Why Clark, Others Can’t Represent Militant Groups, N’Delta People – PNDPC 

The Pan Niger Delta Peoples Congress (PNDPC) on Wednesday explained why militant groups withdrew the mandate given to the Pan Niger Delta Forum(PANDEF), led by former Federal Commissioner for Information, Chief Edwin Clark.

The group which said it is now the one mandated to negotiate on behalf of the militant groups and the Niger Delta People, said that Clark though remains a “father”, can no longer represent the people of the Niger Delta because he lost the confidence repose on him by the people of the region.

This came as the group, PNDPC dissociated itself from separatist groups which had earlier issued ultimatum to northerners and Yoruba people  to quit the Niger Delta by October 1, 2017.

Coordinator, Media Affairs of the PNDPC, Chief Monday Whiskey in a statement made available to BigPen Online on Wednesday said his group has no personal grouse with Clark or members of PANDEF but were only acting on the dictates of the people of the region.

According to Whiskey, it was the same agitators in the Niger Delta who gave PANDEF the mandate to represent them in negotiations with the Federal Government that has withdrawn the mandate.

“We are not opposed to the Clark group – Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). To be fair to them, they started this current process but there are people who gave  them the mandate – the ex-agitators. But somewhere along the line, these ex-agitators discovered that their method of operation was not in tandem with modern realities.

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“It is these ex-agitators who withdrew the mandate earlier given to PANDEF and gave same to us in the PNDPC to represent them at this stage of the negotiation. We are not fighting with Chief Edwin Clark because he is our father but when those whom you represent decide to change the pace of the dialogue, you have no choice but to obey those who gave you the mandate.

“The peace process belongs to the people of the Niger Delta; they nominated members of PANDEF in the first place. If they have withdrawn the nomination and given it to another group, of course the new group takes over. We are not confronting or fighting any body or group,” Whiskey said.

He said that the PNDPC was poised to expand the 16-Point Agenda submitted by PANDEF to make the document more inclusive of the demands of the people across the  oil rich region.

“Agreed that PANDEF had submitted the 16-Point Agenda but it is left for the federal government to implement it or not. Government can only implement whatever you have submitted in a peaceful atmosphere. Government can also decide on the ways it wants to implement it. We are even looking beyond what PANDEF submitted beause there are so many demands that were not included in that document. We are looking at possibility of including more things.

“As far as the Pan Niger Delta Peoples Congress (PNDPC) is concerned, we believe that the government will give us a better negotiating opportunity now because we believe in dialogue, we don’t believe in being hostile to the government. We strongly believe that it is only when government has the enabling environment that the we can achieve the  desired development in the region.

“We believe that peace is better for development and we don’t believe in confronting government without any justifiable reason. If there are reasons to confront, we must do so with facts and figures. Whatever information we give to government must be credible enough as to give government a lead to the development we want them to undertake in the Niger Delta.

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“We don’t stand with the groups that issue ultimatum for northerners and Yoruba to leave the Niger Delta  We believe that every ethnic group should co-exist peacefully in Nigeria. All federsting units have equal rights to live and work any where in Nigeria.  We in the Niger Delta produce the wealth of this nation and we should not be begging to survive,” he said.

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