Niger Delta Elders Threaten To Pull Out Of Peace Talks November 1

The elders has lambasted the federal lawmakers over the rejection of devolution of powers at the recent constitutional amendment.

They, however, canvassed for a return to 1960 independence constitution, noting that “anything else will be obnoxious and totally unacceptable to the entire peoples of the entire Southern and Middle Belt areas of Nigeria”.

National leader/convener of PANDEF and former federal commissioner of  information, Chief Edwin Clark, stated this at a press conference in Abuja.

Clark said, “Human endurance has a limit, beyond which one cannot predict what the outcome will be. We submitted a 16-point demand to Mr President on November 1, 2016, and we had expected that, by its next anniversary, the 16-point agenda would have been comprehensive sorted out.

“If at the expiration of the November 1, 2017 ultimatum the federal government fails and/or refuses to accede to these lawful and legitimate demands of the Niger Delta people, PANDEF may consider pulling out of the on-going peace process in the Niger Delta”.

On the meeting, Clark also went on to say: “as a consequence of the federal government’s casual and sluggish approach to the immediate resolution of the current Niger Delta crisis, the patience of the youths and other critical stakeholders in the region was running out”.

On restructuring, the former federal commissioner of Information berated the National Assembly for rejecting devolution of powers.

“Back to the issue of restructuring and the nature of our present republic, I condemn the recent position of the National Assembly on the issue of devolution of power and Restructuring in the said constitutional amendment. Their action does not reflect the minds of Nigerians who voted them to office”, he stated.

Noting that the action of the current National Assembly was appalling, he added that “this is against the interest and unity of the country”.