We're ready for dialogue with FG - Avengers

There are strong indi­cations that the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has reviewed its opposition to dialogue with the Federal Government.

The new position of the militant group was disclosed by the spokesman for the Di­alogue Group, Mr Ballantyne Agiri.

In a signed statement he made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, Agiri said that the NDA had con­stituted contact and dialogue group to engage the Federal Government in meaningful dialogue as part of the efforts to resolve the crisis.

He added that the group was determined to come out with results that would yield lasting peace, equity, justice and harmony among all the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.

Agiri said: “The body has collectively and willingly agreed to heed the clarion call of eminent Nigerians and in­ternational community to di­alogue with the Federal Gov­ernment,’’ he said.

He urged Nigerians and the international commu­nity to follow the event and watch out which side would default in terms of abiding by the rules and spirit of the di­alogue.

“The Federal Government should from the inception of the dialogue rule out from the agenda any monthly mone­tary inducement or stipend for the NDA.

“The Federal Government should be ready for structur­al changes that should be human and development-oriented. Members of the Avengers’ group (who will participate in the dialogue) have already been selected, each based on his integrity, forthrightness, honesty and life track records.

``The names of members of the group for now shall not be made public for personal reasons until they begin func­tioning in a few days ahead,’’ Agiri said.

The NDA has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings of oil and gas in­frastructure in the Niger Del­ta in the last few months.