The coalition of Niger Delta militants on Thursday sent a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over his alleged double standards in the handling of security issues in the country.
The militants, under the auspices of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, slammed the Federal Government for the controversial proposal to deduct $1bn from the Excess Crude Account to fight the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East.
They described the plan to withdraw $1bn from ECA as wicked and insensitive, saying it allegedly disregarded the peace accord signed with the people of the Niger Delta.
The RNDA, in the open letter made available to journalists in Yenagoa via electronic email and signed by ‘Major General’ Johnmark Ezonbi, warned the government not to take the present ceasefire agreement for granted.
The letter partly read, “Through the ceasefire, the country is enjoying daily crude oil production of between 2.2 and 2.4million barrels of crude production which amount to billions of naira daily for the Federal Government. It also helped the country to get out of recession. So, the government should not take our patience and silence for granted.
“We want to state categorically that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government is insensitive and practically negating the principles of natural justice by using resources derived from a neglected region to combat insurgency in the North-East in the senseless Boko Haram war to the tune of $1bn from ECA.
“Why not access the fund from excess account from the sale of agriculture products in the northern part of the country? Why must it be from the creeks of the Niger Delta?
“The Federal Government’s insensitivity to the Niger Delta development has obviously reached its crescendo. We will not take this but resist with our might. This broad day light robbery against the Niger Delta people will not be accepted by us. We are going to resist this perpetual injustice against our long-neglected people in the region.”
They, therefore, demanded the Niger Delta’s own share of $1bn from ECA for the development of the Niger Delta within four weeks.
They warned that the region would witness a massive destruction of oil pipelines and installations if the government failed to accede to their demand.
They added, “We will ensure that anything that stands in our way will be crushed without mercy. All foreign nationals are hereby advised to leave the region as all our unit commanders have been put on the red alert to resume ‘operation zero oil production’ on the expiration of the four-week ultimatum.
“The governors of the South-South will not be spared for being part of that decision for the approval of $1bn to combat insurgency while our region suffers. We are the golden hen that lays the egg but nothing to show for it. The Federal Government will hear from us after the expiration of the four-week deadline.
“Mr. President, we the leadership of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers RNDA made up of coalition of nine militant groups in the creeks of the most underdeveloped region in the world with the most blessed natural and human resources have watched the activities of the All Progressives Party-led federal government as regards the development of the region and have reached the conclusion that it is not yet Uhuru.”
