Preye Aganaba, here is a classified information from the US embassy in 2007 which clearly gave details of how Vice President Jonathan visited the creeks in the Niger Delta. The history was not re-written please. SUBJECT: VP JONATHAN MEETS MILITANT & COMMUNITY LEADERS IN DELTA REF: LAGOS 310 E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/02/2017 LAGOS 00000485 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: Consul Alan B. C. Latimer for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: On June 28, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan visited the Gbaramatu riverine community in Delta State and discussed ways forward with militant and traditional leaders. An Ijaw youth leader from Delta State offered prescriptive efforts the government could take to bring peace to the region through rehabilitating militant youths, offering them skills acquisition, and then employment opportunities. However, another contact warned that despite government efforts to address the militant problem, cultist groups primarily based in Rivers State would likely continue their criminal activities unless they were addressed separately. President YarAdua and Jonathans focus on the Niger Delta may bode well for the region if these initial activities are followed by concrete actions. End Summary. --------------------------------------------- ---------- VP Jonathan Visits Delta; Meets Militant & Ijaw Leaders --------------------------------------------- ---------- ¶2. (U) On June 28, one month after being sworn into office, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan visited communities in the creeks of Delta State in Nigerias oil-rich Niger Delta. Jonathan visited the Gbaramatu Kingdom, including Okerenkoko town and the traditional headquarters of the Kingdom in Oporoza, Delta State. During his visit, Jonathan spoke to the public and met with youths and traditional rulers. ¶3. (C) Sheriff Mulade, President of the Gbaramatu Youth Council (GYC) told Poloff that Jonathan, early in the evening on June 28, visited Camp 5, which borders Okerenkoko, and is known to be run by militant leader Tom Polo. Jonathan held a closed door meeting with Polo, militant leader Dokubo Asari, eminent Ijaw Chief and nationalist E. K. Clarke, and George Timinimi, Chairman of the newly established Delta Waterways Security Committee. Mulade was also present during this meeting and told Poloff the militant and community leaders agreed to hold a meeting around July 6 to discuss whether they would announce a nationwide ceasefire to enable the federal government to take further actions in the Niger Delta. Mulade was confident these militant leaders would extend the ceasefire. He thought any individuals who chose to disobey the ceasefire (i.e. criminal groups/leaders) would be killed. Mulade said this tactic had been used by militants in 2004 after the 2003 elections and that 24 individuals had been killed and/or turned over to government for failing to adhere to the ceasefire. ¶4. (C) Comment: The July 6 ceasefire meeting Mulade mentioned was described to be all-inclusive of militant leaders. However, Mulade did not comment on fractures or power struggles within militant groups and, if these still exist, whether or not they would be addressed. Also, there was no indication that criminal groups were invited to attend the July 6 meeting; reigning-in or gaining control over these individuals could prove an arduous task. Enc Comment. --------------------------------------------- ------------ LAGOS 00000485 002.2 OF 003 Ways Forward: Ceasefire, Youth Reorientation, Development --------------------------------------------- ------------ ¶5. (C) Following Jonathans visit to Delta State, Mulade issued a statement on behalf of the Gbaramatu Youth Council thanking the Vice President for his visit to the creeks. Mulade recommended Jonathan next visit Bayelsa and Rivers states to further appeal to the regions indigenes and to maintain consistent dialogue. Beginning dialogue now would help give the Federal Government time to work out the modalities of addressing Niger Delta issues, Mulade commented. Furthermore, he recommended Jonathan visit the region on a quarterly basis to secure and maintain peace in this vital region. Mulade requested Niger Delta youths drop their arms and give peace a chance to enable genuine development. Since the Vice President, Chief of Defense Staff, and Chairman of the NDDC are all Ijaw and hail from this region, now is the time for the Ijaw and Niger Delta indigenes to witness change in the Niger Delta, he averred. ¶6. (C) Mulade told Poloff the government has not provided categorical suggestions on how to achieve peace in the Niger Delta, but it does seem to have new ideas and he was optimistic youths would give government a chance to prove itself. Mulade thought youth rehabilitation was a three-step process and an integral part of securing peace in the region. First, government would need to help youths change their orientation and thinking in order to adopt principles of non-violence and respect. This could be done through youth summits or workshops, each attended by approximately 100 militant youth leaders who could then share their understanding with their subordinates. Youths would then become more receptive to government efforts, which at this point would entail skills acquisition. Lastly, employment opportunities would need to be made available to youths to allow them to re-integrate into society. ¶7. (C) According to Mulade, the initial reorientation of youths would take approximately two to three months. If government began to plan basic development projects, such as road building and improved access to water, newly trained youths could be hired to do the work. Therefore, rehabilitated youth could be incorporated into development efforts throughout the Niger Delta, Mulade reasoned.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 23:16:49 +0000
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