Just last week, a splinter group of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) issued a fresh threat to embark on a large-scale violent insurgency.  MEND, indeed, vowed to start a bombing campaign against mosques, hajj camps, Islamic institutions and their clerics in retaliation against wanton killing of Christians  in the Northern part of the country by suspected members of Boko Haram, a terrorist sect, whose activities and attacks had claimed thousands of lives and destroyed property.

MEND’s spokesman,  Jomo Gbomo via an email message said the campaign code-named “Operation Barbarossa” will commence on May 31, 2013, and warned that the onslaught would not be like any kind witnessed before Federal Government’s amnesty proclamation for Niger Delta militants in 2009.That it would indeed be mind-buggling.

The Tide, and  many other well-meaning Nigerians  are worried by the fresh threat of insurgency by MEND, particularly at this point in time when government had done reasonably well under the amnesty programme to assuage the feelings of Niger Deltans and militant groups in the region.

Certainly, the amnesty package may not have been as  comprehensive as expected  to cater for all splinter groups of MEND, but we believe that there are still rooms for dialogue for aggrieved persons not incorporated in the initial package.

As supposed, stakeholders in the Nigerian project, MEND’s threat of targeting religious places of worship or persons is most condemnable just as The Tide has repeatedly condemned and considered as unfathomable, criminal and vexatious in all ramifications the excesses of Boko Haram against Christians and churches.

Truth is, two wrongs cannot make a right, therefore, to target innocent Moslems and clerics who may be ignorant and innocent of Boko Haram’s atrocities may not necessarily be the solution to the security challenge occasioned by insurgency in parts of the North.

This is why The Tide joins other well-meaning Nigerians and  indeed the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to appeal to MEND to reconsider its position and allow the prevailing peace reign continually in the Niger Delta region. We say so because the very essence of the Niger Delta protest was for socio-economic integration, against systemic marginalization and crass denial of the  people’s right to manage their own God-given resources. It was also to protest against lack of political space. All these cannot be addressed in an atmosphere of rancour and violent unrest as being threatened.

However, if MEND has fresh grievances not accommodated by the initial amnesty arrangement, such reservations should be brought to the negotiating table and not to heat up the region which has enjoyed relative peace and development in the last few years.

We insist and very strongly too, that no matter the grievances over the excesses of Boko Haram in parts of the North, any counter-attack or threat against Moslems and their clerics in reprisal is ill-advsied, condemnable and may be counter-productive in the long run.

Certainly, Christians and Christianity abhor taking another person’s life.  It is not in the character of Christians to abuse the sanctity of human life which MEND’s threat tends to portray.

The Tide, and indeed, many others believe that renewed hostilities in the once volatile Niger Delta region could have far-reaching negative consequences on the lives and economy of the region, and jeopardise development efforts being  carried out by various states and local government areas in the region.

We hold strongly to the view that nothing gainful can be achieved in an atmosphere of war or terror as evidenced in the Northern part of the country  where Boko Haram’s insurgency had left untold hardship on innocent people and particularly paralysed the economy of the affected states.

MEND should and must toe the path of peace through dialogue and negotiation. That is the acceptable way forward.