NEO,
OK the 2 from Eket and the 1 from Escravos are a start to the sweepstake. The real money must be on how many more go from Eket and another sweepstake as to when the Bristow operation there finishes
Meanwhile, after the kidnapping of 2 germans from construction giant Julius Berger, from a heavily protected, armed escorted convoy in Port Harcourt on Friday, MEND have announced an end to their ceasefire and made a specific threat to target British nationals as the press announcement from Jomo Gbomo makes clear:
From: Jomo Gbomo
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 23:36:39 -0700
Subject: Warning to Gordon Brown & Resumption of Hostilities
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) wishes to sound a stern warning to the British Prime Minister, Mr Gordon Brown over his recent statement offering to provide military support to the illegal government of Umaru Yar'Adua in further oppressing the impoverished people of the Niger Delta.
To demonstrate our seriousness to the UK support of an injustice, MEND will be calling off its unilateral ceasefire with effect from midnight, saturday July 12, 2008.
Mr Yar'Adua in a fraudulent appeal to the G8 leaders in Japan, misled the international community into believing that the unrest and agitation in the region is due to oil theft which encourages "blood oil".
The international community and independent researchers are very well aware that the unrest in the region is as a result of over five decades of oil exploration that has developed other parts of Nigeria to the detriment of the environment and people of the Niger Delta.
The United Kingdom is part of this problem with the politics it played pre- independence that gave leverage to some sections of the country which has helped in marginalizing and exploiting the region today.
Should Gordon Brown make good his threat to support this criminality for the sake of oil, UK citizens and interests in Nigeria will suffer the consequences.
Jomo Gbomo
But that's okay, as far as Bristow is concerned they have a stack of applications from suitably qualified pilots and why shouldn't they delay any announcement on a pay review - all the big oggas sitting on their fat asses in their safe, air-conditioned offices don't have to put up with the daily danger and cr@p conditions in the Niger Delta
