‘FG not serious about negotiation with Avengers’

Forum 7 years ago

‘FG not serious about negotiation with Avengers’

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, has expressed concern that the Federal Government has yet to show seriousness in its proposed negotiation with the Niger Delta Avengers and stakeholders in the region.

The President, IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who made this known in an interview in Yenagoa, said the process of the dialogue was not well streamlined as aides of President Muhammadu Buhari were not speaking with one voice on it.

He said from the way the President’s aides were going about the dialogue, it portrayed the government as “very disorganised.”

He said, “The Federal Government is not sincere; it is not serious about the negotiation with militant groups and stakeholders in the Niger Delta region.

“Going down memory lane, former President Olusegun Obasanjo started coastal meetings during his time. Coastal meeting would not hold if Obasanjo was not there, the ex-President then took the bull by the horns, he was seated there, you could see all the governors he summoned to that place, all the stakeholders, youths were there. They took the dialogue seriously because Obasanjo showed commitment.

“But in the case of President Muhammadu Buhari, his body language is misinterpreted in various ways and his aides are singing different tunes. Because the President himself is not accessible, the National Security Adviser is doing its own, Defence is doing its own, Niger Delta Ministry is doing its own, among others. This is one of the most disorganised governments I have ever seen.”