More knocks, kudos for Avengers, FG over threats of hostilities

More voices have risen to condemn the threats issued by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to resume attacks on oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta region as well as the inertia of President Muhammadu Buhari to fulfill his pledge on the 16-point demands by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) on behalf of the aggrieved militants.

A leader in the region, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune in Warri, blamed President Buhari for being responsible for the renewed threats by Avengers to resume hostilities on oil and gas facilities in the region.

“How does a nation, which is solely dependent on oil, neglect the people, communities and environment where the nation’s wealth comes from?

“If the president can tell the World Bank to concentrate on the north, is he then just the president of the north and not the president of Nigeria? What does he expect from the people of the rest regions?

“Inasmuch as I do not condone the idea of violence, I think the people of the Niger Delta deserve better.

“Let Mr president clean up the mess he has created for the country. It is obvious that the past peace accord has been empty promises and our government is taking certain people for granted,” the former governorship aspirant conjectured.

He admonished the president to engender genuine development in the Niger Delta, saying he should call the boys for a dialogue and implement promises made immediately.

Chief Onuesoke, who further slammed Buhari for his alleged sectional leadership style, however, appealed to the Avengers to remain calm while the Federal Goverment should urgently live up to its responsibility and promises to the region.

Meanwhile, chairmen of Gbaramatu communities, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, have also lent their voices to the Avengers’ threat, appealing to them to maintain the peace and halt plans to resume hostilities.

Chairman of Kokodiagbene community in Gbararmatu kingdom, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, who spoke on behalf of the other chairmen of Gbararmatu communities, lauded the Avengers for the ceasefire declared months ago and urged them to sustain the trend no matter the provocation.

“We want to appeal to the Niger Delta Avengers to give peace a chance and adopt dialogue because in most cases your actions negatively affect our environment and image of the region”, Comrade Mulade, an environmental activist, enthused.

He, however, implored the Federal Government to hasten to fulfill its promises to the economy life base of the country,  particularly the good and peace loving people of  the oil rich Niger Delta.