Like the Nnamdi Kanu led IPOB, a new group from Niger Delta has demanded that it gains independence from Nigeria. The
group named ‘Region of the Niger
Delta’ (Rondel) has demanded the
sovereignty of the region. In a statement by its spokesman, Efe Edet-Tamuno, the group
said its demands are made on a non-violent struggle. Read the statement after the cut..
A Demand for the Independence of Rondel from Nigeria in 2018.
We the people of the Region of the Niger Delta (Rondel), represented by members of
Rondel Solidarity Movement (RSM) – a newly born aggressive but non-violent umbrella
body for all intellectuals, groups and associations in the Niger Delta Region, having lived together in the past as a loose federation under the Benin Empire and the
great Ijaw and other kingdoms, desirous of searching for our own country since northerners in Nigeria have decided to
evacuate southerners from ‘their Nigeria’ – we today, 07.06.2017 wish to announce the fusion of our various groups into one
strong and united non self seeking group to champion our developmental causes and help build our region into a nation of
justice, freedom, peace and prosperity.
We have, after over 6 hours of a well attended meeting held at a secret location in Rivers State, met and made Resolutions which will be remembered as The Rondel Covenant.
The Resolutions are in response to the threat by lazy and ignorant Arewa Youths to divide and destroy Nigeria (disguising as
evicting the Igbos – an injury to any Southerner is an injury to all Southerners – the days of divide and conquer has ended)
and noting the obvious foot dragging of the Nigerian government over this issue
with no one arrested, tried or jailed despite the fact that the treasonable felons are well
known and they are all not hiding whereas a certain Nnamdi Kanu of Biafra was incarcerated for over two years for daring to discuss Biafra and a certain Kola Edokpayi of Rondel is currently incarcerated
for daring to challenge the government in Edo state.
Following the treasonable ultimatum issued by the Arewa Youths with tacit backing of
the Arewa Consultative Forum and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs led by Sultan of Sokoto either of who has not
openly condemned the felons and call for their incarceration like they would do when the table turned, and being fed up of being
described by the President of Nigeria as 5% undeserving of the benefits of Nigeria, thus
desirous to found our own country where we will be treated as citizens with full rights, not some species with 5% rights,
We hereby make the following declarations and resolve as follows:
1. That all the intellectuals, groups and associations in the Niger Delta should fuse into Rondel Solidarity Movement and our demands shift from Resource Control to
Independence Movement
2. That in our country, we shall return power to the true owners of the lands, the monarchs, in English-style power sharing
between the Royals and the people in a Parliamentary system.
3. That we demand Independence for Rondel from Nigeria from 2018.
4. That Rondel comprises all the six states in the present South-South of Nigeria.
5. That Rondel is an acronym derived from the Region of Niger Delta, later Republic of
Niger Delta, if the Arewa groups make good their threats.
6. That Rondel is our name, Rondish will be our Language and Rondland shall be our capital city. Details of these, including the
locations of Rondland, shall be in our October 1 book.
7. That no inch of Rondel in the six states of Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Cross River, Edo, and Rivers States shall ever be ceded to any
other people or nation for any reason whatsoever and all those people drawing maps up and down are hereby warned to
desist forthwith or risk our
disproportionate vengeance including present and future social and economic sanctions.
8. That our motivations for decision to leave Nigeria are first President Buhari’s treatment of our people as 5%, Northerner’s nearly exclusive illegal and
immoral occupation of our oil wells destroying our ecosystems and the eviction notice by Arewa Youths with tacit support
of government and the Arewa leaders.
9. That since that treasonable order by Arewa youths, and because no one was
arrested, tried and convicted for the high treason, the same matter for which Nnamdi Kalu was imprisoned for about two years,
we no longer have faith in one indissoluble.
