Okah holds talks with Yar’Adua on peace deal

By Nicholas Ibekwe

October 20, 2009 06:51AM

The leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Henry Okah yesterday had a closed door meeting with President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua after which he (Mr. Okah) left again for South Africa where he is reportedly receiving medical treatment. At the meeting, they both agreed on the primacy of dialogue over military action as the rational basis for moving the Niger Delta issue towards a constructive resolution.

Mr. Okah who had initially expressed concerns over the sustainability of government's couched amnesty deal meant to placate rebel forces in the oil rich region, with this development, is now seen as playing a pivotal role in maintaining the shaky peace in the region.

In an earlier interview with NEXT, Mr. Okah had predicted that what is being experienced in the region is a lull and that things will soon take an ugly twist. "It will not need a soothsayer to know that the conflict in the Delta is far from over," he said. "I expect the cycle to resume pretty soon. President Yar'Adua may have good intentions but that is insufficient."

He however proffered dialogue as precursor to lasting peace in the region. "Dialogue will lead to a just settlement and peace, not the fraudulent disarmament process Nigerians are witnessing," he said.

On when the struggle in the region will end Mr. Okah said: "I expect the armed confrontation with the government to cease when there is justice. It does not make any sense for the militia groups to abandon the struggle based on the promises of President Yar'Adua."

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Reader Comments (12)

Posted by Ola samson on Oct 20 2009

In as much as the president has good intentions for the niger delta but mr okah's position is right the amnesty and disarmament is a total charade

Posted by Erus on Oct 20 2009

Nobody holds a meeting with the F.G and not have an agrement, there is always a give and take if u know what i mean. But lets see how things will unfold

Posted by Ephraim on Oct 20 2009

The earliest the federal govt is sincere the better. We all know that the federal govt and the oil companies have not been fair to the region when compare to what are happening elsewhere. It is only sicerity that can solve the problem.

Posted by Big Don on Oct 20 2009

No nation from history/time immomerial has treated with kidsglobe a criminal movement that did not enjoy the consent of the its local people and enmeshed into armed robbery, kidnapping and total economic sarboutage like it was done to the MEND.They should take this golden chance of prepare for a total defeat just as it happened with the Tamil who were more co-ordinated and more internationally connected compared to these bloodthirsties who refuses to aknowlegde those behind their plight.let them establish from 1999 to 2008 how much was paid to thier respctive governments and compare with the level of structural and infrustructural developmentthere.

Posted by Felix on Oct 20 2009

The president from his amnesty deal looks real but it will take the sincerity of his subordinates for it (amnesty) to achieve 100% sucess.Thanks to our president for the sucess so far & we all hope to see more

Posted by Kelechi Okoro on Oct 20 2009

So is this the way to ensure a meeting with the president? By blowing up pipelines and kidnapping white people? Sad. Nigeria should live up to its name (FEDERAL Republic) and return power to state and local governments. Most of Nigeria's problems stem from the fact that you have an incapable and incompetent minority pulling all the strings from a single location.

Posted by Ilen Con. on Oct 20 2009

Justice should start from bringing to book the Governors and local leaders who have stolen the allocations to the South South States without showing anything for it. Justice should start from prosecuting those contractors who took all the big OMPADEC and NNDDC contracts without executing them.

Posted by TATA on Oct 20 2009

the solution lies in the national assembly controlled by the pdp....NOT yaradua. yardie is just playing to buy time to siphon oil...

Posted by DIT on Oct 20 2009

We have all failed. The govt, MEND, the people etc. Nigerians need to soul search. We need to replace every single person that has held power in the past. We should put new, vibtant, educated and level headed people to lead the country. It is too late to start pointing fingers. Of course the government has no credibility and the whole world knows this. If there was no oil in the country, they will have no money and with no money, they will have no support and with no support, they will have no power. If its left to me the people of Nigeria should rise up against the government first. Also the Judicial system must be revamped. We have a lot of honest, young law graduates but they are all hanging because old corrupt legal practitioners are still there. We need a new guard, the old guard have failed us.

Posted by ay on Oct 20 2009

people, this is arrant nonsense, you fly ex-militant or repentant militant or arms dealer they call him in a presidential jet fron south adfrica to see the president!!!. i dont support militancy but everybody should watch out for lawlessness in other parts of the country, this president's weakness is a solicitation to militancy & other crimes

Posted by Pere on Oct 20 2009

Yara Adua/VP, Senate President David Mark who also represents the Military interest & Speaker Bankole hold the key to peace in ND region.

Posted by obelemasabo Chidi on Oct 22 2009

Our President has good intentions but some of his larkys are an embodiment of the devil.Governor Amaechi of Rivers State, the only unelected governor in the country is sworn to carrying out ethnic cleansing on the degree never witnessed in our country before.The crime of the Okrika-Ijaw is that they choose to live at the waterfronts and their punishment should be total annihilation because this evil governor wants to oblitrate them from existence even after the militants in the region had taken up amnesty.President Yar'Adua should stop this mad man from initiating a fresh unrest in the Niger Delta region. As a fellow Ikwerre son my advice to uncle Chibuike is to listen to the elders and do a u turn. When one travels alone he will certainly face dangers alone too. What the region needs now is develpment,development and development.A word is enough for the wise.