•Ex-Methodist Prelate says Nigeria should learn from US, as Operation Crocodile Smile moves to Bayelsa

From Joe Effiong, Uyo and Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

Former Pelate, Methodist Church, Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Mbang, yesterday warned the Federal Government that force will not resolve Niger Delta crisis.
He said the only option is dialogue, citing the United States stalemate in its war in Iraq and Afganistan.
Mbang, who is former president, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), spoke to journalists at his residence in Eket, Akwa Ibom State at the weekend to mark his 80th birthday.
This is even as the military extended its Operation Crocodile Smile to Bayelsa State in a bid to dislodge militants from the creeks and free Niger Delta region from economic saboteurs.
Speaking with newsmen at his country home in Eket as part the celebration marking his 80th birthday, Mbang, who is also the former president of the World Methodist Council, said there was no possibility of the military option bringing in the desired result even if combined simultaneously with dialogue.
“The truth is that you cannot use force and dialogue at the same time. I would have preferred dialogue. But when you are talking of peace and then you bring in the military, you defeat the purpose of dialogue. Have they tried dialogue to its end before the resort to military?
“I was pretty disappointed when I saw the operation crocodile nonsense. I was disappointed I must be sincere because the trouble in Niger Delta is not today’s trouble; is a trouble that has gone for very long and am sure people know the solution to them, but they decide to be dancing around what they know. Whether they believe me or not, they are working for people.
“There are certain things in Niger Delta that should be dealt with and for justice sake, let government deal with those things through dialogue. Niger Delta cannot get everything they want, am sure by then they will have peace; but if they think they can use force, is not going to work. It has not worked anywhere. You see, America wanted to use force in Afghanistan, Iraq and others, it did not solve the problems, in fact, it’s creating more problem for them. If they try to use force in the area, it will create more problem for Nigeria.
“They, Niger Delta people, have a case. People from outside have come to look at this case, they should sit down and deal with it the way they want to deal with it, force will not solve it. They have told me that the oil bloc is one of the main problems, that no Niger Delta man has one oil bloc in their area. I really want to see them dealing with it.
“If there are oil blocs given to others, why don’t they give to people from the area, so that whenever anybody wants to talk about it, they will say this man has it,” he said.
Mbang wondered why President Muhammadu Buhari chose to discard the report of the national conference conducted during the Jonathan administration, lamenting that one of the Nigeria’s problems is lack of continuity.
He said poor management of insurgency at the primary stages usually leads to full blown separatist movement like Boko Haram; even as he stressed that he did not know what the Boko Haramists were looking for.
“Like the Biafra people, they will tell you why there is Biafra. I am sure if you ask them properly, they will tell you. But I am not sure you can get that from Boko Haram, unless whether somebody has been able to get it. I have been reading all the papers, nobody has been able to do research on Boko Haram,” Mbang said.
Meanwhile, the Army moved to Bayelsa State at the weekend to prosecute its Operation Crocodile Smile, assuring the people that the military would not abdicate its responsibility in securing lives and property. The operation commenced with a medical outreach programme at Twon- Brass, Brass Local Government Area.
Military sources said hide-outs of crude oil thieves, illegal oil bunkerers and militant camps would  be the target as the operation gathers momentum in coastal communities in the state.
Several troops have been moved to the coastal communities in Bayelsa State in preparation for the operation.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Burutai, who had visited Governor Henry Seraike Dickson earlier to intimate him on the visit, said the 3,000 troops deployed in the coastal communities would be increased to 10000 by next year to ensure adequate safeguarding of the nation’s assets.
On the medical outreach, Burutai said the military will not shy away from its rules of engagements to civilians.
According to him, the military has also been engaged in promoting civil, military relationship in the areas of medical outreach to citizens, road maintenance and education, adding that, the military takes its rules of engagement seriously, even during conflicts.
Speaking on the operation, Dickson assured that the state government would collaborate with the military to ensure that Bayelsa is safe.
“Security can only be achieved when you have an effective and robust collaboration.  This state understands the role of security which is the cornerstone of any meaningful and lasting development and that is what we are doing, working with the intelligence and law enforcement agencies, mobilising our community leaders at all levels.
“We have drawn up at all levels a dynamic synergy between all to ensure that our state and our region remain safe.  If you are talking about security and stability in the Niger Delta region, you know that it has to start with Bayelsa because this is the epicentre of all the issues, challenges and all the contradictions that we have to deal with  and all those issues are basically development,” he said.
The lawmaker representing Brass constituency 1 in the House of Assembly, Hon Israel Sunny-Goli, has commended the military for commencing the operation from Brass LGA.
Sunny-Goli, who said Brass remains a critical community in Nigeria because of its oil assets and resources, noted that the deployment of soldiers to the region is good for the economy.