The three-day peace ceremony being organised by Bayelsa state, one of Nigeria's oil rich states, which is to metamorphose into a peace agreement between the state and the various militant groups within her boundaries has been described by a faction of Nigeria's oil region major militant group, MOVEMENT FOR THE EMANCIPATION OF NIGER DELTA(MEND), as a publicity stunt designed to impress the international community.
A MEND spokesman in an e-mail, described participants in the peace ceremony as rented militants, vowing that peace can only return to the oil rich region if one of its leaders detained in Angola is released.This is an apparent reference to Mr. Henry Okah(a.k.a Jomo Gbomo),the erstwhile MEND spokesman, who is currently in detention in Angola on allegation of gun running.
Mr. Henry Okah, a South African based Nigerian businessman is an influencial figure in Nigeria's oil region struggles, under the auspices of MEND.
