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WARRI —  GOVERNOR James Ibori of Delta State says he is handicapped by the refusal of Niger Delta militants to release the three  hostages they are holding in  the creeks, pointing out that unless they are freed, he will not have the strength to continue with the struggle.

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Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, also speaking, yesterday, on the non-release of the hostages deplored the decision of the British and US governments to hold direct  negotiation with the militants on the release of their citizens. Chief Clark also said the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) which abducted the  oil workers had briefed him on the situation.

Governor Ibori spoke when he received five Ministers from the Niger Delta who paid him a solidarity visit at the Governor’s Office Annex in Warri over the problem  in the region. The ministers were Prof. Turner Isoun (Science and Technology); Alowei Broderick Bozimo (Police Affairs); Dr. Roland Oritsejafor (Defence); Dr.  Edmund Daukoru (Petroleum); and Dr Precious Sekibo (Transport).

He said: “I have said over this past three weeks to these our younger brothers (militants) that unless these hostages are released, I cannot be strengthened to continue  with the struggle with them. I am handicapped.

“In fact, he (Obasanjo) understands it very well. He knows what needs to be done. He is prepared to assist us in doing this but we cannot do it except these hostages  are released. That is the point I have been making.

“Again, if we carry on the way we are carrying on now, we seem to be losing sympathy and that is very costly indeed. We all know the issues, the country knows  where we are, what we are talking about and they are prepared to assist us to achieve what we need to achieve. The international community is stretching their hands  of fellowship to assist. If we don’t stop this, I don’t see how far we can go.

“The good thing is that we are getting some response and you know how it is. All of us have been engaged in this at one point or the other. Now you have people  who are running around the whole place telling you all sorts of stories, not only complicating the matter but causing diversion and digression on the part of the success  of this operation. But the good thing is that we are getting some good result.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), I was able to confirm that the head count is going on well in Gbaramatu Kingdom, which is a very good thing. I was getting worried that if  this continues into the census, we might have another issue. But that issue has been taken out of the table."

Prof Isoun who led the team said: “We came to register our support and solidarity to the governor. We want to make it clear from the start that we are not here for  negotiation with any militant, which is not the purpose. The purpose is that we want it to be on record that we are together. The problems of Niger Delta are no longer  problems of the Niger Delta and the South-South region only. ”

Clark slams US, UK

Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, yesterday, carpeted the British and American governments for negotiating directly the release of the three foreign oil workers—  two  Americans and one Briton—  kidnapped and held hostage by militants in the Niger Delta for the past 34 days with a group of Ijaw youths.

Chief Clark who spoke to Vanguard at his Warri residence said it was “undiplomatic and offensive” for the British and American governments to enter such talks with  youths when the elders and leaders of Ijaw nation had met and made some pronouncements on the matter regarding the release.

He said he was particularly disappointed that the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Richard Gozney, who visited him at his Kiagbodo country home when he  arrived Nigeria would involve himself in such a mission that tended to undermine the sovereignty of Nigeria.

His words: “I understand the position of the United States and Britain but honestly I do not think it is in the place of US and UK to directly intervene when the  Federal Government is there to discuss the release of the hostages with any group in the country.

“Nigeria is not America or Britain. It is a foreign country and whatever negotiations to be done should be done by the Federal Government through the state  government and the leaders of the area."

....Says MEND leader briefs him

Chief Clark also said the leadership of MEND called him on phone and briefed him on why the three hostages have not been released.

“I am in direct contact with the hostage takers. The leader of the MEND called me early this morning (yesterday) and after briefing me on the situation, I pleaded that  they should release the remaining three hostages in accordance with the decision of the Ijaw elders and leaders at Yenagoa,” he said, adding that the MEND leader  told him that the three hostages were healthy.