Niger Delta leaders have issued a three-month ultimatum to the Federal Government to re-federalise Nigeria and convene a national dialogue.
In a communiqué issued at the end of a South-South zonal conference on restructuring held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Friday, the leaders said the national dialogue will chart a new course for the country.
The leaders, who came from the nine states of the region, threatened to actualise their freedom if nothing happened at the expiration of the ultimatum.
They also called for an urgent need for the devolution of powers to the states and vowed to resist oppressive and repressive tendencies against the Niger Delta region and its people.
It read: “We the people of the Niger Delta hereby give the Government of Nigeria a three months window, within which to cordially address our concerns towards re-federalising the polity, by convening a national dialogue of the representatives of the ethnic groups in Nigeria to chart a new course for the country.
“At the expiration of this three-month window, we the people of the Niger Delta will commence the process that will guarantee our freedom and progress. Our people should mobilise all human resources to see that fiscal federalism and devolution of powers are includes in the constitution.”
Present at the event were a career diplomat and Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Czechoslovakia, Dr. Godknows Igali; and the National Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Senator Emmanuel Ebok-Essien.
While elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, was represented by Chief Obiuwevbi Ominimini, at the event.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News