TONY ITA ETIM, Port Harcourt
SOPURUCHI ONWUKA, and NAPOLEON EHIREMEN, Warri

Azazi gave the explanation during a meeting with about 100 militants at the Officers Mess of the 2 Amphibious Brigade, Bori Camp, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said, though he was not mandated by the presidency to talk to the militants, what comes out of these meetings would be presented to the government.

He pointed out that he decided to meet with the militants because he has a genuine desire to see to the resolution of the Niger Delta crises, especially as he is a son of the area.

Azazi declared that he is not meeting with the militants because the military is afraid of confronting them or because soldiers have been intimidated by the militants.

Rather, he said, dialogue is the only key to resolve the Niger Delta question and without dialogue, the right things would not be done.

He said that it is known that there is a problem in the Niger Delta and this borders on neglect and government is aware of these grievances.

Azazi regretted that the level of violence in the region is such that one cannot differentiate between a genuine agitation and criminality as people are taking advantage of the peoples demand to perpetrate crimes.

He observed that the increasing level of crime in Niger Delta has made outsiders to wonder if the people are struggling for something that is genuine.

The essence of the meeting with militants, Aziza insisted is to find solution to the genuine cries of the people and put an end to violence in the area.

Azazi told the militants that even though they have cause to struggle, they have no cause to kill anybody.

He continued that a situation where youths are said to be fighting government officials and vice versa is not proper, and advised youths to desist from playing to the gallery and insulting government officials.

On the release of Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, and Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, Aziza said the due legal process would be followed to affect their release.

On the allegation of $2 billion given to the army to acquire arms to suppress the Niger Delta people, Azazi said the army and Ministry of Defence budget is on the internet and the people cab check it out for themselves.

Azazi denied that the Niger Delta Region is militarilized but said that government only takes precautionary measures to protect its strategic facilities in the area.

A spokeswoman for the facilitators of the meeting Margaret Pollock of the Development Associate Incorporated (DAI) said she is partisan to the peace process and the organization interest is to create peace.

The aim of DAI, Pollock continued is to move the Niger Delta youths from disappointment, resentment, fear, frustration to security, peace and constructive action.

A summary of the grievances of the youths articulated at their first meeting last year include: pervasive poverty, insufficient jobs and training opportunities, community marginalization, lack of transparency, un-kept promises, environmental degradation, militarilization and abuse of human rights.

Meanwhile, Nine Chinese oil workers abducted by militants in the Niger Delta on January 25 were yesterday freed unharmed.

The release of the hostages was confirmed in separate statements by China’s Foreign Ministry and the Bayelsa State government.

The Chinese were taken hostage when the militants invaded the office of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) in Bayelsa State and stole large sums of cash.

Their release came as President Olusegun Obasanjo warned in Port Harcourt weekend that government would use force to protect the oil industry should violence and hostage taking continue.

He said: "We must be prepared to defend the life blood of our economy," adding that "this government, any self respecting government and PDP government at any level will not condone criminality."

Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Mike Onolemen who was on assessment visit to the Joint Task Force deployed against violence in the Niger Delta also said in Warri that the armed forces was capable and prepared to contend militant criminality in the region.

The abduction of the CNPC workers was only part of series of attacks and hostage taking against the oil industry hosted in the Niger Delta.

Press Secretary to Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Ekiyor Wilson, stated that no ransom was paid for the release of the Chinese hostages.

Chinese foreign ministry said the released hostages were expected to return to China soon. He advised the nation’s overseas enterprises to raise precautionary measures to ensure safety and minimise risk.

In Warri, Mr. Onolemen said government would review its engagement strategy on the Niger Delta question if attacks on the oil industry continued.

He added that the federal government and indeed the armed forces have the capacity and capability to police the water ways and defend the territorial integrity of the country.

According to him, "the military is able to confront what has become sheer criminality because it has left the level of agitation to sheer criminality"

The defence minister advised the youths to engage the government in constructive engagement rather than following the line of criminality which they are pushing to the level that may provoke the Federal Government.

He added that when the JTF was deployed to the Niger Delta, its mission was to keep peace and restore hope to the region that was completely engulfed in communal crises and militant activities, and that the military have continue to face confrontation from very hostile youths who thrive in criminality.

" I for one as a minister of state for defence, I don’t want to see my brothers in the Niger Delta being crushed under the military might of the Nigerian armed forces, that is why we are appealing to them to chart the course of peace. Let them engage us in constructive engagement, because I don’t want a situation whereby the government will be forced to review the rule of engagement in the region because it is going to be very unfortunate," he stated.

It would be recalled that the vice president was reported to have said that the federal government has spent about $2billion (two billion dollars) to purchase arms to fight the Niger Delta militants.

The activities of the militants in the Niger Delta have increased in recent time, despite all effort by the Federal Government to dialogue with the youths to resolve all the grievances of the region, the militants have continued to take oil workers hostage while disrupting operation of oil exploration companies.

The minister, however, called on the oil companies operating in the region to do more for their host communities because the Niger Delta problem requires a multilateral approach in which the multinationals, the government and the host communities have roles to play.

According to Obasanjo, the use of force would only be a last resort where all other things like persuasion, dialogue, and job creation and graduate employment have failed.

Obasanjo who announced the adoption of the carrot and stick approach in the resolution of the Niger Delta crisis explained genuine agitation will be satisfied through youth employment, skill acquisition, youth empowerment for those who want to work ‘This is what I call carrot."

He lamented that many youths in the region have set up camps for criminal purposes and commended politicians from the area for refusing to hire these youths to achieve political aims.

Addressing the rally. PDP Presidential candidate, Mr. Umaru Musa Yar’Adua said the task of building a prosperous Nigeria is not easy and requested a purposeful, honest and meaningful leadership.

Yar’Adua said he and the vice presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan are honest, sincere, God-fearing and love Nigeria and her people.

He said that the Niger Delta was strategic to Nigeria and her economy and the problem of the region like any other challenges, can be solved through dialogue with the stakeholders.

He added that his administration would dialogue with the people until the problems are resolved.

Dignitaries at the rally include Governors Victor Attah, Donald Duke, Peter Odili: Secretary to the Federation, Obong Ufot Ekaette and wife Eme; Minister of Environment, Helen Esuene; Minister of Energy, Dr Edmond Dankuro, Mr. Desmo Akawor, Senators Udoma Udoma, Victor Ndoma-Egba NDDC Chairman, Ambassador Sam Edem; Dr Samuel Ogbemudia; Chief Olabode George; Chief Don Etiebet, Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, Dr. Ime Umana among others.

Governors James Ibori of Delta State and Lucky Igbenidion of Edo State were absent.