Ex-militants lambast MEND

Posted by admin Niger Delta Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has been warned by repentant militants against resuming attacks on oil facilities in the region. They gave the warning, yesterday, at a forum organized for them by the Association for Non-Violence in the Niger Delta (ANND) and the Niger Delta Ex-agitators Forum (NDEF) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

In a day peace concert tagged Expression 2012, with theme: Core values of the Amnesty Programme – the gain so far; the facilitator and founder of ANND, Kennedy West, cautioned MEND that the era of violence was over.
“It is also pitiable that baseless, aimless and fruitless acts as depicted by some elements parading themselves as MEND in the bombing of oil pipeline in Brass still strive. We condemn this attack.”

Meanwhile, the Brigade Commander, 2 Amphibious Brigade, Nigerian Army , Port Harcourt, Brigadier-General Tukur Buratai, has advised former militants to utilize the Federal Government Amnesty programme and shun every form of criminality. Brig.-General Buratai gave the advice yesterday, while speaking at the forum. The army commander, who was represented by Colonel Nosa Ugbo, told the ex-agitators that they should utilise the opportunity offered to them through Amnesty to usher in development in the region.

He noted that some of the youths in the region were still perpetrating criminal activities, and warned that those involved should desist from them. Also, chairman of the occasion and former minister, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas, had commended the ex-militants for enthroning peace in the region in particular.

Graham-Douglas appealed to them to make good use of the programme, saying that the future of their families was paramount. He regretted that elders in the region had failed them in the past, adding that inequalities in the country had created marginalization in the region and robbed them of their future. The former minister urged them not to be misled going back to the trenches by anyone or the activities of Boko Haram, as Amnesty had “come to stay.”

-Sunwp_posts