Niger Delta radicals under the aegis of the Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationalities in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) on Friday threatened a showdown with political office holders from the Niger Delta region in the federal cabinet if nothing is done to fast track the development of the region.

The group said that henceforth, the likes of Godswill Akpabio, Timipre Sylva, Rotimi Amaechi, Festus Keyamo, Engr. Simbi Wabote and other sons of the region occupying political offices in the APC led government who have refused to speak for the development of the region should be ready to face the wrath of the youths.

The position of MOSIEND was contained in a statement by the group’s National Vice President, Comrade Thompson Fuoye, issued to newsmen after a meeting held with leaders of other Niger Delta ethnic nationalities in Warri.

Fuoye said the youths of the region have resolved that appointees and other political office holders would be ostracised, embarrassed, stoned and booed anywhere they are seen in the region.

He noted that instead of the leaders to unite and speak with one voice to ensure that the long years of neglect and under-development is addressed by the federal government, they are busy fighting each other for their selfish interests.

Fuoye emphasised that what the Niger Delta people needed now is development and not infighting between politicians, warning that the people have been pushed to the wall and will no longer tolerate politicians who are in habit of gambling with the people's destinies.

He said: “As MOSIEND, our own resolve as spoken by our President Kennedy Tonjo-West is that we are sending a message to all the Niger Delta representatives in the federal cabinet.

“They must be up and doing. We have resolved that if they don't find a way to ensure that the region is properly developed that we are going to embarrass them anywhere we found them in the Niger Delta.

“We are warning all those people in the federal cabinet, Akpabio, Sylva, Ameachi, Keyamo, Simbi Wabote who have refused to talk to the federal government on how to develop the region that when they have any event in the Niger Delta, we cannot guarantee their safety anymore because they would be jeered.

“This is a clear message to all the Niger Deltans in the federal cabinet because you cannot gamble with us because you are PDP or APC or whatever party you belong to we don't care to know. All we want is for our region to develop.

“Whether you are Amaechi, you are enemy with Wike, Sylva you are enemy with Diri we don’t care to know. Don’t bring all those nonsense to shortchange us.

“If they can’t bring development to us we cannot guarantee them, anytime they have an event in the region they will be embarrassed and we will make the region uncomfortable for them. Enough is enough of this nonsense.

“We are not safe anymore and our territories have been taken over by Fulani herdsmen and nobody is making any effort to address these matters.

“And they are there talking about APC and PDP, you are to represent us in the Niger Delta, we don’t care what party you belongs to.

“How can we have board matter in the NDDC that has lingered for so long and we have the likes of Akpabio, Amaechi and Sylva causing confusion everywhere.

“They are just killing us with their unnecessary interest in politics. Nobody is guaranteed anymore. We will embarrassed them right from the airport.

“Ameachiy you are fighting with Wike and you refused to bring development to our people and Sylva you are fighting with Seriake, Diri and you don’t want to bring development to our own state.”

The MOSIEND National Vice President said that it totally supports the one month ultimatum given by the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) to shut down the region over FG refusal to inaugurate a substantive board for the NDDC, insisting that delay in constituting the board is a ploy to under-develop the region.

He noted that though MOSIEND totally aligns itself with the ultimatum given by IYC which is long overdue owing to federal government failure to inaugurate the board, it however observed that the total shutting down of the region would bring unbearable hardship to the people who are already going through pains.

“Whereas we accept, agree and support to the fullest the statement made by the President of the IYC giving a one month ultimatum to the FG over the NDDC board. We know that the federal government has failed, but total shutting down of the region will bring hardship to our people.

“We still understand that such an ultimatum will bring suffering to our people who have already gone through a lot.

“We know that the ultimatum is long overdue. Though we don’t want this to happen to our people but we do not have a choice if that is the last option,” the statement said.

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