News Report: Pro-Democracy Chieftain Calls For Removal Of Nigeria's Election Commission Chief

Jega: INEC Chief

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega have been described as incompetent and should be removed. This call was made this afternoon by the South-East coordinator of Campaign For Democracy(CD), Comrade Uzoh A Uzoh in a telephone conversation with chidi opara reports.

The CD Coordinator, who was very annoyed at the postponement of the national Assembly election scheduled to be conducted today, Saturday 2nd April, 2011, reasoned that " the INEC Chairman had asked for postponement before, which was granted, if he knew that he was not ready, why not ask for another postponement? he did not, only to postpone a scheduled election at the eleventh hour. He is incompetent and should be removed."

Mrs Ayo Obe, a civil rights campaigner and former Executive Director of Civil Liberties Organization(CLO) in a discussion programme on a local television channel this afternoon, monitored by chidi opara reports, however walked a different path. She was of the opinion that Professor Jega should be allowed "to finish what he started." She nonetheless blamed the INEC boss for the lapses leading to the last minute postponement and advised that INEC should announce detailed logistics plans for the coming elections.

It would be noted that Professor Attahiru Jega this afternoon announced the postponement till Monday, April 4th, 2011 of the national Assembly election citing disappointments by vendors as the major reason. The INEC Chief apologized for the lapses leading to the postponement and craved the understanding of all stake holders.

News Release: MEND Calls Off Planned Attack For Peaceful Election

After careful consideration and extensive consultation, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (M.EN.D) today, Saturday April 02, 2011, has decided to temporarily call off our planned bomb and oil installations attacks to allow for a safe general election.

This was ordered in the hope that the new government of Nigeria would consider true dialogue founded on a sincere desire to bring justice to the people of the Niger Delta, and true peace to Nigeria.

After billions of Naira spent, all the government of Goodluck Jonathan has to show for its amnesty and re-integration programme is colossal failure as the true intention of the programme was hijacked for personal and political greed by the likes of Timi Alaibe who, all he did, was steal and divert funds allocated for this programme into his political ambition. This mantle of fraud was then passed onto a clueless Kingsley Kuku who goes about deceiving the country in believing the amnesty programme is a success.

The architect of the amnesty programme in the Niger Delta, the late President Yar’adua, intended this process to be a precursor to formal dialogue in that achieving a just and lasting solution to the unrest in the Niger Delta.

The government of Goodluck Jonathan and the oil companies believe the spirit of agitation in the Niger Delta has been blown away with the bribing of a few thugs it has labelled stakeholders. They assume giving alms to the youths of the delta will secure installations but the government fails to understand that if the root issues of these agitations are not addressed, we would only be going round circles resulting in more groups springing up and no peace in the Niger Delta.

The Movement for the Emancipation for the Niger Delta (MEND) wishes to state categorically that it has no affiliations with tribal assemblies such as the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Ijaw National Congress (INC). They neither represent nor speak for the freedom fighters of MEND which comprises fighters from every tribe in the Niger Delta.

If we see no sign by the new government for a dialogue at addressing our key issues, we will take that as a green light from the government to commence with our struggle which will be very detrimental to all oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.

Jomo Gbomo