UGHELLI— CONVENER of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF and Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, constitute a team to engage in talks with stakeholders in the Niger Delta before August 1, adding that youths of the region were becoming impatient over the delay in the talks.
This came as Niger Delta activist, Ann-Kio Briggs said that there was no ongoing talks between the Federal Government and any representative of the region. Speaking to Vanguard yesterday, Chief Clark who expressed fears that youths from the region were fast losing confidence in them (elders), disclosed that he has been receiving series of telephone calls over the delay in talks with the Federal Government, adding that since the November 1, 2016 meeting, PANDEF has not met with the Federal Government. Frowning at the pace of activities at the Maritime University, Okerekoko, Delta State, which is supposed to commence academic activities this year according to acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Clark said: “They said the school will resume this year, July is almost ending, when will the staff be employed, what is the situation?
“So, between now and August 1, we are asking Mr. President to name a team and we will name our team because the boys are impatient and they have been disturbing me with telephone messages and some of them have even issued notices to disown us. “We cannot be in a situation where the Federal Government is not listening to us, our boys will soon lose confidence in us and we cannot carry on with that situation. So we are asking the acting president to open discussion with us.”
On her part, asked if the attacks on security operatives in the region are connected to the delayed talks, Ann-Kio Briggs said: “There are no delayed talks as there are no talks going on. “What attacks can affect peace talks? The only war in the region is the war of environmental genocide, neglect and the war of political, economic and developmental injustice of over 50years that the Nigeria government, IOCs and the non Niger Delta oil well owners have waged against our people, land, and rights.”
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