The
leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Asari-Dokubo,
has said the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) is a faceless
organisation which no longer existed as far as the struggle for people’s
emancipation in the region is concerned.
Speaking
against the background of the controversial statement issued last week by MEND
endorsing the candidacy of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), the former militant leader
described the acronym, MEND, as a pseudonym being used by the imprisoned Henry
Okah to deceive ignorant persons.
Asari
Dokubo also said the name, Gbomo Jomo, who always signed statements on behalf
of MEND, was not known to belong to any nationality in the Niger Delta region.
“Our
people say birds of a same feather flock together, it is not strange that this
organisation is endorsing Buhari. First, I have always maintained that
there is nothing like MEND.
“When
I was in prison, the organisation I lead, NDPVF, the NDPSF and other
organisations came together to stop arrest and they formed a faceless
organisation, some guys, including Henry Okah, were sent to me in Kuje prison
for us to get a name and my opinion on what they were going to do, I accepted
though majority of members of NDPV resisted it, I told them that we should be
faceless and so they formed MEND.
“General
Taminu was supposed to be the head, but it does not exist, Alaibe was supposed
to be secretary, it does not exist. Gbomo Jomo, which is not a name known to
any nationality in the Niger Delta does not exist,” he said.
On
the allegation made by President Goodluck Jonathan that Henry Okah planned to
assassinate him, Dokubo said: “What the president said is belated. The
president had known since 2007 that Henry Okah wanted to kill him. For saying
it, it is the fault of Ijaw leaders including Chief E.K Clark who have been
sweeping this thing, it under the carpet. And one day, the debris under the
carpet will become too much that the carpet will be undulated.
“Now,
it is undulated, the stench is coming out and the President could no longer
hold it. He has now come out to say Henry Okah wanted to assassinate him which
was true. Henry even said the President and myself are not Ijaw people.
He
debunked media reports credited to him that he was going to invade Yoruba land,
saying “There was no such statement. Everybody knows that when I make a
statement, I own up to it. There is no such thing. I never made it. You know, a
lot of times, they ascribe a lot of things to me.”