By Emma Amaize
WARRI- THE Okah brothers, Henry and
Charles, both leaders of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta,
MEND, undergoing trials in South Africa and Nigerian courts respectively, have
vowed to institute legal actions against former President Goodluck Jonathan in
the two countries over his purported scornful and damaging statements regarding
them.
Spokesperson of the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Jomo Gbomo, disclosed this in an online
statement while reacting to Jonathan’s response to the accusation by the
Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, that he (Jonathan) was the grand patron of
Niger Delta Avengers, NDA
MEND asserted:
“A substantial portion of Mr. Jonathan’s
statement unfortunately dwelt on judicial matters, which are pending in various
courts in Nigeria and South Africa. For instance, Mr. Henry Okah’s appeal in
South Africa’s Constitutional Court is due for hearing this August; while his
brother, Charles’ ongoing trial in Nigeria is pending before Hon. Justice
Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court in Abuja.” “The former President’s
statement was, therefore, contemptuous and prejudicial to the success of the
ongoing trials of Henry and Charles Okah in South African and Nigerian courts,
respectively. Consequently, both brothers shall, because of the former
President’s prejudicial statement, institute legal action against him in South
Africa and Nigeria within 60 days, commencing from today, August 8, 2016.
“Accordingly, they have briefed their respective solicitors to formally engage
the former President in litigation,” Jomo Gbomo stated. Commenting on
Jonathan’s attempt to dissociate himself from the RNDA allegation, MEND said:
“With all due respect, the entire statement was deeply provocative and
embarrassingly misconceived as it woefully failed to address the core issue of
whether or not the former President was, indeed, the grand patron of NDA.”
“Rather, the statement employed diversionary tactics which dwelt extensively on
sour grapes! Any follower of events in Nigeria and the Niger Delta privileged
to read the statement released by Mr. Jonathan, would immediately observe that
the former President had a score to settle with the Okah brothers as well as
MEND, which have since May 30, 2014 stopped attacks on Nigeria’s oil and gas
assets. “And are currently engaged in dialogue with the Federal Government to
find sustainable ways and means of ending the festering Niger Delta crises,
which was exacerbated by the former President’s ineptitude, incompetence and
corruption during the six (6) years he governed the country, “ it added. The
group noted: “Indeed, the problem in the Niger Delta today has nothing to do
with the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Far from it, the
problem is simply the failure of Mr. Jonathan to address the root issues
confronting the region when he was at the helm.
“ “Even though he was from the
impoverished region and had by his own admission in numerous electioneering
campaigns, experienced the utter poverty and abject neglect of the region
foisted by successive Nigerian Governments and the International Oil Companies
since the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri (a few meters away from his
native Otuoke) in Bayelsa state. Mr. Jonathan disappointingly frittered away
the opportunity to rescue his people when the Nigerian Presidency fortuitously
landed on his laps virtually on a platter of gold. “For six whole years, Mr.
Jonathan was busy drinking, making merry and generally chasing shadows at the
State House. Such a fellow deserves to be ostracized from the assembly of
reasonable men because the Nigerian Presidency might never come back to the
region as cheap as it came to Mr. Jonathan; perhaps in the next 100 years,” the
group stated. It said: “Lest we forget, MEND was at the forefront of the armed
struggle back in 2006/2007, which forced President Olusegun Obasanjo to
consider the option of drafting an Ijaw man into the mainstream of Nigerian
politics. That was how the perpetually timid and naïve Goodluck Jonathan became
Vice President and later, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” “When
he assumed therein as President, he did the unthinkable; he tracked down
perceived MEND leaders and promptly got them imprisoned on a trumped-up charge
of attempt to assassinate him. Up until today, Mr. Jonathan is still suffering
from an Assassination Paranoia Complex (APC). “Back to the core issue, MEND
cannot hold brief for the RNDA, which pointedly accused the former President of
complicity in fuelling the ongoing Niger Delta crisis and patronizing the NDA,
apparently for political reasons. We are, however, quick to point out the fact
that the RNDA has merely vindicated MEND’s belief and conviction that the
former President and his cronies, who lost the 2015 Presidential election were
using the NDA platform to destabilize President Buhari’s government,” the
repentant militant group asserted. It reiterated that MEND was committed to
working with the current administration to bring peace, stability and
development to the Niger Delta region and the process had since commenced with
the constitution of the Federal Government/MEND Aaron Team 2 Dialogue, Peace
and Development Initiative. “Between August 22, 2016 and October 07, 2016, the
Aaron Team shall embark on a tour of the Niger Delta region. The proposed tour
is code-named “Operation Moses” and the key focus of the tour is to persuade
militants to ceasefire and support President Muhammadu Buhari in his determined
and sincere effort to develop the region. “The tour shall also help to boost
Nigeria’s oil production capacity as well as improve host community relations
with oil and gas companies in the country,” it added.
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