By OluwatoyinAmao
I think the government should. It’s their land, they exploit them and they should be given incentives or compensation, the Niger Delta people should be catered for and treated well because the nation depends on their resources which cause environmental hazard to them and limiting them to some occupations. If their waters are polluted, how will they fish and farm, how will they survive without water.The government should provide amenities for them and cater for their children and also empower the youths, not diverting pipelines to the North and boycotting them. You take from them and use it to develop another region why won’t they revolt. They are humans just like you and I and the government need to know and respect that, empower these youths and let peace reign.
MayodeAwoniyi
Abuja
I will not advice the government to do that because no one dialogued with the boko haram insurgency and we still have Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) too it is not advisable at all. It’s like saying good radiance to bad rubbish. What they should know is that a particular group of people cannot hold a whole nation to ransom, we should try and see things from their perspective and do them accordingly. What are they fighting for?What their brother cannot do over a period of 12 years this man have done it within a year and he is promising to do more but those who are benefiting from the proceeds of bunkering will always want to go ahead. So it is giving them power when they don’t even have one.
OmololaAbanishe
Ringroad, Ibadan
I feel negotiation is not the way forward; if there should be a dialogue, another group of youths will call themselves militant and agitate for amnesty or negotiations after killing innocent souls and demolished government properties. After negotiating with the avengers group, another one will call for peace after creating chaos, fear and death in the community. Let this people learn the right way to make their agitation known to the government and not until they carry guns and go on the streets.
Goke
Lagos Island
I don’t think dialogue will solve the problem; there was no dialogue with boko haram. Once the Federal government dialogue with them, a new group will come up. The terms to be given by the Avengers will be unattainable and dialogue with enemies of the state shows weaknesses and some of the demands are selfishly demanded.
KolawoleFatoye
Lagos
The federal government should dialogue with Niger Delta Avengers because oil came from their land, so the land should be take care of their needs. Though the group is passing across a message to the federal government through bombings and as a result of this, they are damaging the lands and therefore wasting resources. In another 40 to 50 years from today, the land may not be useful again and as a result of this, the indigenes of the community will be affected.
Bassey Tolu
Lagos
No, having relationship with an enemy won’t help Nigeria Democracy, they are otherwise called rebels. If you dialogue with the so called Niger Delta Militant and they reach consensus, then you are sending signals to new groups to emerge and before we know what is going on the Yoruba’s too will start there’s, in other to benefit from the national cake. My humble suggestion is for the federal government to identify those funding them, once the head is cut off, the body can’t function. What you should understand is Niger Delta Militant are not fighting for the freedom or independence of their people, they are simply bunch of persons who are only fighting for their private pocket. The question is who are Niger Delta Militant?
They call themselves youth from the region fighting for the course of every persons in the region and extra benefit for those from their region because it is there environs the economy of this country is determined. The question is who are the federal government to dialogue with? Is it the youth who claims to be Niger Delta Militant or the entire Niger Delta. 100 persons can come together and claim they are the militant responsible for the bombing, while another 75 persons can also claim responsibility. So who are the federal government negotiating with? It could be any body
The federal government, if embrace dialogue are simply employing increase in militancy in the oil region and it will stampede the federal government into more troubles in the region and most especially it will create in the mind of every Nigerian that the government is not fit to govern its people and security is not guarantee when liaising with criminals to stop committing crime, Is like Police paying off association of armed robbers not to rob within its vicinity. We are entitled to our opinions, as for me i don’t believe in the adage of let the sleeping dog lie. I will rather frustrate the dog and earn my respect for life.
OlayiwolaDosunmu
Ogba, Lagos
No! If they do that, then they intend to open room to every group of angry citizens who have access to ammunition to always popup and undermine the government’s authority. Even if they do not want to request for money which is what will end it, sabotaging the economy is or should be a criminal offence.
YinkaBafunsho
Lagos
Yes. Federal Government should dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers, it is very necessary that the reasons for their grievances should be ascertained. The government should not fold their hands and be looking at them bombing all the facilities on ground. The country is deriving resources from their land and it is the government obligation to take proper care of its citizens and provide basic amenities but since all these are not in place. Dialogue is needed urgently.
DamilolaAdekunle
Johannesburg, South Africa
I don’t think the federal government should dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers. The government should treat the group as the criminal element they are. My opinion is that the federal government should approach solution to this issue in a two prong approach, one is that the development of the Niger Delta should be paramount on the federal government agenda, not on paper but tangible development in the areas of road, health and power. Secondly, the security agents must be challenged to be up and doing.
Intelligence should be stepped up and investigation should be broad and investigation should be broad and beyond flexing and display of arms by our security agencies. The truth is that once dialogue has been opened up with this group, there are several other groups waiting in line to do something more atrocious to get federal government attention and Nigeria will continue to loose in this cycle of violence. Also, how will the government ascertain they are in dialogue with the real Niger Delta Avengers that’s why it should not be considered.
Olatunji Mustapha
Ilorin
Without vacillation, the federal government should dialogue with the Niger Deltans as soon as possible. Hardly could anything be written about the political economy of Nigeria without reference to its history of oil production. The Niger Deltans do not have the benefits of oil proceeds from their land which account for over90% of the nations’ foreign exchange earnings. There is pervasive poverty in the land, no clean water, limit of infrastructures, and lots more. They are frustrated. So the present level of violence, resistance and confrontation against the state and the industry might be seen as a vindication of the prediction by Saro-Wiwa before he was sentenced to death. The people of Niger Delta particularly the youth has hided to Saro-Wiwa’s call, they have being forced to take the option of violent protests.
From my own perspective, I see no reasons why the federal government should not have a peace talk with the avengers. Nigeria is losing billions of money on a daily basis as a result of vandalism. The federal government should waste no time by making provision for redistributive investments in infrastructure ban, social amenities. Importantly, the emphasis must be creating sustainable livelihoods for local communities. If the federal government fails to dialogue with the group, government officials will be their target.
Yusuf Sanni
Ilorin
Yes. I really believe that dialogue with the Niger Delta Avenger group is the best option for the federal government. The bombing of pipelines have cause immeasurable damage to the people of the Niger Delta and the nation as well. The federal government should not fold their arms thinking of a solution to the NDA problem would come from the blues, they should employ dialogue because it is an important element in a democracy. Also, guerrilla wars are difficult to fight. Dialogue shows genuine concern for the people of Nigeria and the needs of the Niger Delta
Alero Richards
Lokoja
In my own opinion, I think the federal government should dialogue with them since the avengers said they were ready to dialogue, if there are good grounds for such deliberation. No doubt, Nigeria benefits a lot from proceed of crude oil and the oil producing states have not been benefitting a lot from the past administration. This people started the bombing sometime February this year and this has affected a lot of Nigerians.
The people of Niger Delta have being deceived in the past by their leaders who syphoned the money being allocated to them by the federal government, most of them where blindfolded then but now, they want positive change. I mentioned it earlier that proceeds from crude oil contribute more than 70% to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP). If this bombing continues without dialogue, it will definitely reduce the GDP in Nigeria.
SadiqOlaiwola
Ilorin
No! I don’t think so. Niger Delta group should be seen as a terrorist group. Hence, government should not negotiate/dialogue with them. This is because it will invariably encourage other terrorist groups’ i.e they would see it as an opportunity to continue with their nefarious acts, knowing fully well they would get presidential pardon. Instead of dialogue, government should react to it the same way they are reacting to boko haram group. It is a terrorist group, if they need to pass a message across, they should use the right channel. After all, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
Taiwo Ismail
Lagos
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