Niger Delta cautions president

Victor Emeruwa, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria

The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) has called on the Federal Government to end the military option for resolving the lingering oil conflicts in the Niger delta. The group in a statement advised the government to explore dialogue instead of allowing the military onslaught.

Goodluck Diigbo, President of MOSOP said the outfit would, however, “endorse the move (amnesty) in a post-conflict climate, not in an ongoing bloody conflict. At this stage, it is not only palliative and dangerous but presumptuous and ill-fated.”

The group said “offer of amnesty to the so-called militants by the federal government is clearly not the means to a permanent solution to the bloody conflict in Nigeria, although the principle behind the amnesty is technically right”.

“It might simply convey a point that President Umaru Musa YarAdua’s administration is bent on military solution. It is like the president is saying accept amnesty or face the music, thus ignoring frank and transparent dialogue required by the impracticable approach and short sighted conflict in our democracy. MOSOP is of the view that the government’s current action might be construed as “government merely displaying great and unprecedented domestic military power at the expense of democratic dialogue.”

“Military solution could dress the wound but not heal the sore. The government may have to review this military approach. We will not support any military exercise that appears to portray our democracy as a dictatorship”, MOSOP said.