The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) today announced a seven-member committee to represent it in dialogue with the federal government.
In an unsigned statement, the group named the members as follows:
1. CHF. (DR) ORJI UZOR KALU
2. PROF. STEVEN ODI-OWEI
3. ETIBOM (DR) ANTHONY A. ANI
4. MR. NALAGUO CHRIS ALAGOA
5. CHF. (MRS) ALICE MOBOLAJI OSOMO
6. PROF. WOLE SOYINKA (ADVISER)
7. MR. ANIENIMI BALLANTYNE AGIRI
“We trust and believe in the quality and pedegree of members of this committee,” the statement said, explaining the group had mandated its contact, Mr. Ballantyne Agirias, to constitute the seven-man team, and that the nominations were approved by the Supreme Consultative Council (SCC) of the eastern central division of the NDA
“We believe this committee shall accommodate [inputs] from personalities of oil producing communities within the region as well as outside the shores of this Nation,” it said. “The Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka who is from the South West is also a member of the approved team as advisor. He had met with briefly with President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on the proposed dialogue weeks ago and had since been consistent in the media.”
The group expressed the hope that given the agenda for discussion, lasting peace and tranquility will return “if the people and government of Nigeria will be sincere, considerate with the spirit of love and justice to the people of the region that have sacrificed and given all for the past sixty (60) years to keep Nigeria alive and united.”
Text of the statement:
THE AVENGERS OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN NIGER DELTA AVENGERS SPEAKS
28th August 2016
On behalf of the Niger delta Avengers of the Central and Eastern Zones in the Niger Delta States, greets the good people of the Niger Deltans, Biafra, Nigeria and the entire world. The journey so far has been enormous, herculean, demanding and pane staking, yet we have remained resolute with reasoning and vision.
We promise our people of Niger Delta that with God Almighty on our side, we shall never let the Ijaw people down. We are only fighting against the demonic powers of oppression, slavery, injustice, extra-judicial killings, total neglect and impoverishment of oil rich region. How be it , over two months ago we partially and now have heed the clarion called to a total cease fire to dialogue on peace and development with government. We Avengers of the Central Eastern Zones comprising of Bayelsa, Rivers, Ikwa-Ibom, Cross River and Splinter from other states making up about 75% of the total fighting force reached out to and mandated Mr. Ballantyne Agirias our contact to constitute the seven men dialogue team with federal government which done and approved by the Supreme Consultative Council (SCC) of the eastern central division of the Niger Delta Avengers.
We trust and believe in the quality and pedegree of members of this committee. We believe this committee shall accommodate imputs from personalities of oil producing communities within the region as well as outside the shores of this Nation. The Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka who is from the South West is also a member of the approved team as advisor. He had met with briefly with President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on the proposed dialogue weeks ago and had since been consistent in the media.
We truly and sincerely hope that with the agenda for discussion, lasting peace and tranquility will return if the people and government of Nigeria will be sincere, considerate with the spirit of love and justice to the people of the region that have sacrificed and given all for the past sixty (60) years to keep Nigeria alive and united.
Dialogue committee members are:
1. CHF. (DR) ORJI UZOR KALU
2. PROF. STEVEN ODI-OWEI
3. ETIBOM (DR) ANTHONY A. ANI
4. MR. NALAGUO CHRIS ALAGOA
5. CHF. (MRS) ALICE MOBOLAJI OSOMO
6. PROF. WOLE SOYINKA (ADVISER)
7. MR. ANIENIMI BALLANTYNE AGIRI