Photograph — news24extra.com

Over the weekend, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), extended a public invitation to President Muhammadu Buhari, asking him to see what the residents of the Niger Delta suffer due to activities of oil extraction in the area. This is diametrical to the reported stance of the militants about a month ago, when Buhari wanted to visit the same location. The question of whether or not the militants have repented may be too cheap for careful observers, however, asking what the militants really want may be the real mystery to solve.

On the 2nd of June this year, Buhari intended to flag-off the long-awaited Ogoni land cleanup by himself, only for the Presidency to announce, a few hours to the event, that the president was no longer available but would be represented by his Vice, Yemi Osinbajo. Prior to this time, the Niger Delta Avengers, in a widely reported threat issued by themselves, had warned Buhari to steer clear of the oil region or risk his life if he decided to attend the event. Though the Presidency did not specify why Buhari eventually pulled out from the historic visit, reports revealed that it was not unconnected to the assassination threats made by the militants.

In a surprising turn of events, on Saturday, the Niger Delta Avengers group posted on its website that they want Buhari to visit the communities in the area and see, firsthand, what they go through in the hands of the Nigerian government and the multinational companies extracting crude from the area.

“The Nigeria President Buhari should visit Ugborodo, host to Chevron crude oil Export terminal/EGTL gas plant; Ogulagha, host to Shell Forcados Crude Oil Export terminal/tank far;, Bonny Island, host to Shell Bonny Crude Oil Export terminal/NLNG gas terminal; Brass, host to Agip/ENI export terminal, Ibeno host to ExxonMobil Qua Iboe crude export terminal. These are just the export terminals, not talking about the numerous oil and gas flow stations and the oil wells that criss-cross the length and breadth of the Niger Delta.

“Mr. President, come and see for yourself what the host communities are going through in the hands of Nigeria government and the multinationals,” the Avengers wrote.

All of this is a little confusing. However, if the Buhari-led administration has committed itself to the necessary cleanup of the long overdue oil spills in Ogoni land, despite austerities from the militants, the Niger Delta Avengers group may have lost jurisdiction to determine when President Buhari decides on visiting the area. After all, in the very recent past, the militants more or less ruined the chances of Buhari going to see the level of damage done in the region.

What the militants are expected to do now is pursue the proposed dialogues for peace offered by the federal government of Nigeria and work out a lasting agreement with the government that will benefit the oil region and its people, as they have reiterated in the course of their agitations and attacks.

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