Niger Delta Avengers appoints 7-man committee to dialogue with Buhari

– The Niger Delta Avengers has indicated its willingness to dialogue with the federal government

– The militants listed a seven-man committee to negotiate with President Buhari

– It expressed optimism in the return of peace to the region

The Niger Delta Avengers has released a seven-man committee to dialogue with the federal government.

Shortly after the group announced a cease-fire, it appointed Chief Edwin Clark to serve as spokesperson of the group in negotiating with the federal government.

A report during the weekend indicated that Professor Wole Soyinka was listed as a member of the negotiation team although the militants in a statement on their website denied the claim.

READ ALSO: President Buhari vows to deal with Niger Delta militants

However, a statement published on Sahara Reporters listed seven persons as members of the team appointed by the militants to negotiate with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Read full statement below:

On behalf of the Niger delta Avengers of the Central and Eastern  Zones in the Niger  Delta States, greets the good people of the Niger Deltans, Biafra, Nigeria and the entire world. The journey so far has been enormous, herculean, demanding and pane staking, yet we have remained resolute with reasoning and vision.

File photo of militants

We promise our people of Niger Delta that with God Almighty on our side, we shall never let the Ijaw people down. We are only fighting against the demonic powers of oppression, slavery, injustice, extra-judicial killings, total neglect and impoverishment of   oil rich region. How be it , over two months ago we partially and now have heed the clarion  called to a total cease fire to dialogue on peace and development with government. We Avengers of the Central Eastern Zones comprising of Bayelsa, Rivers, Ikwa-Ibom, Cross River and Splinter from other states making up about 75% of the total fighting force reached out to and mandated Mr. Ballantyne Agirias our contact to constitute the seven men dialogue team with federal government which done and approved by the Supreme Consultative Council  (SCC) of the eastern central division of the Niger Delta Avengers.

Professor Wole Soyinka and President Muhammadu Buhari

We trust and believe in the quality and pedegree of  members of this committee. We believe this committee shall accommodate imputs from  personalities of oil producing communities within the region as well as outside the shores of this Nation. The Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka who is from the South West is also a member of the approved team as advisor. He had met with briefly with  President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on the proposed dialogue weeks ago and had since been consistent in the media.

READ ALSO: Nwabueze blames Buhari for militants, pro-Biafra activities

We truly and sincerely hope that with the agenda for discussion, lasting peace and tranquility will return if the people and government of Nigeria will be sincere, considerate with the spirit of love  and justice to the people of the  region that have sacrificed and given all for the past sixty (60) years to keep Nigeria alive and united.           

Dialogue committee members are:

1 Chf. (Dr) Orji Uzor Kalu

2 Prof. Steven Odi-Owei

3 Etibom (Dr) Anthony A. Ani 

4 Mr. Nalaguo Chris  Alagoa

5 Chf. (Mrs) Alice Mobolaji Osomo 

6 Prof. Wole  Soyinka (Adviser)

7 Mr. Anienimi  Ballantyne  Agiri1

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