Crocodile  Smile II: Stop militarizating Niger Delta  – PANDLEAF

From: TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

Niger Delta Youth Leadership Forum (PANDLEAF) has  described the militarization of some regions of the nation by the federal government as unwarranted.

PANDLEAF, which spoke in Port Harcourt, Sunday, after electing its national executives, added that the launch of Operation Crocodile Smile II in the Niger Delta does not tell good of the government.

President of the body, Richard Akinaka, speaking after his inauguration, noted that, if there were issues of insecurity, that the police and the State Security Service should be deployed, adding that the nation was under civilian rule and not military.A

kinaka noted that there would have been a near civil war situation in the South-East because of the Operation Python Dance in the area, stressing that it was not too good having too much military on the streets.

He further called on President Muhammadu Buhari to realize that he was a civilian president and stop using the military in the security of the nation.

PANDLEAF President also noted that the president had a military background and knew  professional rules of engagement.
He said, “You must understand the nature of the president we have. He has military background and a leader can only be who he is in his general actions. The militarization of the areas is the nature of the kind of president we voted for.

 “The military operations are only steering up further agitation among the people. Having soldiers all over the streets does not tell good of the security of our people. We have the police and the DSS to provide security in a democratic setting.

“If not God’s intervention, we would have had a civil war situation in the South East. Having too many soldiers on the streets of our country is not too good. President should understand that he is now a civilian president and he should do more with the police”.

Akinaka also urged  pro-Biafra to shun their agitations for secession, as it was not the best option to Nigerian challenges, adding that the strength of the nation is in unity.

He further advocated for regional government, adding that when states and regions are allowed to control their resource that there would be fair competition on development.