The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • Akwa Ibom: Is Emmanuel set to be his own man?

    Akwa Ibom: Is Emmanuel set to be his own man?

    The dissolution of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council by Governor Udom Emmanuel has dominated the political space. Since the sacked Executive Council was mainly made up of the so-called ‘Senator Godswil Akpabio’s Boys’, observers are of the view that  it will no longer be business as usual between the political godfather, now at the National Assembly and the political son, the current governor, reports Kazeem Ibrahym

    LET me pay tribute to our immediate past Governor, His Excellency Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, CON, with steady hands on the wheel of progress and development, he steered the ship of our dear state through ill and fair weather, and landed us on shores of uncommon achievements. He became a metaphor for good governance and an abiding testimony that we can have a government not only by the people and of the people, but also for the people. Seldom in the chequered history of mankind has so many owed so much to one man. We owe him a debt of gratitude, which we can never hope to pay. People gawk at what he has done and ask, “Can anyone fill the large shoes he is leaving behind? I don’t know whether we can, but we know where the shoes are pointed and we are all heading towards that direction.

    “Just yesterday, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly passed a resolution that this great architectural masterpiece, one of the many great infrastructures built by the Akpabio administration, be named, Godswill Akpabio International Stadium,” in celebration of his uncommon transformation of our state. This was a reflection of popular sentiment, and the least we could do for His Excellency, Governor Godswill Akpabio. I, therefore, in the discharge of the office invested in me, proudly give accent to this resolution and let this stadium be henceforth known, called and addressed as “Godswill Akpabio International Stadium…”

    Those were the words from Mr. Udom Emmanuel during his inaugural speech as the governor of Akwa Ibom State on May 29, 2019…

    16 months into Emmanuel’s administration, a lot of political alignments have taken place. Among them was the dissolution of the State Executive Council.

    The dissolution was contained in a three paragraph statement titled, “Dissolution of the State Executive Council” and signed by the Secretary to State Government, Sir Etekamba Umoren.

    Before the overhaul of Emmanuel’s cabinet, members had enjoyed uninterrupted 16 months services which pundits say is enough to get a copious assessment of their performances, loyalty and political inclination/undertone.

    Many event watchers in the state believed that the action of the governor was justified going by the way he inherited most of the commissioners from his predecessor, former Governor Godswill Akpabio, now Senate Minority Leader.

    Almost 70% of Governor Emmanuel’s ex-commissioners were tagged ‘Sen. Godswil Akpabio Boys’ in view of the fact that they were directly transmuted from the last administration which was once led by Akpabio.

    To many, the compilation of the just dissolved Executive Council was considered to be foisted on the governor to serve as compensation for the role some of the ex-governor Akpabio’s men played in bringing Governor Emmanuel to power.

    The reason for the retention of the said commissioners in Emmanuel’s cabinet was initially adduced to their political value, especially in view of the alarming but threatening results from the Governorship Tribunal and Appeal Court respectively before the Supreme Court doused off that fears.

    For instance, in July 2015, Emmanuel had sworn in 20 Commissioners and two Special Advisers into his cabinet. Out of the 22 exco members, about 15 had held different positions in the state during Akpabio’s government.

    Following the appointment of these people, there were public outcries. People labeled the governor as a stooge. They asked when will the governor become his own man and detach from the Akpabio’s dynasty?

    It was widely believed that Governor Emmanuel kept the Akpabio’s men in his government so as not to upset his predecessor and political god father. Some political pundits also say Governor Emmanuel kept them in government because his victory at the government poll was challenged in court and he needed these men to back him up.

    As the controversy rages on, the governor approved the dissolution of the state exco through the SSG, Sir Etekamba Umoren. The political stalwarts in the state received this with mixed feelings. Some say that the political romance between godfather and son is gradually coming to an end with Governor Emmanuel trying to be his own man.

    Going by the fact that the relationship between most political godfathers and sons do not last due to the over bearing attitude of some of godfathers, observers had wondered if Governor Emmanuel and Sen. Akpabio will prove the world wrong on this?

    The big questions now include how he (Governor) will constitute his new exco without adding Sen. Akpabio’s men going by the role the ex commissioners played in the emergence of Mr. Emmanuel as the governor of the state.

    Speaking on the expectations of the new exco, a former governorship candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Akwa Ibom State, David Ekanem, said Governor Emmanuel has been over lenient on the state exco that was not his product.

    Ekanem said: “For you to be a good governor, you must be in firm control of your exco so that you can properly administer to the state a proper sense of direction. What Governor Udom Emmanuel was suffering from was over bearing influence of his predecessor.

    “For example, if he must appoint, he should appoint commissioners that are 100 percent loyal to him because politics and governance have to do with loyalty. The loyalty of his appointees must be 100 per cent for him to achieve the vision of his administration.

    Commending some of the former cabinet members, the analyst added: “To my mind, the ex-Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Akan Okon, Housing and Urban Renewal, Mr. Enobong Uwah, Works, Ephraim Inyang Eyen, who supervised roads construction and worked with his housing commissioner to achieve a measure of success in housing; and those who worked to raise Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) have done a great job.”

    He however tasked the governor to get the right persons to execute his vision on industrialization, agriculture, health and improvement of IGR, maintaining that: “If capable hands are found to drive these sectors, Akwa Ibom will be on the road to economic recovery.”

    In his view, the former Ikot Ekpene branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Aniedi Abotti, said that cabinet reshuffle is normal. He however warned against recycling old executive members whom he said are bereft of ideas.

    As the public awaits the new list of commissioners and special advisers, it is the wish of many that new hands must be injected if the governor must achieve its five point agenda which revolves round: Wealth Creation; Economic and Political Inclusion; Poverty Alleviation; Infrastructural Consolidation and Expansion and Job Creation.

    But what will be the fate of the sacked former commissioners who were ‘Sen. Godswil Akpabio Boys’? Will this not affect the political romance between the godfather and son? Only time will tell.

  • Amaechi asked me to fix Akwa Ibom, says Justice Okoro

    Amaechi asked me to fix Akwa Ibom, says Justice Okoro

    •Minister: it’s a lie
    •Umana denies claim

    One of the two Justices of the Supreme Court arrested last week by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives yesterday denied any wrongdoing and linked his travails to his refusal to assist the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the post-2015 governorship election dispute in Akwa Ibom State.

    Justice Okoro alleged that Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and the APC candidate in the election, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, came to him separately, begging for his support in winning the case at the Supreme Court.

    Amaechi’s Media Office last night said: “This accusation from Justice Okoro against Amaechi is a figment of his imagination, concocted to obfuscate and politicize the real issues for his arrest and DSS investigation of allegations of corruption against him.

    “The claims by Justice Okoro against Amaechi are blatant lies, bereft of any iota of truth or even logic. Amaechi did not, and has never approached Justice Okoro in respect of the cases Okoro mentioned or any other case. This is a cheap attempt, albeit,  political move to drag the name of Amaechi into something he knows nothing about. Justice Okoro should face his issues and leave Amaechi out of it.  He will be hearing from our lawyers.”

    Umana also denied ever visiting the Judge. In a statement last night from his office, Umana said:

    “Justice Okoro’s claim is an afterthought and diversionary. For a man of his standing and knowledge of the law, he should have known the legal implications of such a visit if it took place at all.

    “He should have reported to the appropriate authorities immediately. This he didn’t do.

    “I did not visit the Judge. His story is a fiction. He should address himself to the facts of the case which is between him and the state and leave Umana out of it.”

    Justice Okoro alleged that Amaechi claimed that he was working on President Muhammadu Buhari’s instruction.

    The Judge said he reported the matter to the CJN on February 1, 2016. The Rivers’ case was decided on January 27, 2016. The Akwa Ibom case was decided on February 3, 2016. APC was not part of the Abia State case.

    Justice Okoro, in his October 17 letter, addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) and Chairman of the National Judicial Council (NJC), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, a copy of which The Nation sighted yesterday, gave details of his experience in the hands of the security personnel and what they took away from his residence.

    Part of the letter reads:

    “On Friday, the 7th day of October, 2016, at about 9.00 pm, I received a phone call from an unfamiliar caller. He introduced himself as an official from the Presidency. He told me he had a letter for me from Mr. President.

    “I immediately left my study room and went to open the door. Upon the door being opened, l saw so many heavily armed men with an inscription ‘DSS’ on their uniform.

    “One of them, who was in mufti, told me they were to search my house. I requested that I be allowed to inform the Chief Justice of Nigeria, but they rebuffed, rather they seized my phone from me.

    “My Lord, the operatives of the Department of State Security searched all the rooms in the house meticulously. They also searched the boy’s quarters and my official vehicles parked outside.

    “At the end of the search, which lasted till about 1.30am of 8th October, 2016, they took away the following items:

    1. One (1) iPad
    2. Three phones (only one active)
    3. USD 38,800 (Thirty eight thousand, eight hundred dollars)
    4. N3.5m (three million, five hundred thousand naira) only
    5. Cheque books (Four in number)

    “The above items were documented on the back page of the search warrant they produced and we signed. Also, the DSS operatives informed me that their Director-General wanted to see me that night.

    “I requested to visit their office upon the break of the day, but they refused. In view of the presence of the heavily armed men, who accompanied them and who were pointing their gun at me from all angles, I had no choice than to follow them to their office that night.

    “I was detained by them in their office till Sunday, 9th October, 2016 and upon your Lordship’s intervention that Sunday, they released me in the evening of that Sunday.

    “My Lord, I noticed that they also brought other judicial officers serving and retired to their office. So, before releasing us, they asked me to make a statement concerning the money found in my house.

    “I told them that having received the sum of USD24,000.00 (Twenty four thousand dollars) and £10,000 (Ten thousand pounds) a year for the past three years of my sojourn in this court as annual medical/vacation allowances, and having not spent more than £5,000 (Five thousand pounds) on each of three trips I have so far made abroad, I was entitled to have more than the amount recovered from me.

    “Put differently, My Lord, the money was the balance of my estacode received from this court for the past three years. This is quite outside the estacodes I have received for the International Conferences I have so far attended since joining the bench of this court.

    “My Lord, as at the time of writing this report, the DSS has not confronted me with any petition or complaint from any quarters whatsoever. Rather, they have grilled me, asking questions on some none existing properties around the country.

    “They have also doubted the age of my children, alleging that they are toddlers. This is sad and unbelievable.

    ”My Lord, I strongly believe that this my travail is not unconnected with the verbal report I made to you on 1st February, 2016 about the visit to my official residence by HE, Rotimi Amaechi, former Governor of Rivers State and now Minister of Transportation.

    “In that report, I told you My Lord, that Mr. Amaechi said that the President of Nigeria and the All Progressives Congress mandated him to inform me that they must win their election appeals in respect of Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State and Abia State at all costs.

    “For Akwa Ibom State, he alleged that he sponsored Mr. Umana Umana, candidate of All Progressives Congress for that election and that if he lost Akwa Ibom appeal, he would have lost a fortune.

    “Mr. Amaechi also said that he had already visited you and that you had agreed to make me a member of the panel that would hear the appeals.

    “He further told me that Mr. Umana would be paying me millions of naira monthly if I co-operated with them. My response, as I told you on that date was that it does not lie within my power to grant his request and that I would do all within my power not to be in the panel for Akwa Ibom State. My Lord graciously left me out of the panel for Akwa Ibom State.

    “That notwithstanding, the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, which lost the appeal at the Supreme Court, believe that my presence in the Supreme Court made them to lose the appeal.

    “Could I have resigned from the Supreme Court simply because people of Akwa Ibom State had a matter before it?

    ”My Lord will recall that I also reported that Mr. Umana Umana visited my residence before Amaechi’s visit.

    “He also made the same request of assistance to win his appeal at the Supreme Court. Mr. Umana talked about ‘seeing’ the Justices who would hear the appeal.

    “Pastor (Dr) Ebebe Ukpong, who led Mr. Umana Umana to my house, intercepted and said that the issue of ‘seeing’ the justices was not part of their visit and that as a Pastor, he would not be part of such a discussion.

    “Mr. Umana apologised. I advised them to go and pray about the matter and get a good lawyer. That was how they left my house.

    ”My Lord, up till now, I do not know what I have done. Over the years, from the Magistracy till date, I have done my best to eschew all forms of corrupt practices.

    “I have not received any bribe from anybody. My Lord is quite aware of my position as regards those who take bribe in the judiciary. I detest it and have no room for any adjustment. That is the truth.

    I urge my Lord and the National Judicial Council to disregard all the lies and media campaign orchestrated by those who felt I purposely refused to help them win their election appeals in the Supreme Court.

    “I am confident that God will vindicate me at the end of this ordeal. I take it as a temporary setback. I remain loyal to my oath of office and the need to be just and fair in handling matters before me,” Justice Okoro said.

     

  • Emmanuel dissolves Akwa Ibom Exco

    Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel has approved the dissolution of the State Executive Council (Exco) with immediate effect.

    A three-paragraph statement, titled: Dissolution of the State Executive Council, by the Secretary to State Government (SSG), Sir Etekamba Umoren, said the governor expressed his appreciation to the former Exco members for their contributions to the development of the state and wished them success in their future endeavours.

    The statement reads: “His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel …has approved the dissolution of the State Executive Council with immediate effect.

    “The governor expresses his deep and profound appreciation for the contributions of the Exco members to the development of the state and wishes them success in their future endeavours.

    “Permanent secretaries in the ministries are to take over the running of the ministries pending the reconstitution of a new Executive Council.”

  • 12 ‘criminals’ held in Akwa Ibom

    12 ‘criminals’ held in Akwa Ibom

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has vowed to rid the state of criminals during the ‘ember months’.

    It warned that no criminality would be condoned.

    Police Commissioner Mr. Murtala Mani, who spoke yesterday while parading 12 suspected criminals arrested for alleged kidnapping, robbery, theft, rape and cultism, said his men and officers would make the state unbearable for hoodlums.

    Mani, through spokesperson Cordelia Nwawe, said two young men, who specialised in removing solar energy batteries in the streets, had been arrested.

    He said a man, who sold his friend’s vehicle to someone in Benue State, was nabbed with the buyer.

    The police boss said a young man, Ibanga Solomon, from Ini Local Government, alleged to have threatened to kidnap Commissioner for Women Affairs Dr. Glory Edet was arrested.

    He said two persons allegedly involved in the kidnap of a hotel owner in Abak council were among those paraded.

    According to him, one of those linked to the abduction of the hotel owner was traced to Rivers State and arrested when he was about to withdraw the ransom paid into his account.

    Mani cautioned criminals to stay away from the state, saying security operatives would be proactive in the discharge of their duties.

    He urged the public to give the police information on the movement of criminals, saying their identities would be protected.

    One of the suspects, Elijah Fidelis, 23, from Ukanafun, accused of kidnapping the hotel owner, denied committing the crime.

    Another person linked to the kidnap, Micah Fidelis, 29, a driver living in Rivers State and a brother to Elijah, denied involvement in the incident.

     

  • Akwa Ibom A-G: It’s wrong to label judiciary as corrupt

    Akwa Ibom A-G: It’s wrong to label judiciary as corrupt

    Akwa Ibom State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, has faulted the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) chairman Ibrahim Magu for his comments on the judiciary and the legal profession.

    Speaking during the the state’s new legal year programme, Nwoko said it was wrong to lay all the blame for delays in prosecution of corruption cases on the judiciary.

    He said: “The Bar and the Bench have fallen heavily under the evil of attacks by all and sundry in our polity.

    “They have been considered as constituting clogs and fetters in the wheels of progress of the country, particularly now that the country is said to be focused on fighting corruption.’’

    Nwoko referred to the comments by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 31 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the judiciary was one of his “main headaches” in the  fight against corruption.

    Nwoko also referred to a statement made by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is “populated by rogues and vultures”.

    Uwujaren was reacting Mahmoud’s call that the EFCC be stripped of its prosecutorial powers.

    Nwoko said: “The danger inherent in this sad comment about the judiciary as held out to the international community by the Nigerian president is that the judiciary is a promoter of corruption.”

    Nwoko said the judiciary, which plays a critical role in a democracy, should not be entirely cast in bad light.

    “Where the arm of government that traditionally stabilises the polity is held out to be corrupt, what then is the image of the country in the entire world?”

    Nwoko urged the legal profession “not to be deterred from making proposals for the good governance of the country regardless of how such proposals would be viewed”.

    He charged lawyers “to champion the course of good governance and progress in our country irrespective of the extent of attack that may be unleashed on the Bar”.

  • Akwa Ibom A-G: It’s wrong to label judiciary as corrupt

    Akwa Ibom A-G: It’s wrong to label judiciary as corrupt

    Akwa Ibom State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Uwemedimo Nwoko, has faulted the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) chairman Ibrahim Magu for his comments on the judiciary and the legal profession.

    Speaking during the the state’s new legal year programme, Nwoko said it was wrong to lay all the blame for delays in prosecution of corruption cases on the judiciary.

    He said: “The Bar and the Bench have fallen heavily under the evil of attacks by all and sundry in our polity.

    “They have been considered as constituting clogs and fetters in the wheels of progress of the country, particularly now that the country is said to be focused on fighting corruption.’’

    Nwoko referred to the comments by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 31 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the judiciary was one of his “main headaches” in the  fight against corruption.

    Nwoko also referred to a statement made by the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is “populated by rogues and vultures”.

    Uwujaren was reacting Mahmoud’s call that the EFCC be stripped of its prosecutorial powers.

    Nwoko said: “The danger inherent in this sad comment about the judiciary as held out to the international community by the Nigerian president is that the judiciary is a promoter of corruption.”

    Nwoko said the judiciary, which plays a critical role in a democracy, should not be entirely cast in bad light.

    “Where the arm of government that traditionally stabilises the polity is held out to be corrupt, what then is the image of the country in the entire world?”

    Nwoko urged the legal profession “not to be deterred from making proposals for the good governance of the country regardless of how such proposals would be viewed”.

    He charged lawyers “to champion the course of good governance and progress in our country irrespective of the extent of attack that may be unleashed on the Bar”.

  • Akwa Ibom to open up rural areas for growth

    Akwa Ibom State has said it will open up rural areas through road building, grading and maintenance after the rainy season.

    Commissioner for Rural Development Mr. Ekong Sampson, in an interview with reporters in Uyo, said the plan  would boost and harness the potential of local communities toward achieving sustainable socio-economic growth.

    He said the Rural Development Master Plan prepared by his ministry identified over 411 rural roads for intervention.

    Sampson lamented that heavy rains had rendered rural roads impassable.

    He said the government would embark on a palliative campaign of grading rural roads to make them usable, pending construction.

    The commissioner described Governor Udom Emmanuel’s approach to infrastructure development as “strategic and well-integrated.”

    His words: “The government is doing well in road construction and rehabilitation. We intend to create access to the remotest parts of the state.”

    Sampson enjoined the communities to partner the government in the maintenance of rural roads.

  • Akwa Ibom decries tax evaders’ N30b debt

    The Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Justice, Mr Uwemedimo Nwoko, has said the state government is owed over N30 billion in taxes.

    Nwoko spoke at the opening of the 2016/2017 legal year in the state.

    The commissioner said the statutory allocation from the Federal Account could not sustain the state, adding that tax evaders had rendered the state financially incapacitated.

    He said: “I hereby call on all tax evaders to urgently retrace their steps and ensure payment of taxes and revenue to Akwa Ibom State.

    “As a matter of financial responsibility, the government of Akwa Ibom State will treat all tax evaders as saboteurs of government.”

    Nwoko urged the Judiciary to ensure speedy determination of suits affecting revenue generation.

    The commissioner said cases of revenue accruing to the state should not be lost on technicality grounds.

    He noted that taxes were sources of revenue that helped government to discharge its responsibilities.

    According to him, companies doing business in the state should be made to pay their taxes promptly.

    Nwoko said: “I, therefore, urge all tax payers to toe the path of responsibility and without further delay, pay all taxes and revenue as at when due.

    “I will particularly pray my colleagues to advise their clients appropriately in matters of taxation.”

    The commissioner said the state government had formed a Specialised Tax Unit, headed by him, with the intention to address legal concerns of the state’s Internal Revenue Service.

    Nwoko appealed to workers, especially members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), to be patient with the government.

    He said: “I am equally aware that the Judiciary is affected by the scarcity in resources and that the government is not unmindful of its plight.”

    The commissioner assured that the state government would ameliorate the suffering of the workers and other residents under the current recession.

    The Chairman of Uyo branch of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Aniekan Akpan, urged the government to provide financial entitlements owed the Judiciary.

    Akpan, who spoke on behalf of Eket and Ikot Ekpene chapters of NBA, advised the state government to prevent any strike by Judiciary workers this legal year.

    The lawyer said 116 lawyers working for the state government had not taken possession of the vehicles approved for them.

    He called for the amendment of the Customary Court laws to reflect the new status where lawyers are made the presidents of those courts.

     

  • 15 escape death as truck hit power cable in Aba

    No fewer than 15 persons, on Monday, escaped death at Opobo junction, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia state when a truck rammed into an overhead power line and crashed 3 poles which injured two tricycle riders and their passengers.

    The heavy duty truck with Registration number, Anambra, KD 869 GDD, was headed to Akwa Ibom state when it hit the overhead power line which led to heavy explosion and fire at the overhead cable crisscrossing the area. In the confusion, two tricycles were damaged while a driver, some passengers and passersby were severely injured by the crashed electric poles.

    The situation caused panic in the area as shop owners and motorists, some of who abandoned their vehicles, scampered to safety while others tried to rescue the injured persons.

    When The Nation visited the area, there was heavy traffic jam while people clustered in groups discussing the situation, even as some of the power cables lay on the road and top of the truck.

    A shop owner in the area who gave her name as Amara, said, “I was inside my shop when I heard a loud explosion. The truck while passing through the junction hit the overhead electric cable, there was fire and the poles were falling and people were running away. The electric pole hit this tricycle and injured the driver and passengers, Opobo junction is a very busy place. As at the time this incident happened, there was electric supply, there were not less than 100 people within this area including vehicles, but we thank God that no life was lost.

    “On several occasions, I have truck drivers and their conductors using wooden planks to raise the power cables before they pass through this junction. The authorities should act fast to raise the height of the cables to save lives and property.”

    Contacted on telephone, spokesman of the Abia State Police Command, Mr. Ogbonnaya Nta, who confirmed the incident, said the matter is being handled by the Ogbor Hill Police Division while the injured have been taken to the hospital.

  • ‘We’ll cripple every federal infrastructure that yields revenue’

    ‘We’ll cripple every federal infrastructure that yields revenue’

    • Okays bombing of Bonny crude oil export line by the Avengers

    Niger Delta Volunteers on Tuesday promised to cripple every infrastructure that yields revenue to the Federal Government.

    The group in a statement signed by its spokesman, Commander Ekpo Ekpo in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, also described the bombing of the Bonny  crude oil export line as a child’s play, saying its scope destruction would no longer be limited to oil facilities alone.

    “We shall complement and supplement every move of the Niger Delta Avengers to ensure that our freedom from this Zoo is realized. We shall not spare any infrastructure that adds value to the activities of the Buhari led Federal Government.

    “We in the Niger Delta Volunteers are not surprised at the current shenanigans of the Federal Government through the office of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi.

    “It is now obvious that the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari has converted the commitment to peace and dialogue by the Elders, Royal fathers and Chiefs under the auspices of Chief Edwin Clark, and King Alfred Diete Spiff the Amayanabo town Brass to a circus.

    “In one breath, the Presidency is issuing a statement at a committee meeting under S.A. on Political Affairs in the Vice President’s office and in another, the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, convening a meeting in Transcorp. Where does this circus place Ibe Kachikwu’s effort at bringing out notable Elders to commit themselves.

    “No wonder the Spokesperson of our big brother, the Avengers, General Muduch Agbinibo refers it to, “a shameful scene in Nollywood acts,” the group said.

    The group, however, warned all oil companies operating offshore and onshore to vacate, promising that its actions would likely create collateral damage to human life that may be in such facility.

    The militants also insisted that restructuring must be on the front burner of any peace and dialogue between the Federal Government and the people of the South South region.

    The statement reads: “This warning also goes to those in any infrastructure or facility outside oil that have economic value. To be forearmed is to be forewarned. President Buhari should strongly consider the withdrawal of Soldiers from the territory as their presence is a further escalation of stealing of crude oil.

    “Finally, the only way forward to resolve the Niger Delta issue is to restructure the country and that is the only acceptable bases for cessation of hostilities. Restructuring must be on the front burner. The South South is a block of contiguous ethnic Nationalities and will move as a block in the expected restructured Nigeria with powers to abdicate on political and economic issues affecting the block.”