The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, an armed group that engaged the Nigerian government in the past, has broken its silence and has condemned the recent spate of attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region.
In
a statement Sunday signed by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said it had
carried out “rigorous and robust analysis, debate and review of political
events in Nigeria within the past 12 months; particularly as they affect the
Niger Delta region” and resolved to continue to respect the ceasefire declared
May 30, 2014 against key economic interests of the Nigerian State.
The
group said the “painful but necessary resolution” to respect the ceasefire was
borne out of its belief that as President Muhammadu Buhari marks his first year
in office, he deserves more time to stabilize the country that, it was “run
aground by the ill-fated, corrupt and visionless immediate past administration
of former President Goodluck Jonathan which pauperized the Nigerian people to
the alarming degree we all experience today”.
“The
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) wishes to condemn and dissociate
itself from the recent activities carried out by a group known as the ‘Niger
Delta Avengers,” the group said.
“Their
sudden emergence has absolutely nothing to do with the Niger Delta struggle but
rather a tool by certain elements to destabilise the current government,” MEND
said.
It
said going by the group’s actions and subsequent statements, it was apparent
who the sponsors of the recent attackers were.
MEND
also said the Niger Delta region shall not be part of a secessionist Biafran
State.
“Rather,
the group believes in one strong united Nigerian federation where the
principles and ideals of Resource Control; True Federalism; Rule of Law/Respect
for Human Rights; Democracy; Free Enterprise and a Vibrant Civil Society are
well entrenched in the grundnorm and put to practice,”it said
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