Ateke has enough weapons to raise an army - Senate

Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Abuja - 12.03.2008

THE Senate on Tuesday said what they saw during their visit to the camp of the leader of a militant group, Tom Ateke, was very shocking.

The Senate also said the militant leader had so many weapons and men that he could raise an army if his activities were not checked.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Media, Senator Ayogu Eze, while addressing journalists on Tuesday, said when they visited the camp, they found out that Ateke’s camp and other camps in Rivers State had their own private jetties and also enough weapons and men to raise an army for the country.

The Senate spokesperson warned that the next thing the militants would aspire to have would be private refineries “where they will suck our collective resource and use it for private use,” saying that the country should take a very serious look at this.

Senator Ayogu Eze said: “The Senate will like to commend the Governor of Rivers State for being very forthright in fighting uprising in his domain.

We believe that every governor in the country should emulate what he is doing; he has shown beyond reasonable doubt that he is committed to fighting militancy.”

He pointed out that the Niger Delta people had a case for their states to be developed and for more attention to be given to the area, but that did not entitle them to hostage taking.

“It does not entitle them to breach the freedom of others; it does not entitle them to stopping the flow of revenue in the country. It does not entitle them to appropriate the resources of the nation.

That is not what they are entitled to and the Senate notes with satisfaction, the effort made by the Joint Task Force and most especially by the Rivers State government under Governor Rotimi Ameachi.

“The cry for development is not a cry for the survival of the fittest. If we allow those who have access to illegal arms to operate in the country, none of us will be free to walk the street.

“What we saw in the camp of Tom Ateke is very, very embarrassing and it also shows what exists in the other camps, because they have their own private jetty, where they have private bunkering facility and they have enough ammunition to raise an army for the country and the next they will now have is private refineries where they will suck our collective resource their for their private use. I believe the country should take a very serious look at this.”