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Former
president Goodluck Jonathan
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Former president Goodluck
Jonathan has raised the alarm that the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger
Delta (MEND) are unrelenting in their “heinous plot” to eliminate him.
Multiple
sources report:
Jonathan
also denied sponsorship of any militant group including the Niger Delta Avengers
in a statement signed by his Media Aide, Ikechukwu Eze yesterday.
He
described the allegation by one Cynthia White, purportedly from MEND, as “too
cheap and false”.
He
said the “violent and murderous underground” group led by one Henry Okah, which
he said had not hidden its intention to destroy him and had made several
attempts in the past to eliminate him had not achieved its aim because of God’s
protection upon his life.
“For
the avoidance of doubt, we are fully convinced that such an idiotic claim is
too cheap a narrative, a facile contrivance so badly concocted that any
discerning mind would easily see through its disingenuous and duplicitous
nature.
“We,
therefore, have no doubt in our mind that MEND, as a group contracted to go
after Jonathan with the mind of assassinating him, is yet to abandon this
criminal and ignominious craving.
“It
is in this light that we view the purported statement issued by ‘Cynthia White’
as not only a sadistic continuation of this sick desire, but also a futile
attempt to instigate the federal government to needlessly go after the former
President.
“Those
who have been following the unsavoury developments in some parts of the country
since the last general elections, especially the ones that held in the
South-south states, would have noticed that the nefarious MEND, their pay
masters and other unscrupulous elements in the region, have been striving
fruitlessly to exploit the ensuing confusion, by surreptitiously working for
the fulfilment of its yet-to-be declared political agenda.
“It
is our considered view that the statement in question is an off-shoot of that
ignoble plan, this time plotting to rubbish and torpedo the ongoing peace
efforts in the region,” the statement said.
“We
are not under any illusion that more accusations and allegations of this nature
would not be hurled Jonathan’s way in the future, especially as his enemies
appear to have perfected the act of throwing mud each time his profile gains
added impetus and acclaim,” it added.
Goodluck Jonathan Alleges
Assassination Plot
Former
President Goodluck Jonathan has raised the alarm that his life is under threat.
The
former president said a list, which named him and other South-South leaders as
Niger Delta Avengers sponsors, was another attempt by a group, Movement for the
Emancipation of Niger Delta, to eliminate him.
A
group, which split from the NDA – Reformed Niger Delta Avengers – had named
Jonathan as the grand patron of the NDA.
An
online medium, SaharaReporters, reported that in a statement by its
spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, the RNDA also listed the Rivers State Governor,
Nyesom Wike, and the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, as sponsors of
the NDA.
Others
mentioned in the list were Chief Edwin Clark, a former Governor of Akwa Ibom
State, Senator Godswill Akpabio; ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo
(alias Tompolo); the founder, African Independent Television, Raymond Dokpesi;
Kingsley Kuku; Kimi Angozi, and Patrick Akpobolokemi.
According
to SaharaReporters, the group said the NDA sympathisers are Daniel Alabrah;
Tony Uranta, Daniel; Ms. Annkio Briggs, and a former spokesman for the Peoples
Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh.
The
Reformed Niger Delta Avengers also named Oyege Nimi Brown, VIP Timothy, Joshua
Macaiver, Paul Bebenimibo, among others, as the main operatives of the NDA.
It
added that the President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Udengs Eradiri, aka Brig.
Gen. Murdoch Agbinibo, served as the NDA’s chief spokesman.
But
Jonathan, in a statement on Sunday by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze, said the
list by the splinter group was political, adding that it was part of an attempt
to assassinate him.
The
statement read in part, “Since it is not in our place to speak for all those
named in the obvious fabrication, we are only intervening to the extent that
its hidden intent poses a violent threat to the life of former President
Goodluck Jonathan, a committed patriot.
“We
are seized by the feeling of déjà vu occasioned by the resurrection of one dim
character masquerading as Cynthia Whyte, who had in the past served as the
spokesperson for a notorious group that had all along shown its hand to be
going after the life of former President Jonathan.”
The
former President recalled that in 2007, after he emerged as the running mate of
the late President Umar Yar’Adua, the group invaded Yenogoa in an effort to
assassinate him.
He
added that the members of the group later bombed his compound in Otuoke,
Bayelsa State, on a night he was scheduled to attend to an important matter in
his country home.
He
said, “Do we need to remind anybody that the so-called Cynthia Whyte is the
self-declared spokesperson for the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger
Delta, a violent and murderous underground group led by one Henry Okah, which
has not hidden its intention to destroy the former President?”
According
to him, the bombing that took place on October 1, 2010 at the Eagle Square,
Abuja, showed that the group was violent.
He
stated, “We have no doubt in our mind that MEND, as a group contracted to go
after Jonathan with the mind of assassinating him, has yet to abandon this
criminal and ignominious craving. It is in this light that we view the
purported statement issued by Cynthia Whyte as not only a sadistic continuation
of this sick desire, but also a futile attempt to instigate the Federal
Government to needlessly go after the former President.
“Those
who have been following the unsavoury developments in some parts of the country
since the last general election would have noticed that MEND, its paymasters
and other unscrupulous elements in the South-South region have been striving
fruitlessly to exploit the ensuing confusion by surreptitiously working for the
fulfilment of its yet-to-be declared political agenda.
“We
are not under any illusion that more accusations and allegations of this nature
would not be hurled Jonathan’s way in the future. But we are very positive that
he can never be fazed by such negative energy.”
Also,
Clark, who spoke through his lawyer, Mr. Dotun Sowemimo, wondered why he would
be mentioned as one of the sponsors of such a heinous crime against the nation.
He
said, “The allegation is an attempt to undermine the efforts of the Niger Delta
leaders to bring true, lasting peace to the region.
“Clark
and other leaders in the region believe in the unity of Nigeria. The list is a
cheap lie, which is meant to distract the peace moves by the elders and leaders
in the Niger Delta.”
On
his part, Wike, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Electronic Media,
Mr. Simeon Nwakaudu, said the list should be ignored by the members of the
public.
Dokpesi,
also distanced himself from the Niger Delta Avengers.
Dokpesi
in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja, said he remained committed to
strengthening the unity and stability of Nigeria.
He
said, “I don’t know who is giving that report; I have never met any member of
the NDA in my life, I have no association with them and I don’t know who they
are. I have been committed to strengthening the unity and stability of the
country.”
Also
denying the allegation, Metuh said he had nothing to do with the NDA.
He
said, “Ordinarily, I would not have responded to this, but on this occasion, I
have chosen to respond, as this particularly borders on matters affecting
national security.
“This
is a wicked, cruel and devilish plot to link me with such activities,
especially as the claim is outright false.’’
A
former spokesman for the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Daniel Alabrah,
also denied being a sympathizer of the NDA.
Alabrah
said in a statement on Sunday that the report was a product of mischief
designed to distract the Federal Government from decisively addressing the
resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta.
The
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, denied being a sponsor of the
Niger Delta Avengers or any other militant group.
In
a statement on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Anietie Ekong, the
former Governor of Akwa Ibom State described the allegation as “baseless,
reckless and senseless.”
The
statement read in part, “Senator Akpabio has no link with the Niger Delta
Avengers or any other militant group for that matter.’’
Also, a former Adviser to
President Jonathan, on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, denied reports linking
him with the Avengers.
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