Don’t Reopen TFP, Militants Warn FG, Shell …Says Oct 29 Parley, A Facade

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), has warned the Federal Government and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) against reopening the Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP) shut-in since February, 2016, following alleged attacks on the strategic national asset.
The militant group, which gave the warning in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Aldo Agbalaja, and made available to The Tide at the weekend, said: “We do not have much to say to the oil companies than to just dare you to reopen the Trans Forcados Pipeline (TFP). We are aware you are experts at testing wills, especially as you believe that you have a military shield. Please go ahead and restart the facility, and see what will happen.”
The group said, “We are not deterred from meting out justice to the abusers and pillagers of our people and our natural assets; we shall execute this ongoing campaign until last vestiges of our enemies, including the conniving oil and gas companies and their criminal partners, the military, have been vanquished and evacuated from our land. This can only be halted if these leeches listen to the voice of reason, and seek to do the needful for our people and do so by taking the right steps.”
The Tide reports that the Trans Forcados Pipeline conveys most of the Nigerian crude oil from the Western Operations of SPDC, and some other firms, including Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), to the Forcados Crude Export Terminal, near Warri, Delta State.
It was learnt that the shutting down of the facility for months, has greatly affected Nigeria’s ability to meet its crude export obligations to buyers in the international markets, thereby further forcing a huge depletion in national revenue to meet 2016 budget targets.
The group also warned the Federal Government against negotiating with questionable characters on behalf of the Niger Delta people, saying “We are 100 per cent against the October 29th meeting, we consider it an impersonation of the people of the Niger Delta and their interest.”
The militants emphasised that, “If the Federal Government wants to meet with the people of the region, it cannot be through an organ put together by persons of doubtful character and definitely not those associated with the causes of our long history of neglect and impoverishment, the different peoples of the region can raise young, sincere grassroots persons, who have been known among them to be free of today’s Nigerian corruption scandals.
“The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has nothing against the people of the region reaching an agreement with the Federal Government, what we find offensive is the entity that is about to, as it has done in the past, steal the identity of our people to hoodwink government,” it noted.
According to the group, “By the time an agreement is reached with this so-called Pan-Niger Delta Dialogue Team, Chief E.K Clark’s new conduit, the current disaffection in the region will remain because the old man has his model of doing things, which ultimately sidelines the people of the region, to satisfy the greed of a few.”
The group promised to “release the names of credible grassroots leaders and traditional rulers who shall be representing the upland region in any form of negotiation/dialogue with the president Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.”

Chinenye  Nwabueze