Niger Delta Avengers Disowns Wole Soyinka

Nigeria: Militant from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, the Niger Delta Avengers has denied report that it selected Professor Wole Soyinka to head a dialogue team to negotiate with the federal government of Nigeria on its behalf.

The militant group had last week indicated that it was ready to dialogue with the federal government and had named Edwin Clark to head the negotiation.

New reports making the round recently said that Wole Soyinka had been appointed alongside Orji Uzor Kalu, Professor Steve Odi Owei Etibom, Dr Anthony A Ani, Nalaguo Chris Alagoa, Mrs. Alice Mobolaji Osomo and Inienimi Ballantyne Agiri to negotiate on behalf of the militant group.

But the group in a statement issued on its website on Saturday, August 27 denied the reports that it had appointed Soyinka or any of the people mentioned to negotiate for it.

The group also accused the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) for masterminding the fake list and insisted that it was ready to dialogue with the federal government if they shows genuine interest.

“The High Command of the Niger Delta Avengers are bothered again on the insensitivity to the genuine plight of the Niger Delta agitation by every successive government of Nigeria and the present handlers of the APC government.

“We are amazed that Prof. Wole Soyinka, has been taken on the jugular by enemies of the Niger Delta because of his belief that the government of the day should understand the need to restructuring and listen to the Niger Delta agitation positively.

“That if, we the NDA have named Prof Wole Soyinka and some incredible names to advise and lead any group is the Lie of The Century! They says, when an handshake goes beyond the elbow it has turned to another thing; amazingly, the handwriting are so clear that our noble laureate name is going the infamous way, as he is being named along as an adviser with some unscrupulous characters as Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) dialogue team with the government of Nigeria.

“Putting the records straight; the name/ names parading as factions of the Niger Delta Avengers are just the figment of some persons protecting their jobs and hell bent on derailing the wheel of progress in the history of Nigeria and the Niger Delta agitation. “

”Our strike teams and Command structures have not at anytime contacted these Nigerians at any time to advise or lead any contact with the government of Muhammadu Buhari on the Niger Delta agitation.

” We have shown our respect and restraints to personalities that have been too fixated to impress Abuja in the name of the Niger Delta struggle since the beginning of “Operation Red Economy ” ignorantly or willingly.

“The NDA cannot be teleguided by Mr Charles Okah and Henry Okah from their respective prison cells using disorganised characters of the All Progressive Congress (APC), from the Niger Delta to impress Abuja. We are not unaware of the creations of the Nigerian Intelligentsia community and security apparatus to sustain the Niger Delta struggle to bloat their pocket and credibility.

“The NDA have unequivocally given our tacit support to the Chief Papa (Dr.) Edwin Kiagbodo Clark Niger Delta Elders and Stakeholders conference committee to lead the Pan Niger Delta Negotiations/Dialogue Team, whenever this wicked entity called Nigeria shows readiness.”