By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
A former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Odein Ajumogobia, has rejected an offer by a militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to be part of a team who will negotiate on its behalf with the federal government.
Ajumogobia said there was no truth in the reports that he had agreed to represent MEND in a dialogue with the federal government.
In a statement he personally signed yesterday, Ajumogobia said he did not know the alleged perpetrators of attacks on oil installations and had not offered to serve as their representative in the planned dialogue.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to widespread reports in the media claiming that I have agreed to participate in negotiations with the federal government over the issue of attacks against oil installations in the Niger Delta on behalf of some of the alleged perpetrators of these actions or connected persons. This is not so. I wish to make it absolutely clear that I do not know the alleged perpetrators nor have I offered to serve as their representative in prospective discussions with the federal government in any capacity whatsoever.
“I was recently contacted by someone who claimed to represent the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). In that conversation the caller asked if I would be willing to participate in an initiative to find ways to end the attacks on oil installations through dialogue towards restoring peace and stability in the region.
“My brief response was that if the federal government was genuinely interested in entering into discussions with credible parties who could help to facilitate such a dialogue to halt the actions that were undermining the social and economic stability of the region and the nation I would readily participate. In such an event I would seek to articulate the proper interests of all law abiding Nigerians generally and the ordinary people of the Niger Delta states, in particular.”
