Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, representing Delta Central senatorial district in the Senate, said: “Absolutely, he (Amaechi) has my support and commendation. But for a prior commitment that took almost all the southern senators to Enugu on the same date, we would have attended the meeting.
“Amaechi knows the terrain and the challenges we face as a region having served as a governor and currently a ‘key man’ in this administration. Rather than vilify him, he should be commended and encouraged.”
Fruitful session
Former governor of Rivers State and Ministerial nominee Rotimi Amaechi
Former Secretary-General of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Chief Frank Kokori, who attended the meeting, said: “We went for the meeting which had all the major actors in the Niger Delta present, apart from Chief Clark and some persons from his inner caucus.
“We talked of different things and different committees were set up with one of such committees to meet with the Clark group. The meeting was a mixture of those in Clark’s group and others, who were not and was a combination of both PDP and APC leaders,” he said.
Former House of Representatives member, Solomon Edoja, said: “The Minister of Transportation is most qualified to call a meeting to resolve the issue of marginalization of the Niger Delta. He has a thorough understanding of all the issues and he is in a position drive the process and ensure full implementation of decisions as a member of the Federal Executive Council.”
Renowned political leader in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Anietie Okon, said: “The President should stop being a fugitive from the realities of the region and also stop living in denial. I do not blame him because they have created a wrap of falsehood in which he has been cocooned.”
Okon added that what happened last Saturday could only worsen the situation rather than solving the problem in the region.
Amaechi has no mandate
Niger Delta activist, Tony Uranta, said: “Amaechi has the right to convene any gathering that he so wills, just as does any other citizen of Nigeria. However, it is indisputably clear that the armed elements in the region have unanimously declared that the only body that may interface on their behalf with the Federal Government of Nigeria is the Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan-Niger Delta Forum upon whose urging they declared the now shaky unilateral ceasefire that has lasted over six weeks.
“This is a season that calls for sincerity of purpose and commitment to a peaceful and holistic restoration of sustainable peace and restoration of the region’s peace and security.”
National Leader, Urhobo Nationality Council, UNC, Olorogun Jaro Egbo, who also graced the Amaechi meeting, said: “Yes, of course, he is the leading light in the Buhari administration. It was well attended and the deliberations were very frank. We all agreed that the meeting should hold every other month, so the next meeting will come up in November. It was a bi-partisan approach to the Niger Delta question.”
Meeting convened to create confusion —Omare
The whole essence of the meeting, in my view, was to deliberately muddle up the peace process and make it impossible for the Federal Government.
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