Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has said any dialogue between the Federal Government and militants in the Niger Delta would not yield result without involvement of Ijaw leaders.
Clark stated this on Saturday during the Ijaw leaders consultative council meeting which included the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson and Delta deputy governor, Kingsley Otuaro, in Warri.
The meeting was aimed at reaching a common ground on the renewed militancy and its impact in the Niger Delta and Nigeria.
Clark, in his opening remark, said it was not the first time this kind of crisis was happening.
“In 2008 and 2009, similar incident happened and Gbaramatu was affected. We elders and leaders intervened and we got Amnesty.
“Today we hear that federal government is planning, already talking or negotiating with militants and nobody has consulted us.
“That will not work. These children are our children and we cannot fold our hands when they are being attacked and pretend not to notice.
“We must be involved in what government wants to do,” he said.
At the end of the closed door meeting, the consultative forum of Ijaw leaders drew a communique which reads: “The Elders and Leaders of thoughts of the Ijaw nation call for the immediate restructuring of the Nigerian nation along the lines of peaceful federalism as panacea for the sustainable development of Nigeria.
“As a demonstration of sincerity of commitment to dialogue, the Federal Government should immediately withdraw the military from all occupied Ijaw communities, particularly Gbaramatu kingdom.’’
The meeting also called on the government to immediately release the 10 innocent students of Gbaramatu kingdom.
“The meeting also condemn the move to scrap the Nigerian Maritime University approved by the Goodluck Jonathan administration with temporary site at Kurutie and call for the immediate takeoff of the university.
“The forum also urged the militant groups of the Niger Delta to cease further attacks on crude oil and gas facilities and embrace the dialogue offered by the federal government.’’
