talks being quickly concocted by the Nigerian state in the aftermath of the brutal attack by bandit units of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on the peaceful Ijaw communities of Gbaramatu in Delta state''.

They are alleging that the attacks were authorized by Umaru Yar ‘Adua whom they described as ''the defacto president of Nigeria''. According to them, ''the latest conflict is symbolic of a very sick Nigeria lorded over by a sickly president whose last days have come. He will not succeed in taking our prized Ijaw communities along with him. It is now clear that Yar'Adua's gestures of peace are deceitful and cannot be taken even with a pinch of salt''.

Continuing, they claimed that the president is a product of ''wholly flawed electoral process'' adding that he has no moral ground to question the ''true and just agitations of the oppressed people'' of the Niger Delta.

''We wish to state the professed claim by the JTF Joint Media Center that they have over ran Camp 5 is a misnomer meant to misinform the public and disguise the truth. Camp 5 had been evacuated and restored to peaceful uses until an attempt by the military to undermine our capability for war.

''We wish to commend the gallant and heroic combatants of the Ijaw Kingdom of Gbaramatu for the defiance and bravery they exhibited in questioning the might of the dubious armed forces of the Nigerian state. These young men were able to fend off the devices of the heavily armed soldiers of the Nigerian state who retreated and called for air assault as last resort. Even the fighter jets quickly drafted from the air command bases in Benin City could not stand the fire power of our heroic combatants.

''We also wish to call on the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress and The Ijaw Youth Coucil led by Dr. Obianime and Dr Chris Ekiyor to immediately terminate peace talks and negotiations for amnesty for our prized combatants. Our freedom is our birthright and cannot be negotiated by anyone'', they said.

While calling on the JTF to finish what it has started, the insurgents said they wish to inform all men of goodwill that the Gbaramatu engagement was the result of years of exploitation driven by ''a cabal of serving and retired army generals of Northern Nigerian who have been actively engaged in illegal oil bunkering in the creeks of Delta state''.