Malabu Oil Deal: MEND Wants House to Summon Jonathan

• Threatens Shell over planned relocation to Lagos • Seeks probe of Admiral Ikoli’s death

Ejiofor Alike

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has thrown its weight behind the moves by the House of Representatives to invite former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, to shed more light on the controversial Malabu Oil deal.

In a statement issued on Monday by the spokesman of the militant group, Jomo Gbomo, the group said it was in full support of moves by the House to summon the former president to appear before the House to give answers to the myriad of questions concerning his role in the Oil Prospecting Lease (OPL) 245 deal.

“Where he refuses to honour the invitation, we urge the House to invoke its inherent powers to compel his appearance. Like millions of Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora who have keenly followed the OPL 245 saga, we have reasonable grounds to suspect that President Jonathan may have indeed compromised his high office with regard to the matter, more especially, given the fact that key officials of his administration, including the then Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke, have been indicted and charged before the Federal High Court in Abuja,” the group added.

MEND said it was alarmed by media reports of the planned or rumoured relocation of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) back to Lagos from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“If it is true, we urge SPDC to shelve the idea as the move has the likely consequence of reawakening restiveness in the Niger Delta region. Quite apart from the massive loss of jobs, opportunities, taxes and other incentives the planned move would cause in the medium to short term, it is clear to all stakeholders, including the federal government, that such a move is ill advised,” the group said.

According to MEND, the Niger Delta region is no longer hostile to the business interests of the IOCs, including SPDC, as peace has since returned to the area; following the enervating efforts of MEND, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF); the various state governments, as well as the federal government.

The group argued that there is therefore no reason whatsoever for SPDC to relocate to Lagos.
MEND also threatened that it would reconsider the unilateral ceasefire of May 30, 2014 if SPDC relocates back to Lagos.
The group described the death of Rear Admiral Daniel Teikumo Ikoli in Lagos on April 5, 2017 as suspicious and unfortunate.

“Death is an inevitable end for all mortals but our suspicion is fed by conflicting reports surrounding the circumstances of his death,” it said.
The group called on the “Nigerian military high command to initiate a thorough investigation into the remote and immediate circumstances surrounding the death of the late Rear Admiral who was one of the shining lights of the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Nigerian Navy”.