The issue of military operation better than the amnesty declared by President Yar'Adua in the niger delta as contained in the monday interview of the Vanguard newspaper with one Sagir Mohammed,a retired military intelligence officer is maliciously sentimental.Having someone like Sagir Mohammed as an intelligence officer(former)in the nigerian military was mis-normal and one of the manifestations of the nigerian military made up of mediocre.

It is obvious that the northern men and officers(present and former)in the nigerian military is taking the agitation by the people of the niger delta for a better deal too personal,hence call for outright condemnation.It is this set of military persons that are still harrassing,embarassing and intimidating transporters,persengers and other users of the waterways,even as it has been declared open.They have imposed a dask to dawn curfew of 6pm to 6am in the waterways thereby making free movement difficult for the waterway users.There is a sign of clear over-zealousness on their part.The militay must be called to order to avert extra-judicial killings.

It must be pointed out to Sagir Mohammed that military operations against niger delta agitators has always been a fiasco.Maybe,he is not aware that the militants defeated the military in the recent JTF expedition.Militants sacked military men in one of the chevron oil platforms and bombed it.The militants also attacked an oil pipeline 200 metres away from a military post.

On the issue of illegal oil bunkering,it is the rich and the mighty from the Northern part of the country that bring vessels,allowed or permitted by the military and loaded by the local community people who are only paid with pea-nuts.And so,if the mighty stops bringing vessels,the community people would not be able to load any.

Chief Patrick Bigha
chairman