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Militancy: MEND Names Bismark Rewane, Florence Ita-Giwa, Others as Part of Its Team to Dialogue With FG

Fighters with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) raise their riffles to celebrate news of a successful operation by their colleagues against the Nigerian army in the Niger Delta on September 17, 2008. MEND has declared a full-scale "oil war" against the Nigerian authorities in response to attacks by the Nigerian military launched against the militants. "Our target is to crumble the oil installations in order to force the government to a round table to solve the problem once and for all", said Boy Loaf, leader of the militants. AFP PHOTO/PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)
MEND Fighters.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) on Monday announced a seven-member team, led by Odein Ajumogobia, a former Minister of Petroleum, to dialogue with the Federal Government.
Jomo Gbomo, MEND`s Spokesman, said in an online statement that other members of the group, tagged, “Aaron Team 2”, are Bismark Rewane (Delta) and Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross River).
The rest are Timipa Jenkins Okponipere(Bayelsa), Ibanga Isine (Akwa Ibom), Ledum Mitee (Rivers) and Lawson Omokhodion (Edo ).
Gbomo said other members of the team would be made public in due course after consultations with relevant stakeholders.
He said the team was made up of patriotic and selfless men and women with good track records and character drawn from different parts of the Niger Delta region.
Gbomo also said the team would dialogue with the Federal Government on the immediate, medium and long-term future of the Niger Delta region.
He said members had already agreed to serve on behalf of the Niger Delta Region.
He recalled that MEND on May 30th, 2014, declared a ceasefire on attacks against the nation’s key economic and strategic interests.
The spokesman said the group took the decision in response to former PresidentGoodluck Jonathan‘s Democracy Day speech.
“Our message to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is simple: The Niger Delta struggle is beyond attacks on oil installations.
If indeed your cause is to avenge the injustice done to the Niger Delta region; then, we urge you to ceasefire and join us to the table of negotiation with the Federal Government.
Otherwise, the Niger Delta struggle shall be hijacked, once again by selfish interests for their own personal aggrandizement,” Gbomo said.
He said that the problems and challenges facing the region after attacks on key installations were environmental pollution and political corruption.
Photo Credit: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images

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