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Niger-Delta Agenda for the Next President By Maxwell James
Recently, the institutionalization of democratic governance became evident in Nigeria following the abortion of the fêted third term agenda and President Obasanjo’s commitment and determination of late, to hand over to a democratically elected President come May 29th,2007. For the umpteenth time, the President has emphasized his desire to retire to his Ota farm after a meritorious service that might have spanned 11 years to his fatherland. Another inoculation to this fact was the recently successful conduct of primaries elections by the major political parties in the country; The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and lately The Action Congress (AC)
Like an obstinate problem that is incapable of being ignored, the Niger Delta debacle has featured prominently as a major issue that deserved outmost attention by the various Aspirants. It is no longer news that the aged long problems that bedeviled the region have become a recurrent decimal militating against the socio-economic development of the region and the Nigerian state in general. Though it is heart warming that most of the political parties have established the fact Niger Delta region is central to winning the heart of many anxious Nigerians following the long years of deprivation and abandonment occasioned by military interregnum and their civilian accomplice, the right approach was not taken to marshal out the salient points to convince many cynic Nigerians on the possibilities of solving this lingering problem. It is also true that many drowning political parties have found the Niger Delta conundrum as sure way to garner support and escalate their shrouding and dwindling political cloud. This article does not in anyway seek to haul up the outgoing administration in whatever shortfall that might have been observed by concerned Nigerians like this writer who may not be from the region. However it seeks to acquaint the next Government that will be elected by Nigerians with basic information that is germane in evolving strategies to solving these evils in the Niger Delta as well as the efforts being made by a group of professionals, civil society groups and well-meaning individuals to bring to an end these crises.
Though it is commendable that intervening agency like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other stop gap measures like the Coastal States Economic Development Committee that is headed by Mr. President are all aimed at finding a holistic solution to the troubled region, important aspect of such efforts were jettisoned for political and arcane reasons to fill in minions to run important commissions and agencies as strategic as NDDC.
Experience has shown that the myriad of problems that are often associated with the region are exacerbated and orchestrated by bad governance. Monumental incompetence and corruption in high places have conspired to deprive the people of their right for good living. It is therefore an established fact that there is no where in the entire universe where systematic and stealthy denials of people’s right engender peaceful co-existence. It is also on records that the Niger Delta as a vast land in the federating states of Nigeria and populated by different groups of people has always found unity in their diversity as a result of the monumental deprivation that is going on in their land. Numerically speaking, the region can not be wished away considering the fact that the region was estimated to have over 20 million inhabitants comprising of different ethnic groups – speaking different dialects across various communities.
The next administration must chuck-out such anachronistic statement that the Niger Delta does not have adequate professionals to man their various affairs. The first step to dousing the tension in the careworn region is to make the inhabitants stakeholders in their own affairs. By this singular but patriotic act, the time tasted cliché that no man says his mother’s sauce is tasteless becomes apt. In a recent chat with one of the brightest minds of the region - Barrister George Etomi in Calabar, the legal luminary who also doubles as the Vice Chairman of the Emmanuel Ejewere’s led Professionals of the South South (PSS), I was marveled at the corpus of strategies and ideas this non-profit making body has outlined to implement as their contribution to solving the Niger Delta problems. But hardly will one hear of Government effort in collaborating with such eminent personalities. A further probe into their activities reinforced my heartfelt believe that possible two-way endeavor with this mass of professionals from the Niger Delta will no doubt serve as a concerted effort at finding a massive solution to the region ‘s hydra headed problems.
In a manner that bespeaks camaraderie, these Professionals of the South South have seen reason to establish contact and extend their vision and mission to a youth wing clothed in the name of South South Youth Leaders Forum (SSYLF) headed by a forward looking young man Moses Siloko-Siasia who has over the years, devoted his youthful energy in championing the emancipation of the region. The search for a secured region where peace and prosperity reign supreme must start by identifying such unadulterated leaders that have unfettered access to the armed bearing boys in the creeks to carefully dissuade them out of the dungeon of miseries and channel their young-looking potentials into a productive venture. By this singular act, the next government will definitely achieve a secured Niger Delta where equity, justice and god opportunities abound.
As the various parties presidential flag bearers amass fact on the Niger Delta, let the eventual winner know that the predominant occupation in the raped area is farming and fishing. Before the advent of oil, the people were solely involved in fishing and farming businesses. It is a monumental paradox that since the discovery of oils in the region, it has been one disaster after the other thereby afflicting pains and excruciating poverty on the people. The next President should work with genuine leaders of the region to evolve ideas and strategies to address equitably and very sincerely the myriad of environmental problems afflicted on the people by the activities of the oil companies. Effort must be put in place to create a room for reinventing the region. The people must go back to the farms and the rivers for their traditional trades. It is more interesting to note that the present government has invested a fortune in that (agricultural) sector. It is as good as extending its integrated agricultural programmes particularly the cassava initiative to the Niger Delta with full intensity.
Job creation and human capital development in the troubled region are paramount. A body called Academic Associates PeaceWorks (AAPW) has committed enormous resources in cash and kind in research that is aimed at identifying avenues for training the youths in entrepreneurial skills through the support of donor agencies. But the next administration can do more by engaging the services of such an NGO that has the reputation and capacity to deliver despite their meager resources. This writer stumbled on a project that is being carried out by this non – income making organisation. The noble effort which is on the establishment of skill acquisition centers in the various Niger Delta States, seeks to provide answers to nagging questions such as: Why are the people from the region not benefiting from their resources? How best can these resources be utilized for their well being? Why are they not qualified to work as professionals in their localities? And how can they get the requisite skills to be useful in the competitive global economy? The Executive Director of AAPW, an American with decades of experience on Niger Delta issues fondly called Mama Militants; Chief (Dr) Judith Burdin Asuni will definitely be a useful encyclopedia on unraveling the mystery behind the continuous crises in the oil rich region.
The activities of these core problems - solvers and the next government’s undiluted effort will definitely create a panacea for enduring solution to the Niger Delta region. It may be doubtful to underestimate the enormous resources being committed so far in solving the problems. The next government has to agree that all corrupt tendencies associated with managing these resources are checked wholesale! It is no longer news that a whole lot of individuals have become over night millions by enriching themselves with money meant for the development of the area.
The next government must work towards the provision of basic amenities such as potable water supply, electricity, schools, healthcare, road and infrastructure which are lacking. This can be achieved by working with these professionals from the region and other foreign NGOs to facilitate and enforce a responsive corporate- socio responsibility by the oil companies. The prospects for improved positive developmental strides can be achieved easily with the commitment of the professionals of the South South who are proposing a plan that will improve dramatically the human capital development index of the region which has nose-dived as a result of poor governance and utter neglect by successive government. They have gone an extra mile to evolve strategies for sustaining the gains that will be recorded by their noble effort.
The next government must know that maintaining the status quo as per using corrupt individuals that never made a single sacrifice to find lasting solution to this unabated crisis is tantamount to producing more armed robbers, touts, gangsters and sea pirates from the region. Such acts are the direct consequences of illegal activities akin to political hostilities, kidnapping, bunkering and holding Government and oil workers hostage by threatening to blow up oil wells and flow stations. As the next government initiate programmes and action plan for the Niger Delta, it must be responsive to this clarion call for justice and equity to reign – through the instrumentality of genuine individuals.
To end with, no amount of resources and energy that may be committed in the Niger Delta can solve these lingering problems save for government to identify possible partnership and collaborative avenues with genuine stakeholders in the region to map out immediate and long term plans to address the issues at stake. For instant efforts that are wholly set apart on development activities in an area that is identified as the economic back born of the country calls for adequate support by Government and other donor agencies. It is even more imperative when such a venture is being carried out by influential personalities who ‘have arrived’ on their personal endeavors.
Maxwell James 40, Lobito Crescent Wusell. Abuja.
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