Niger Delta Militant Leader Ateke Has A Message For Buhari

Ex-militant and leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante (NDV),
Ateke Tom, has said former militant leaders in the Niger
Delta region are ready to work with the President-Elect,
General Muhammadu Buhari.
Ateke, who disclosed this while speaking in pidgin english to
newsmen at Okochiri in Rivers State, urged Gen. Buhari to
invite leaders of genuine militant camps to discuss on how to
move the region forward.
In his words, “I am here to congratulate Buhari for his
victory. We will want good leadership; we thank God that
Buhari is now our President and we pray God Almighty to
give him wisdom to rule our country. Since Buhari is now
our President, we want him to meet with the core leaders of
the Niger Delta struggle; I mean the real leaders in the
struggle.
“He should call the real leaders and talk to them. Let us
discuss on our needs. He should also not forget the Amnesty
Programme, because we know what we fought for and that
was why they gave us Amnesty. We did not get the Amnesty
Programme from the backyard. So, let him keep to the
programme. Let the Amnesty Programme function well and
we will like it. We are ready to work with Buhari.”
The former militant leader said none of the former agitators
in the region will go back to the creeks.
Ateke said, “Some people are saying they want to go back to
the creek, or they want to blow up pipelines; no, I, Ateke Tom
will not be part of that, we don’t need all those things and
nobody will go back to the creeks. I have a say in the Niger
Delta and I am one of the top fighters; so nobody will go back
to the creeks. I advice the youths not to follow anybody back
to the creeks.
“We should not say because there is change of government
and Buhari is now the President, and somebody wants to go
back to the creeks; what are you going there to do? So, let
nobody follow anybody to the creeks. What we want is that
let Buhari meet us and treat us well