Three militant groups, the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (NDRC), the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) and the Pan Niger Delta People’s Congress (PNDPC) have disagreed over the leadership of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).
Specifically, NDRC rejected calls by RNDA and PNDPC for the former Federal Commissioner for Information and Convener of PANDEF, Chief Edwin Clark, to step aside as leader of the oil-rich region.
Rejecting the demand in a statement by the spokesperson, W O I Izon-Ebi, the NDRC maintained that PANDEF and Clark remained the mouthpiece of the region, and advised the Federal Government to “keep to its own side of the bargain by giving specific timeline on the implementation of the various agreements reached with the region.”
NDRC also called on the Niger Delta Avengers to break its silence on the feud between PANDEF and PNDPC, “because its prolonged silence is seen as tacit support for the blacklegs and traitors in the region.”
Its words: “These so called traitors of the Niger Delta are calling for Pa. E.K. Clark to step aside because of his age. We want them to understand that the contributions of Pa. E.K. Clark towards the development of the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta as a whole predate the six- year reign of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and the formation of PANDEF.
“Their claim that Pa. E.K. Clark was Goodluck’s godfather is hogwash, it has no basis and it is not in tandem with the demand for resource control, justice and equity that the Niger Delta people are clamouring for. Rather, it is a distraction employed to thwart the collective aspiration of the Niger Delta region and its people.
“The fatherly and elderly statesman role of Pa. E.K. Clark cannot and would not be sacrificed on the pecuniary altar of the blacklegs.
“The question is: What does Pa E.K. Clark want at his age? It is time Niger Deltans put on their thinking caps and reason.
“If Pa E.K. Clark can be accepted by other stakeholders of the Niger Delta, irrespective of tribe, cutting across the six Niger Delta states, including the state governors and government of the Niger Delta states, distinguished personalities like Obong Victor Attah, A.K. Horsfall, Alabo Graham Douglas, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, Ambassador Godknows Igali, Timi Alaibe, among others, then, the antics of the Coordinator of PNDPC, Chief Mike Loyibo should be called to question,” the group said.
“We wonder if Loyibo has the pedigree and capacity to lead these prominent and distinguished personalities of the Niger Delta,” it added.
The group said: “The Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, the 21st century youths of the Niger Delta and affiliate agitators have observed with dismay that after the successful meeting between PANDEF and the Federal Government on the 3rd of August, 2017, that there has been covert and overt measures to stall the progress of the talks, putting the ceasefire and détente declared by the NDRC and its affiliate organizations into jeopardy.
“The Federal Government and PANDEF agreed and adopted PANDEF’s 16-point agenda and also presented a 20-point agenda and other palliatives to cushion the effects of oil exploration, unemployment, poor infrastructures and other issues plaguing the Niger Delta region and its people under the Pa E.K. Clark -led PANDEF.
“The Federal Government at the behest of Prof. Yemi Osibanjo equally told us that they have adopted PANDEF’s 16-point agenda for the Niger Delta.
“Therefore, the traitors of PNDPC and quest of Chief Mike Loyibo to hijack the mandate of PANDEF would surely end in futility. The divide and rule technique, that has been used on the Niger Delta and its people for ages would not work this time around,” it also said.
The group said, “We want to use this medium to warn the Federal Government that the existing peace and détente was predicated on the agreement between it and us. We demand that the Federal Government keeps to its own side of the bargain by giving us a specific timeline of the implementation of the various agreements.
“Also we want to tell the government and in particular the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Bri-Gen Paul Boroh (rtd), that the amnesty and pipeline surveillance contracts cannot stop the bombing of pipelines, but only justice, equity and the agreement reached with PANDEF on the 3rd of August, 2017 can guarantee the safety of the pipelines and other oil infrastructures,” the group added.
NDRC accentuated: “The Niger Delta youth are tired of watching over pipelines, while the proceeds of the oil are used to develop other regions. We equivocally reject the pipeline surveillance and amnesty being proposed by Paul Boroh through the back door.
“We are urging all Niger Deltans to come out en mass to demand for peaceful coexistence, a stop to nepotism in appointments, justice, equity and demand for the immediate implementation of the agreement reached with PANDEF on the 3rd of August, 2017.
“We equally use this opportunity to urge NDA to make a statement because their prolonged silence is seen as tacit support for the blacklegs and traitors in the region.
“Before the ceasefire, oil production was at its lowest of 800barrels per day, but for the quick intervention of PANDEF, it has risen to 2.2million barrels per day and this has helped to boost the revenue of the Federal Government toward getting us out of recession,” the group stated.
It declared: “If all these sacrifices and understanding of all agitators is being taken for cowardice, God forbid, the time would come for zero barrel of oil production until all agreements are  rectified, starting from the 1958 Willinks Commission  Report on the minority till date.”