PANDEF restless, moves to douse tension from militants’ quit notice to Northerners, Yoruba

Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Forum, an umbrella body of Niger Delta leaders has described as irresponsible the October 1 quit notice to northerners and Yoruba people living in the oil region by a militant group.

Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators, a militant group recently ordered all northerners and Yoruba indigenes living in Niger Delta to vacate the region on or before October 1, 2017. It had also vowed it would resume attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta region.

But PANDEF condemned the action of the militant group in a statement it released on Sunday through the it Coordinating Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mulade.

“PANDEF, therefore, wishes to advise all law abiding persons from any section of the country, irrespective of tribe, creed or political affiliation, to remain calm, and go about their lawful endeavours, without fear of molestation, as everything is being done to ensure their safety and protection.

“This call, coming at a time when PANDEF leadership and stakeholders had a very useful meeting with Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Niger Delta, a few days earlier, is certainly not an attractive venture. Indeed, this group should know that there is no basis for this kind of action; it is most irresponsible and should be discountenanced.

Read also: #QUITNOTICE: Why we can’t arrest Arewa youths –FG

“PANDEF, therefore, urges all our compatriots in the Niger Delta Region, particularly the youths to remain calm, patient and patriotic, as we re-double our efforts towards the peaceful resolution of the challenges in the region, including the restructuring of the country along the lines of Fiscal Federalism,” part of the statement read.

PANDEF in the statement hinted that a meeting between it and relevant stakeholders would hold in the next few days to deliberate on the various concessions it reached with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo during their recent Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting on the commitment of the Federal Government to dialogue with the leaders of the region.

Among other issues the group will discuss are the “immediate take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko; relocation of head and operational bases of Oil companies to their areas of operation in the Niger Delta region; inclusion of PANDEF in Inter-Ministerial Committee on Niger Delta; establishment of modular refineries in the region; improved funding of intervention agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Presidential Amnesty Programme,” the statement said.

 

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