L
LequteMan
Guest
Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, in an interview with Channels gave details about FG's negotiation with Niger Delta Avengers militants.
According to him, negotiation had always been a viable option towards ending this unrest in the Niger Delta, and that it is "a good thing that the Avengers are finally amenable to dialogue and discussion.
"Before they agreed, discussion had been on with some other groups, now that they are ready to talk, it can only hasten proceedings," he said, adding that it wasn't easy getting in contact with the real Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) leaders.
"Between the time the insurgency started again in April, May and now, the Office of the National Security Adviser has met and spoken with more than 30 different groups and when ONSA meets with these groups, each one will claim to be the original, while the others are fake, and on and on . At the end of the day, you don't know who to talk with and that has been a major hindrance to the dialogue.
However, government has made considerable progress, he said.
"What the government has done is to also engage with the leadership of the region: royal fathers, chiefs, men and women of reputation and integrity. The intention is, perhaps these people can talk to these groups if they know them and convince them to come together as one body, so that dialogue can be properly structured. If you talk with one group and think that you have reached a conclusion, and then another group comes and says, well you did not speak to us, and continues the vandalisation of installations, then you have not achieved anything.
According to him, negotiation had always been a viable option towards ending this unrest in the Niger Delta, and that it is "a good thing that the Avengers are finally amenable to dialogue and discussion.
"Before they agreed, discussion had been on with some other groups, now that they are ready to talk, it can only hasten proceedings," he said, adding that it wasn't easy getting in contact with the real Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) leaders.
"Between the time the insurgency started again in April, May and now, the Office of the National Security Adviser has met and spoken with more than 30 different groups and when ONSA meets with these groups, each one will claim to be the original, while the others are fake, and on and on . At the end of the day, you don't know who to talk with and that has been a major hindrance to the dialogue.
However, government has made considerable progress, he said.
"What the government has done is to also engage with the leadership of the region: royal fathers, chiefs, men and women of reputation and integrity. The intention is, perhaps these people can talk to these groups if they know them and convince them to come together as one body, so that dialogue can be properly structured. If you talk with one group and think that you have reached a conclusion, and then another group comes and says, well you did not speak to us, and continues the vandalisation of installations, then you have not achieved anything.
