The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) had said many notable Ijaw and
other Niger Delta leaders and elders, including Jonathan were involved
in sponsoring the activities of militancy in the Niger Delta region.
The former president’s Media Aide, Ikechukwu Eze in a statement on
Sunday said the claim made by Cynthia White should be discarded as
Jonathan could never be a sponsor of militancy in the Niger Delta.
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“For the avoidance of doubt, we are fully convinced that such an idiotic
claim is too cheap a narrative, a facile contrivance so badly concocted
that any discerning mind would easily see through its disingenuous and
duplicitous nature.
“Since it is not in our place to speak for all those named in the
obvious fabrication, we are only intervening to the extent that its
hidden intent poses a violent threat to the life of former President Dr.
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, a committed patriot who the Almighty God
has given the grace and good health to rededicate his life to the
service of humanity, after serving his dear nation as President to the
best of his abilities.
“We are also not bothered by this baseless accusation, contented that we
are not the only ones conversant with Jonathan’s widely-acknowledged
sincere disposition to peace, non-violence and better human community.
“We, however, seized by the feeling of déjà vu occasioned by the
resurrection of one dim character masquerading as ‘Cynthia White’, who
had in the past served as the spokesperson for a notorious group that
had all along shown its hand to be going after the life of Dr. Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan,” the statement said.
The statement recalled that in 2007 when Jonathan emerged as the running
mate to the late President Umar’ Yar’Adua in the People’s Democratic
Party during that year’s presidential election, this very group invaded
Yenogoa with hundreds of militants in an effort to assassinate the
former president.
“Jonathan was only saved then by the spirited efforts of the combined
forces of determined security men, who gallantly repelled the attack.
Let us also not forget that members of this same group later invaded and
bombed Jonathan’s compound in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, on a night he was
scheduled to attend to an important matter in his country home. He was
only saved by the grace of God, who in His infinite mercy created
intervening factors that prevented Jonathan from sleeping in his country
home that night.
“Do we need to remind anybody that the so called Cynthia White is the
self declared spokesperson of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger
Delta (MEND), a violent and murderous underground group led by one
Henry Orkah, which has not hidden its intention to destroy the former
President? The unfortunate event of 1st October 2010 in Abuja at the
Eagle Square during the Independence Day celebrations for that year,
being presided over by the former President, bears out this conviction,”
the statement said.
According to the statement, it would be recalled that after an attempt
to bomb the venue, with the mind of assassinating Jonathan and possibly
other high profile local and international dignitaries in attendance,
was thwarted by tight security deployment, the terrorists exploded their
bombs in other parts of Abuja, resulting in the death of many innocent
Nigerians.
“It is no secret that following that incident, Orkah, the leader of MEND
was arrested, tried, convicted and jailed in South Africa over
terrorism charges by the security authorities of that country. He
remains in a South African prison till date while his associates in
Nigeria are still being held in Kuje prison, Abuja.
“We, therefore, have no doubt in our mind that MEND, as a group
contracted to go after Jonathan with the mind of assassinating him, is
yet to abandon this criminal and ignominious craving. It is in this
light that we view the purported statement issued by ‘Cynthia White’ as
not only a sadistic continuation of this sick desire, but also a futile
attempt to instigate the Federal Government to needlessly go after the
former President.
“Those who have been following the unsavoury developments in some parts
of the country since the last general elections, especially the ones
that held in the South South states, would have noticed that the
nefarious MEND, their pay masters and other unscrupulous elements in the
region, have been striving fruitlessly to exploit the ensuing
confusion, by surreptitiously working for the fulfillment of its
yet-to-be declared political agenda. It is our considered view that the
statement in question is an off-shoot of that ignoble plan; this time
plotting to rubbish and torpedo the ongoing peace efforts in the
region,” it stated.
It added that “while we believe that God Almighty would continue to
protect the former President against the evil machinations of these
undesirable elements, we wish to also point out that Jonathan is
prepared to do anything within the limit of our laws to ensure that he
enjoys a well-deserved peaceful post-Presidential life without any
hindrance.”
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