Pan-Niger Delta Forum Slams Federal Government Over Security Blackade at Venue of its Meeting

PANDEF said over two hundred delegates attending the meeting, including key traditional rulers, leaders of thoughts, scholars, as well as representatives of youth groups, women groups, and other critical stakeholders from all the states of the Niger Delta region.
According to a communiqué signed by elder statesman, Chief EDWIN CLARK, the meeting was also attended by King DIETE SPIFF, who is the Chairman of Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers and Former Military Governor of Old Rivers State; retired Air Commodore IDONGESIT NKANGA.
Members of the group frowned at the security cordon around the venue of their meeting at Hotel Presidential, which they said was unprecedented and affected their discussions.
The PANDEF General Assembly said the attempts by agencies of the Federal Government to forcefully stop the gathering of leaders of the Niger Delta region is totally unacceptable and a very disturbing precedent.
PANDEF said it finds the security interference more disturbing considering that leaders of other parts of the country, such as Arewa Consultative Forum, Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo, have never been subjected to such humiliation and show of high-handedness.
The group called on the federal government to offer an explanation on the show of hostility mounted against the elders and leaders of the Niger Delta region, which PANDEF represents.
However; some inside sources at PANDEF indicate that the content of the communique is not an accurate reflection of what happened during the meeting within Hotel Presidential.
Information obtained by our correspondent confirmed the existence of cleavages within PANDEF, and that the meeting at Hotel Presidential featured about forty persons who could find their way into the private suit of one of the Niger Delta leaders.