Militancy: Niger Delta Coalition Says Only Buhari Acceptable to Chair Peace Dialogue

• Calls for release of 10 secondary school children, other prisoners-of-war

Chiemelie Ezeobi

As the issue of militancy continues to cripple the nation’s economy due to the destruction of oil and gas pipelines, the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), the region’s coalition of ethnic nationalities and civil societies, yesterday said only President Muhammadu Buhari can chair the peace dialogue.

This is against the different calls from Niger Delta groups and militants that some members of the society chair the dialogue for peace between the federal government and the region.

Imploring the president to revive the now-comatose platform of the holistic 2009 Amnesty Dynamic that late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua deployed, the coalition said it was the only way to stem the tide of the dangerously imploding reality of armed agitation in the Niger Delta.
The coalition also called for the release of 10 secondary school children and others detained as prisoners-of-war, who they said have been in detention many weeks after the military’s invasion of Gbaramatu Kingdom.

In the statement signed by UNDEDSS Secretary General, Mr. Tony Iprinye Uranta, the coalition urged the federal government to adopt the successful Yar’Adua template of 2009, by appointing a credible special adviser on the region and re-establishing the Niger Delta Committee/Council that operated five sub-committees to holistically and sustainably address the challenges identified in the region.

The statement read in part: “UNDEDSS and other leading stakeholders in the region have tirelessly interfaced with very senior members of this administration and given them a detailed template the president should deploy now to resolve this growing insecurity in the region, which is negatively impacting all of Nigeria.

“In the light of the conflicting statements being made by too many putative representatives of both the region and the federal government”, continues the UNDEDSS Scribe, it is necessary, however, to state that the Niger Delta is not going to know sustainable peace via the coterie of so-called Contact Groups or Committees.

“And, that there cannot be any reliable dialogue, between the federal government and the region, without a commitment to justice and equity by President Buhari himself.”
While reiterating that all the federal government needs to do is adopt what the 2008 Niger Delta Technical Committee’s Report advises, UNDEDSS listed immediate actions the federal government can commence, towards reassuring the Niger Delta of its sincere commitment to justice and equity.

According to Uranta these includes, “The release of 10 secondary schoolchildren and others detained as prisoners-of-war for many weeks since the military’s invasion of Gbaramatu Kingdom; the return of Symbols of Gbaramatu traditional worship.
“And most importantly, President Buhari addressing the nation to announce that he would personally lead the revival of the 2009 Template premised on a Niger Delta Development Committee under his direct supervision, plus grant free passage to all stakeholders he is ready to directly dialogue with.”