Former militant leaders from the Niger Delta region have described as “provocative” the recent statements by Sheikh Ahmad Gumi against the Nigerian government, saying he failed to speak out against the kidnappings, maiming and killings in the country.
The former Niger Delta warlords asked “Gumi and his likes” where they were when former President, Muhammadu Buhari, “used Nigeria’s infrastructures and souls of Nigerians to borrow money.”
They also warned Sheik Gumi against actions that would provoke the people of the Niger Delta region.
The ex-militant leaders under the auspices of the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Chief Ayibatekena Olodin, expressed the suspicion that Sheik Gumi, like in the shameful days of Boko Haram killings, was allegedly representing groups of corrupt individuals who plunged the country into an abysmal state.
MSDND, in the statement, described Gumi’s utterance as disheartening, noting that some individuals still engaged in hate speech and divisive rhetoric, seeking to use religion to sow seeds of discord among Nigerians.
“We have resolved to point out to Gumi and his likes that the massive fraud in the FCT including a garnishment order to the tune of $800 million against the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) was perpetuated under a Northern Minister and a Northern President.”
“Minister Wike is only taking very hard decisions to restore the economy of the FCT.
“It is a sad reminder that Gumi could not speak out when his alleged sponsors were kidnapping, maiming and killings Northerners under the guise of Islamist fundamentalists. Where was he when former President Buhari used Nigeria’s infrastructures and souls of Nigerians to borrow Money? Suddenly, he has turned to an activist against FCT administration.”
“We challenge Sheik Gumi and his cohorts to mention a State Governor that has performed in their Northern states such as Nyesome Wike since advent of democratic rule. Wike is the Pride of the Niger Delta region.”
The MSDND strongly called on the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Dele Alake to ensure that the revenues from the Mining of precious minerals such as Gold are domicile in the nation’s treasury, warning that failure of the Northern States to allow collective revenue into the nation’s purse would force the youths from the Niger Delta to truncate crude oil exploration and deny Northern states from the benefits.
They argued that President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dele Alake should embark on an urgent review of mining policies and ensure revenue from mining activities are domicile in nation’s purse, “we stand ready to champion this cause to ensure that all revenue from our nation’s resources be brought into the national treasury.”
“We are ready to cut off the Northern states from crude oil exploration revenue if the monies from mining activities are not domicile with the Federal Government.”
