A group, Voice of Amalgamated Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities-VANDEN has
\ncondemned
\nin strong term the stand of the Federal Government on the ‘No Go Areas’ in
\nthe
\nforthcoming National Conference. In a statement after its meeting, the
\ngroup threw
\nits weight behind the removal of the clause ‘No Go Areas’; insisting that
\nthe so
\ncalled ‘no go areas’ must as a matter of national security and priority be
\nexpunged
\nfrom the recently released modalities for the confab, as prescribed by the
\nFederal
\nGovernment. The statement was signed by Comr. Daniel Idonor (Delta), Barr.
\nKiki Dan
\nEsueme (Bayelsa), Chief Shedrack Akaloku (Rivers), Hon Andrew Uquang (Akwa
\nIbom),
\nRt. Hon. Mkpanam Ekpo (Cross River), and Hon. Gabriel Oghogho (Edo).
\nIt will be recalled that the Secretary to the Government Of The
\nFederation, Anyim
\nPius Anyim, on the 30th January, 2014 released to the media the modalities
\nfor the
\nNational Conference.
\nThe government had said that “The National Conference ….shall discuss
\nany subject
\nmatter, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation,
\ntherefore the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable.”The group praised the
\nposition of
\nthe Federal Government as plausible, patriotic, well intentioned and fell
\nnothing
\nshort of what is expected of a responsible government which no doubt the
\nadministration of President Goodluck Jonathan is. The group stated that
\n“However the
\nrealities of our post-independence political developments, more especially
\nin recent
\ntimes, make it necessary for us not to hold any issue sacrosanct,
\nincluding the
\ncontinuous existence of Nigeria as a nation.”It is true that the many ethnic
\nnationalities that composed the Northern and Southern Protectorates were
\nnever asked
\nof their opinions on staying together before they were summed into this false
\nrepublic called Nigerian state by the colonial masters and since then
\nsubsequent
\nadministrations and their various conferences have always taken the
\nquestion of
\nunity for granted”.”Yet until we boldly ask ourselves whether we want to stay
\ntogether or not and proceed to sincerely convince ourselves on why we
\nshould remain
\ntogether as a nation or not, the various national questions and issues of
\nderivation, true federalism, indigene\/settler differences,
\nmarginalization, zoning,
\ncorruption, tribalism, credible census and elections, religious tolerance,
\ninsecurity amongst others, may never be genuinely resolved”.
\n“That we have continuously taken for granted that Nigeria must be one,
\nhave also
\nmade some sections of the nation take it for granted that they are always
\nmore
\ndemographically and therefore must rule over others and so whenever those
\nthey
\nconsidered as ‘not supposed to rule’ find themselves in power, they should
\nbe forced
\nout irrespective of the constitutional provisions.”The group stressed
\nfurther that
\n“the lot of the minorities especially the Niger-Delta minorities who for
\nyears,
\nthough produce the resources on which the nation’s economy is run, but
\ncould not get
\nthe opportunity to preside over the affairs of the nation until the
\nemergency of
\nPresident Goodluck Jonathan and since he is not from the ‘anointed
\nmajority’ he must
\nbe pressurized out of power by making the country ungovernable for him and
\nhis
\nadministration. This formed the centre of the insecurity in the Northeast
\nand the
\nintra party crisis within the national ruling party. This is in addition
\nto several
\nthousands of our people that have been killed in North since the unfortunate
\nalmagamation due to socio-political and religious intolerance”. “In
\nessence, in a
\nnation where these high level of injustice, lopsidedness and impunity
\nprevail, it is
\nonly pertinent that whenever there is an opportunity for a national
\ndialogue as
\nprovided for by the soon to be held national conference, the primary
\nquestion of
\nwhether we should exist as one nation or not should not only be asked but
\nmust be
\nhonestly answered and addressed. Suffice to say that the answers we get
\nfrom that
\nquestion will form the very basic base upon which we address all other
\nnational
\nquestions and issues”.The group therefore demanded that the ‘No Go Areas’
\nmust be
\ndiscussed at the confab.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A group, Voice of Amalgamated Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities-VANDEN has condemned in strong term the stand of the Federal Government on the ‘No Go Areas’ in the forthcoming National Conference.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n