Former leaders of militant groups in the Niger Delta have declared
former Vice-President , Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a persona non grata in
the region for what they described as spearheading the breakup of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and threatening to stop President
Goodluck Jonathan from enjoying a second term in office .
The
former warlords, drawn from all the states of the region, converged on
Yenagoa yesterday under the aegis of the Leadership, Peace and Cultural
Development Initiative to review current political developments in the
country.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt after the
meeting, president of the group, Gen. Reuben Wilson, said the former
vice-president declared himself an enemy of the Niger Delta the day he
led other members of the PDP to organise what he called a political coup
against Jonathan.
The group said it was rather unfortunate for Atiku, who it views as a
beneficiary
of the resources of the region, to work against Jonathan, who is from
the region and warned about its knowledge of the vast interests of the
former VP in the region.
According to Wilson, “it is unfortunate that Atiku who has benefitted so much from the Niger Delta oil is leading
dissidents in a political coup against the first southerner to ever ascend to the seat of president of Nigeria.
We
are aware of his vast business interest in the Niger Delta and we are
warning him in his own interest to stay off the region. He cannot be
enjoying our oil money and
at the same time using the same money to fight against the owners of the oil,’’ the group warned.
“What
we thought we would be hearing from the North was how the Federal
Government will implement the spirit and letters of the amnesty
programme. Before the former President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua died, he had
promised that as soon as we dropped our arms and allowed an unhindered
flow of oil from the creeks, we will be given a lifeline.
He had
promised that we would be empowered to live a new life from the
resources of our oil. We have been waiting patiently for this to happen.
Doubtless, our acceptance of peace benefited Atiku and his ilk. Why did
he not lead a campaign for the Federal Government to provide the
empowerment tools? Why has he found it convenient to distract the
President from rendering service to Nigerians?” The ex-militants asked.
They
said it was the same northerners that vowed that they would make the
country ungovernable for Jonathan. Adding that by splitting the PDP and
causing further tension in the polity, they are demonstrating the agenda
of giving Jonathan sleepless nights with the intention of painting him
in bad light to enable them take over power in 2015.
The former
warlords warned Atiku to tender a public apology to Jonathan within
seven days, while also warning the Governor of Rivers State, Mr Rotimi
Amaechi, to dissociate himself from the leader of the splinter group
within PDP or risk being treated as an enemy of the people of the
region.
“We dare say that they have misfired. What we expect
Atiku to do in the next seven days is for him to apologise to the
president for the public embarrassment. He has misled so many people,
including the Rivers State Governor, who has abandoned governance in his
state to follow the anti-Jonathan
apostles.
We
are also asking Amaechi to return to his senses and dissociate himself
from the northern agenda of destroying Jonathan, otherwise we will also
be compelled to declare him an enemy of the people.
“As we speak
now, there are no roads in Port Harcourt. Even the projects that were
started during his first term have since been abandoned. He promised the
people uninterrupted power supply and instead of fulfilling
the promises, he now spends more time playing politics of 2015,’’ the group stated.
The
group urged the Jonathan to remain focused and refuse to be distracted
by the antics of those who were fighting hard to distract him, adding
that the former militants were waiting patiently for the Federal
Government to fully implement the terms of the amnesty programme
The
end to the industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union
of Universities, ASUU, is not in sight as the union’s President, Dr. Isa
Fagge, has said that students don’t want lecturers to end the strike.
