The Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, wants President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the Rivers State Crisis before it deteriorates further.
Chairman of PANDEF’s Peace and Reconciliation Committee and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah, made the plea while addressing newsmen in Abuja,
Obong Attah said that all efforts to engage Wike, despite President Bola Tinubu’s appeal for dialogue to restore stability in Rivers State, proved abortive.
Attah lamented that Wike’s unavailability is obstructing efforts to de-escalate tension in the state as dialogue requires mutual engagement.
“In our determination to prevent a full-blown crisis from developing, we constituted a team of eminent elders from across the South-South region,” Attah explained.
“If this impasse persists, we will have no choice but to disband the Peace and Reconciliation Committee and step back from any further attempts to resolve this crisis,” Attah warned.
“However, our fear is that this could have catastrophic consequences.”
On his part, PANDEF National Chairman Ambassador Godknows Igali, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prevail on Nyesome Wike to retract his inflammatory statement on members of the Forum who visited the President few days ago to inform him on how far the Committee has gone in its assignment.
“The visit to Mr President, attended by eminent south south leaders, including the region’s most senior traditional rulers, former governors, senators, ministers, retired senior military officers, business leaders and other distinguished citizens was held at the invitation of Mr. President himself provided a platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance.
Ambassador Igali, who said PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta region, will continue to engage relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting peace in Rivers state.
PANDEF, a regional body, was established in 2016 to champion the interests of the Niger Delta.
