Nigeria: Militants Issue 30-Day Ultimatum
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Daily Champion (Lagos)
24 July 2008
Posted to the web 24 July 2008
Friday Olokor
Lagos
Govement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has disassociated itself from the claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it paid $12million to militants for pipeline protection.
It has therefore threatened to destroy more oil pipelines within the next 30 days to prove that the claim by the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'Adua was false.
MEND in a statement said though it was aware that huge payments have been made to some criminal gangs in Delta State as protection fee, but these gangs are not "genuine part of the Niger Delta agitation for justice but a front for the Delta state governor for such extortions. They cannot be labelled as militant freedom fighters."
The group said from its investigation, the NNPC disbursed over $25 million which was allegedly shared by the top commanders of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) senior government officials in Delta State top management staff in the NNPC and the Presidency.
"MEND will never sell its birthright for a bowl of porridge when the impoverished masses in the region continue to live in abject poverty. It is for refusing such bribes that Henry Okah is still being held captive today. To proof that we are not a part of this deal, the Chanomi creek pipeline and other major pipelines will be destroyed within the next 30 days, it threatened.
Daily Champion recalls that the NNPC's GMD, Alhaji Yar'Adua had on Tuesday informed the House of Representatives Committee on finance investigating the alleged non-remittance of government revenue collected between 1999 and March this year, that the corporation paid $12 million monthly to Niger Delta militants to protect oil pipelines.
In his submission to the committee, he said: "When I was repairing the Chanomi Creek pipeline, I called the boys, the contractors paid the N12 million per month to supervise the lines. By the tine we finished the thing, they told me they wanted $30 million per month.
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"I tried to convince them, set up a committee and they came to $6 million. I asked them to come so that I can discuss with them. They said take it or leave it and we will deal with you and within two months, we lost crude worth $81 million. So, youhave to pay. That is the truth."
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