Niger Delta group want Boko Haram to embrace dialogue

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

The United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy (UNDEDSS), a coalition of civil society and ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta, on Friday urged the Boko Haram sect and its sponsors to avail itself of the opportunity for a dialogue being offered by the federal government and end the wanton killings in the country.

In a statement issued in Lagos, UNDEDSS Secretary-General Mr. Tony Uranta stated that Nigeria’s continued existence, union and progress should be the paramount interest of all Nigerians.

“We cannot achieve this without bringing in our support for the war on terrorism.

UNDEDSS is hopeful that all Nigerians will, in the challenging months ahead, be more patriotic in deeds, more circumspective in language, and less involved in cheap blame-games, even as we all work together to build a futuristically-focused, better united, faster developing and just Nigeria premised on equity, rule-of-law and peace” he stated.

Uranta, a member of the Presidential Committee on National Dialogue, lauded the efforts of Nigeria’s security forces whom he said were sacrificing so much to keep millions of Nigerians safe;

He however urged the government and security bigwigs to do much less of talking/Public Relations-grandstanding, and let their positive and successful actions speak for them.

The UNDEDSS secretary-general expressed concern over attempts by some Nigerian citizens, governments and security agencies to turn into a propaganda circus, the lamentable unresolved dilemma of the young Nigerian girls ostensibly abducted by Boko Haram from Chibok over a month ago.

“UNDEDSS reiterates the region’s empathy for, and solidarity with, the abducted teenage girls’ families and appreciates the world for recognising that Boko Haram is a part of the ongoing madness of international terrorism” he added.