MEND accuses FG of reneging on ceasefire terms
The Movement for the Emancipation of the
Niger Delta on Sunday lamented that the Federal Government had refused
to meet the ceasefire conditions the group reached with the government,
especially the release of the Okah brothers – Henry and Charles, who are
being tried for felony.
The group, however, said the Chief Edwin
Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Group, which is to meet with President
Muhammadu Buhari towards finding a lasting solution to the Niger Delta
crisis, enjoyed its blessings.
MEND, in a statement signed by its
spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said although they had kept their own side of the
bargain by reaching out to the various militant groups in the region
and prevailing on the militants to accept a ceasefire, the Federal
Government had not been meeting the terms reached before the ceasefire.

It urged the President Buhari-led
government to respect the agreement ahead of the October 31 meeting with
Niger Delta leaders at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
It said, “The Federal Government,
Nigerians and the international community would certainly agree that as
part of these concerted patriotic efforts by MEND within the preceding
six months of this year, relative peace has since returned to the Niger
Delta region. The country’s oil and gas production capacity has also
increased tremendously.
“However, in spite of MEND’s efforts,
the Federal Government has yet to keep to the terms of the agreement
reached with the group. Indeed, one of the key concessions secured by
MEND was that the Federal Government would release certain political
prisoners, including but not limited to the Okah brothers – Henry and
Charles.
“Nevertheless, with the news of the
forthcoming meeting between President Buhari and the Chief Clark-led Pan
Niger Delta Group, we are confident that the concessions already
secured by MEND shall be respected by the Federal Government.”
It called on the members of the Chief
Clark’s dialogue team to put aside personal interests and remain
steadfast towards bringing lasting peace and development to the oil-rich
region.
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