Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka and a
former Governor of Abia, Dr. Orji Uzo Kalu, have been listed among a
seven-man team to lead the negotiation between the Niger Delta Avengers
and the Federal Government.
Other members of the team are Prof.
Steve Odi-Owei, Etubom (Dr.) Anthony Ani, Nalaguo Chris Alagoa, Chief
(Mrs.) Alice Mobolaji Osomo, and Mr. Inienimi Ballantyne Agiri, who has
been acting as spokesman for the group. The committee is expected
negotiate on behalf of a faction of the militant group in the eastern
and central Niger Delta.
A statement signed by Agiri, who speaks
for a faction of NDA, representing the eastern and central parts of the
region and made available to SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said that Soyinka will serve as adviser to the committee.
Agiri, who also spoke to our
correspondent on telephone, said that the list was not exhaustive as
other people outside the shores of Nigeria had been contacted and had
shown interest in being observers in the dialogue process.
He said the Archbishop of the
Canterbury, Justin Weldy, a former Ghanaian President, John Kufor and a
few others, would also be consulted.
Soyinka was recently quoted as urging
the Federal Government to open dialogue with the militant groups, which
had been agitating for resource control for the Niger Delta region.
He said, “Nigeria is our own and we must
go on the path of peace. It is the right anything to do if they want to
negotiate, I hope the president will accept that.
“I will negotiate for them if the
President agrees for us to negotiate for them. I cannot go without
concurrent agreement with the President saying that we should
negotiate.”
Niger Delta Avengers wants Soyinka, Kalu, others in dialogue with FG
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