Militants in the Niger Delta say they would only participate in the proposed Niger Delta summit if the Federal Government promises to implement its outcome.

In an online statement issued yesterday under the aegis of the Joint Revolutionary Council and signed by its spokesman, Cynthia Whyte, they wondered why government had failed to act on recommendations like the Ogomudia report and others on how to end the crisis in the region.

The statement also hailed Governor Rotimi Amaechi for sending a strong signal to the nation that the plan to build LNGs in other parts of the country to pipe gas from the region would be frustrated just as they lauded the NDDC and the NBA for speaking up against obnoxious laws regulating the oil and gas industry.

It would be recalled that in a joint communiqué issued by the commission and the NBA they called for a review of these laws, noting also the need for ownership of oil resources to be situated in the host communities.

The statement from the militant body reads: "We wish to warn all groups in the Niger Delta especially organizations within the Ijaw ethnic framework to desist from hurrying into bed with the Nigerian state over the forthcoming summit on the Niger Delta.

"Any organisation that believes that it must partake in the summit must first seek and obtain a firm commitment that the deliberations obtained from the summit will be acted upon for the greater interest of our long suffering people. We have stomached enough jamborees which turned out to be exercises in futility."

Ijaw and Niger Delta organizations must demand that the government of the Nigerian state provide answers to why recommendations put forward by previous reports such as the Ogomudia Panel Report and others before it were not acted upon.

We demand explanations on why these reports were discarded and ignored even though a lot of money was spent to mobilize the panel to work and prepare its findings.

We demand that the Nigerian state and those who lord over it today must provide a Declaration of Intent that they will act decisively and speedily upon the recommendations and deliberations reached during the forthcoming Summit.

Representatives of our people must demand for these explanations before they participate in the summit. Any participation that is not driven by such explanations and clarifications will receive the wrath and condemnation of the Joint Revolutionary Council and its alliance groups.

We also wish to alert all Ijaw and Niger Delta organizations especially the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) of the existence of fifth columnist elites and so-called leaders who will do everything to sabotage the greater Ijaw and Niger Delta interest because of their own selfish, myopic and parochial ambitions. These people are our real enemies.

We wish to commend the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress and its Europe Wing for stating clearly position of all Ijaws including those in Diaspora.

We also wish to commend the Governor of the Bantustans of Rivers State for speaking up for the downtrodden people of the Niger Delta against the Olokola LNG project. It is condemnable that the Nigerian state and its imperialist collaborators can believe that we will allow them smuggle out our resources for their own betterment while they exploit our blood, our resources and heritage. They will fail.

We also wish to commend the Nigerian Bar Association and the Niger Delta Development Commission for putting up a joint communiquéé demanding that ownership of the resources of the Niger Delta be given to the communities and the land use act repealed.

It is our belief that if true and conscientious leaders and elites of the Niger Delta will continue to rise up and speak in the interest of their long suffering people, there would little need for an armed struggle against the dubious Nigerian state.

We have borne the pain for the sustenance of the entity called Nigeria for too long. We demand just recompense. Nowhere on God's Earth can this injustice be allowed for this long.

The struggle is unstoppable.

JTF tightens security in Ogoni

MORE soldiers have been deployed in some parts of Ogoni area of Rivers State. This is likely due to recent restiveness in these areas that resulted in the death of some persons.

At press time two armoured personnel carriers were reportedly stationed at the headquarters of Tai local government area. The spokesman of the Joint Task Force and Army PRO in the state, Lieutenant Col. Sagir Musa, could not be reached for comments immediately.

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that hoodlums on May Day invaded B Dere in Gokana local government area, killing about three persons. They reportedly came on motor bikes. There was also another reported fracas in Kira community within the same period that allegedly led to the death of some persons.

There were speculations that the rising cases of restiveness in the area would not be unconnected with the killing of a youth leader in the area whose name was simply given as Babah.

"His supporters are now on what one can call a vengeance mission," a community source said.

Source: Vanguard (Nigera)