The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has released a statement commending President Buhari for flagging off the cleanup process of the oil polluted Ogoni land. In the statement made available to Sahara Reporters today June 7th, the militant group said successive governments including that of an indigene of the area, Goodluck Jonathan, failed to carry out the cleanup of the region as recommended in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
"It is in the light of this premise, but particularly because of the colossal failure of former President Goodluck Jonathan-an indigene of the region who was at the helm for six (6) years - to address the remediation of our environment, that the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), for and on behalf of the good people of the region, sincerely and warmly commend President Muhammadu Buhari for his political will and sagacity in tackling the vexed issue of the clean-up of Ogoniland with the June 2, 2016 launch and implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), one of the cornerstones of our agitation over the years," the group stated
The militants expressed worry over what they termed the "ungodly conspiracy of silence" of Niger Delta elites over the sudden emergence of militants such as the Niger Delta Avengers "What is more worrisome to us is the ungodly conspiracy of silence of the region's elite and their tacit support of the NDA's conduct under the pretext of a so-called 'Niger Delta struggle,' which went to sleep in luxury hotel suites in Abuja and around the world for the entire duration of the six years of Mr. Jonathan's binge and unmitigated disaster as President," said MEND.
