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The Hawkish North, Foxy West and Nude Niger Delta By Sokore Collins Erebi
The predicted failure of the national political reform conference is a clear opportunity for well meaning Nigerians to ensure that this country which was maliciously amalgamated and subsequently decolonized by her imperial majesty does not go the way of a failed project because of the desire of a morally bankrupt cabal in the north and their surrogate in the south to undermine other regions of the country. Right from the formation, the cabal ensured the conference ends the way it did. The calibre of delegates was enough to prove to discerning mind that the conference had a manuscript. So it was surprising that some Nigerians cheeringly hoped that the conference will come out with solution to our myriad of problems. It is shameful that most suggestions which reflect global trend and practices by civilized societies were rejected because the self acclaimed taskmasters of the weakest giant in the world knew it will make every region and individual equal stakeholders in the nation. First, it was the north that cried of marginalization over the appointment of conference leaders because an Islamic fundamentalist was not appointed to the leadership of the conference. With their array of ex-generals, emirs and neo-colonialist, they believe that Nigeria is a natural creation. And with the much vaunted incorrect census figure, they believe they must eternally rule over Nigeria and dictate the pace of our development. The greed of the northern elite is made manifest in the number of beggars , “mai gaurds”, “mai shai”, hawkers etc of northern origin that roam the streets of major cities. Why should a region that has perpetually ruled Nigeria; appropriated our commonwealth to themselves; remain the most humanly underdeveloped? Answers to these questions are not far fetched. It is ironic that governors who rigged elections are claiming to be forbearers of sharianization of northern Nigeria with an eye to conquer the rest of us. In their dealings, there is no conscience nurtured by truth as espoused by Uthman Dan Fodio –the great jihadist. Otherwise, they will not embezzle to satisfy their voracious desire for luxury and women; loot to secure the future of their great grand sons yet unborn; send their children to foreign educational institutions while the almajiris roam the streets as fulani cattle herdsmen. The west has always cunningly cheated and oppressed other ethnic group in the south holding to the false assumption that they are the most enlightened. It is obvious since June 12 crisis that the south westerners have a hidden. They played the derivation card when they needed our support for the presidency. Then Obasanjo became president in 1999, truly a product of that struggle. He appointed Bola Ige, the locally acclaimed cicero of Esa Oke as minister of justice and attorney general to pursue their agenda – introduce offshore/onshore dichotomy; reduce the Niger Delta governors to beggars. However, he was suspiciously assassinated by people from his constituency. To correct his misadventure in Odi, Obasanjo created a bogus NDDC and starved it of fund while billions were readily available for nomadic education and gigantic water projects in the north. Why is there no swampy education scheme for the Niger Delta? Even appointment into NDDC is a clear manifestation of the hawkish and foxy gang. It is no doubt that these ethnic jingoist would stop at nothing to subject the most brutalized and oppressed group in the world to eternal domination. Anyway they are not God and will never succeed.
The Niger Delta people are not completely absolved from the blames. Politically, even when the southwest did not vote for Obasanjo in 1999, they got grade A appointments –minister of justice, minister of education, ambassador to Uk etc. What has being the fruit of landslide rigging in successive elections for the Niger Delta people? The calibre of persons appointed from the Niger Delta is questionable as well. When we expected that a respite has come, our wishes were circumverted and hopes dashed because our so called elected governors could not support their handpicked delegates to the national political reform conference. The efforts of the delegates were widely applauded not minding the uproar that trailed their selection. For once, we saw leaders from the Niger Delta standing for the popular wish of the people from the region only for the governors to outrightly trade the demand for the protection of their loot and free themselves from the net of the aristocratic Nuhu Ribadu Economic and Financial Crime Commission. No governor from the Niger Delta openly supported the 50% derivation during the conference but we saw northern governors like Saminu Turaki of dry Jigawa and Bukar Ibrahim of arid Yobe making inflammatory and arrogant statements. Even Ondo state which will be a beneficiary of such a policy change kept mute and flowed with its Odua brothers for fear of persecution by the foxes. It is beginning to dawn on us that the initial support for increased derivation was to use it as an instrument to negotiate for political appointment come 2007. It is on record that more money was spent on the one year memorial advertisement of a governor’s mother than was spent on campaign for resource control. From Bakassi to Finimma; Escravos to Bori; the societies are awashed with abandoned projects while we see federal projects commissioned in Nassarawa and other less productive and economically unviable states. The government gave shameful excuses as difficult terrain and youth restiveness as reasons for the underdevelopment yet the multinational oil companies are daily burrowing through such terrain, erecting gigantic structures to exploit and brazenly rape mother Niger Delta. What did we get before the father of modern Niger Delta struggle – Ken Saro Wiwa was murdered for using only his pen and mouth? Youth restiveness only became a tool for the grossly exploited Niger Deltan youth after that dastardly act. In 1999, the south west lost the elections but won the government. Our division is not peculiar. The Yorubas are divided as well as the Hausas. There is the Alafin and Oni tussle, Ife and modakeke wars but when it comes to regional interest, personal desire coalesces. The division in the north is even more pronounced- Zaki-Biam, Zango-kataf war, Kaduna crises, and state of emergency in Jos. However, a Bukola would rather fly the same political kite with a Yerima instead of a Fayose. I want to say that the south east is a co-traveller with the Niger Deltan in this strategic and unholy agreement by the north and west to make themselves superior Nigerians. If the Niger Delta must be liberated, it must devise strategies to claim its right rather than beg for them as priviledges and handouts. Furthermore, it was refreshing to see men like Oronto Douglas in the conference; an indication that in future, The Niger Delta must have its say and certainly its way. Nigeria we hail thee. Weep not my Niger Delta for the dawn is nigh.
Sokore Collins Erebi Warri, Nigeria
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