Joe Igbokwe is the Lagos state All Progressives Congress, Spokesman.. Here are the takeaway from his article on the Niger Delta and the resurgence of Militant groups.
1) A full-scale war is imminent in the Niger Delta, and it is going to be bloody and destructive.
2) Yar’Adua was compelled to negotiate with them, and he put together billions of naira for reconciliation, rehabilitation, training and financial support to enable them to stand on their feet without resort to violence and brigandage to get attention.
3) Criminal militants talked tough, they walked tough and painted the cities of Abuja and Lagos, Bayelsa, and Port Harcourt red. They became laws unto themselves.
4) There are no zero zones in this country. While the Niger Delta region produces oil and gas, the north of the country provides Shiroro Dam, Kainji Dam, cows, beans, yams, goats, Ram, potatoes, chicken, cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, groundnut, onions a, etc. The North feeds Nigeria.
4) Yoruba have offered Nigeria cocoa, commerce and industry, and in fact have provided some 40% of Nigeria’s workforce. The technocrats, best lawyers and other professionals in Nigeria come from the Yoruba nation.
5) The economic development of this country owes much to their contribution. I don’t like the way they have been treated since 1970. They still bear the scars of the Biafran crisis.
6) Now the Niger Delta militants are destroying oil platforms. They have crippled power stations that run on gas. They have destroyed their own landscape and polluted the waters and aquatic life.
7) There is no hope for these bloody idiots who call themselves the Avengers. They are a bunch of reprobates and common criminals.
8) They are too small and too insignificant to hold this responsible and responsive government to ransom through blackmail and intimidation. They blackmailed Obasanjo, Yar’adua , Jonathan and now Buhari.
9) They have reached their final bus stop and the point of no return.
10) If the president can crush Boko Haram, these useless Avengers are damned too small. I foresee war in the Niger Delta, and it will bloody and destructive.
11) Niger Delta has nothing to offer Nigeria anymore except, criminality, sabotage, destruction of oil platforms, murder, brigandage, and corruption.
12) This the time to stop the criminals who have had it call. Apart from Niger Delta Ministry, NDDC, and 13% derivation, the idiots and the leaders of Niger Delta have cornered oil wells.
13) ttey have stolen crude oil worth billions of dollars.
14) Nigeria has spent billions training thousands of the so-called militants and their cronies in Nigeria and beyond.
15)Niger Delta has nothing to offer Nigeria anymore except, criminality, sabotage,destruction of oil platforms, murder & corruption.
