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If they were after the looters and politicians that had kept Niger Delta
underdeveloped, they would have struck at venues where it
was exclusive to have maximum looters casualty. In as much
as casualties of war are not limited to combatants, MEND
should define rules of engagement or they will end up
terrorising the very citizen whose support they are seeking.
Why didn’t these bombs explode at the declaration rallies of
these recycled politicians who have been on the scene as old
as Nigeria?
Although every life is sacred and important but as a
currency of way, the 8 people reported dead are low and
insignificant currency in whatever war that MEND is
fighting. The ceremony still went ahead as though it was
fireworks that just exploded.
If you recall, they did the same during a meeting of the
Governors of the oil producing states. What political gain
came of the blast if not more money into their pockets?
Agreed the Government has failed us all but what have MEND
done for its host communities?
By the style MEND is using, it will not be out of place to
brand them a Terrorist Organization. Federal Government has
been giving the repentant militants about 65,000 (Sixty Five
Thousand Naira) every month yet the boys are greedy and want
more. You can count how many honest hard working graduates
earn that every month, yet for denouncing criminality, these
boys are treated like royalty.
If MEND wants a United Niger Delta Republic, they should say
so and take a leaf from Ojukwu's Biafra adventure or we can
all sit down and try the Yugoslavian option, rather than
this infantile resort to violence whenever they seek
attention.
They have their brother as President, their sister as
Minister of Petroleum, their brother as Minister of Foreign
Affairs; what else do they want? If these choice appointees
cannot develop their communities, why come and kill a Gwari
man?
Violence begets violence and no tribe, group of tribes have
monopoly of violence. In a need to balance terror some
people will strike in retaliation and Nigeria will
degenerate into Iraq or worst still, Somalia.
Prof.Wole Soyinka, who was involved with MEND and Federal
Government parley, should tell us what these boys want. I
warn, every human mind has the capacity to evil.
Che Oyinatumba
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Published
October 7th, 2010
