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Guard Your Utterances- MEND Cautions Buratai

Published

8 years ago

July 26, 2016

Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Col. Tukur Buratai, has come under fire for threatening the use of force in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, if dialogue moves with militant groups to stop the bombings of oil installations in the region fail.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, which criticised Buratai, said the threat was “insensitive and provocative.”

Recall that Buratai had yesterday, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital warned that the government will use force if efforts at talks with militants in the region Fail .

Meanwhile, MEND in a statement by its spokeman, Jomo Gbomo said: “MEND hereby makes it clear that General Buratai’s statement is insensitive, provocative, unprofessional and prejudicial to the fair outcome of the ongoing preliminary talks regarding the Niger Delta crisis between representatives of oil companies and security agencies, on the one hand; and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), on the other hand.

“We therefore warn the Chief of Army Staff to guard his utterances, refrain from making political and inflammatory statements and stick to his primary responsibility.

“We use this medium to appeal to the good people of the Niger Delta to remain patient with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and keep hope alive as MEND and the Aaron Team 2 Dialogue, Peace and Development Initiative led by Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, and HRH King Alfred Papapreye Diette-Spiff are working assiduously to secure sustainable concessions for the region from the Government.

“While MEND have already kick-started the dialogue process with the ongoing preliminary talks, the Aaron Team, made up of distinguished and accomplished personalities from the region, are waiting on the sidelines to conclude the dialogue process.”