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Topic: Anatomy of 'Chicken Coop' Politics & Niger Delta Development? By Martin Obosso Abadani Home folks, assuming Niger Delta region is a fenced "Chicken Coop" farm and 'Chicken Coop' means a 'poultry farm' the size of Niger Delta region. The poultry farm owners (PDP Presidency) control the chicken grains/feed containers (oil/gas revenues). The poultry farmer (Presidency) releases few scoops of grains/feed (monthly allocations) to chicken coop/poultry farm. Our Governors, legislators & politicians feed in a frenzy mode on the crumbs from Abuja PDP without looking over their shoulders to question the revenue distribution processes. The farmer (PDP Presidency) with the chicken grains/feed (oil revenues) walks away with billions of Naira or $USB dollars) that should logically go to Niger Delta region for development. You feel me? Got it? At times the actual money goes to Bayelsa or Rivers States and the value of government vouchers (money) makes quick U turn through the Banks to Abuja PDP coffers. For example, VP Jonathan released a whopping N557m to ex-IGP Ehindero Nigeria Police while Bayelsa Volunteers (security outfit) had nothing in terms of housing, equipments, transportation and equipped office. This N557million would have trained more than 200 Ijaw law students in UK. Presidency and the believers of the so called N11billion Niger development plan on paper should publish the document in all national newspapers and TV with funding and implementation or execution phases per region/state/LGs. Presidency/Governors and PDP should disseminate Niger delta Master Plan to all LGs in Niger delta region continuously (daily/weekly) by radio, TV and newspaper publications. The fact is FG has nothing new to offer us. They are just buying time. What's PDP 'chicken coop' politics strategy of developing Niger Delta region? President Yar'Adua and VP Jonathan don't have anything to offer but just buying time to dislocate the perceived Ijaw militants in the creeks by force. FG/Yar'adua is using VP Jonathan for intelligence or information gathering about Ijaw political leaders and militants in Niger delta region or creeks. We have good patriotic people or politicians among them but they are not the majority in the National Assembly. The opposition parties tend to be weaker because they don't have access to the huge oil and gas revenues which PDP controls from the center. It's not a level playing field. Alliance for Democracy (AD) was the worst opposition party in the National Assembly History (1999-2003). Most of the Alliance for Democracy (Yoruba's) federal legislators were corrupt to their bone marrows and fully supported ex-President Obasanjo policies. They (PDP) would use VP Jonathan & his advisers and dump them. Nigeria politicians gravitate to PDP because PDP controls Nigeria central government and whoever controls the central government in Abuja controls the crude oil and gas revenues. PDP is not ANC or ZANU-PF or MPLA. Obviously, PDP was not formed on specific set of ideologies to develop Nigeria but to loot and share the oil and gas resources from Niger Delta region. It was probably hijacked by invisible crooks and that's why Chief Anenih controls all the PDP Governors in the South-South region. To be precise, the chairman of PDP South should be from the core Niger delta region not Edo state and preferably from Ijaw land in Bayelsa State. Ijaw people are the catalyst to the rise and awareness of Niger delta minority's social and economic freedom in the Nigeria project. Nigeria politics is tribal. It's true. Africans are very tribal oriented. In some cases, politicians tow the religious or tribal line first, then local or regional interest. No politician is detribalized in Nigeria as the media makes you to believe. Let's pause for a moment and look at our politicians - federal and state legislators, governors and the Presidency. Its obvious that our current PDP/Military unitary system has always been reactive to disasters, delivery of justice - Shari vs. English law, EFCC and corruption cases, unnecessary delays in election tribunals (Edo State and Senator Mark) appeal cases, inconsistent national economic policies and criminality in Niger Delta region but blind to crime in non oil producing regions, such as Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu. This is hypocrisy and double standard in the fight against criminals in Niger Delta region. I am not advocating criminality or kidnapping at all but criminals operate all over Nigeria. We now have barking dogs in Rivers State with public loud speakers and vigor to fight oil bunkering criminals but the real 'Oga' oil thief lives outside Niger Delta region. They acquire oil tankers to transport and sell large quantities of crude oil to Iceland oil market. What's Nigeria Navy doing hiding in the waterways of Niger delta region, go to the high seas and confront the smugglers. Show me what you got, baby! For the media house to make the public believe that we Ijaw people or Niger delta minorities own ships for transporting stolen raw crude oil to Iceland market in presumptuous. In fact, oil bunkering activities has been going on since the Nigeria/Biafra war in 1970s. The Muslim Sokoto Hausa-Fulani and Muslim Yoruba's have been doing oil bunkering with their agents in NNPC and other oil companies in Niger Delta region before and after end of Nigerian civil war. Why should Sultan Hausa-Fulani politician come to Niger Delta region and talk down on us? We don't care if you are Mallam or Alhaji X; we are different in Niger Delta region. How dare you call us militants for demanding 50% derivation? We have to defend ourselves and land too. How does it make us criminals? So Alhaji Usman Lukman, Chief Adekunle and Chief Okonkwo who smuggles petroleum products to Benin and Niger republics are saints, Presidency, the Military (JTF), DMI and IGP (Police) had become blind or vision impaired. There are criminals in very part of Nigeria. Do Ijaw people own oil tankers or shipping companies? Most Ijaw people may be poor but we are not stupid. Our politicians have disappointed us. Daily economic activities between Benin Republic/Niger Republic and Muslim western Nigeria States from Badagry/Idi Oroko to Sokoto/Kano borders with no Military Joint Task Force deployments speaks for itself. Most fake drugs found in Nigeria chemist came through the western Border States. What's the PDP/Muslim Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani security agencies and politicians doing to prevent the influx of deadly drugs and substandard goods into Nigeria from the Muslim border areas? Such areas are exclusive Muslim zones for commercial drugs and consumer goods smuggling and bunkering. They also have their Syrians/Lebanese brothers in Cotonou sabotaging the Nigerian generator economy. If Nigeria wants constant power supply or electricity then FG should bring Edison Worldwide, General Electric, Duke Energy, New England Power & Light and Calpine of USA to Nigeria to participate in the major electricity projects. Oil companies such as Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, SHELL or ELF are not power companies but they have capacity to supply gas to feed the power plants at a price. By the way, I wonder if Prof Soludo (CBN) monetary policy extends to smugglers border towns from Cotonou or Lagos to Sokoto. Nigeria has become a generator economy with single (oil & gas) product with voodoo econometrics forecast paradigm. Chief Soludo of CBN may be sitting on top of the world last voodoo economy. The Northerners are micro managing the CBN governor hence they refused his Naira domination strategy without explanation. We are held hostage! May God save us! This is very important to me and every Niger delta natives should ask their legislators about it. The question is this, why should the Federal Government locates multi-billion Naira gas and oil technology university in Kaduna? This is core Muslim territory, barren dusty region with goats, cattle and camels pastures but closer to Abuja than any Niger Delta urban cities. Please, No disrespect. Do they have oil or gas resources to deserve an oil and gas University location? President Yar'Adua and Muslim Yoruba/Sultan Sokoto Caliphate strategy would produce core middle and top managers for Nigeria oil and gas industry, local jobs and the Muslims would manage Niger delta minorities as perpetual slaves (contract workers, laborers, gardeners, cooks, security guards etc) in the oil industry. Niger Delta Governors/federal legislatures should stop bickering and urgently mobilize all political resources to force Yar'dua and VP Jonathan to move the proposed oil and gas University to Niger Delta region, location could be Oloibiri, Opuama, Kaiama, and Ogoni land, Ogoni, Eket or Oporoama in Sagbama LG of Bayelsa State immediately. It would be an insult to the average Niger Delta minority if our political leaders allow the Muslims/Sultan Hausa-Fulani Caliphate agents to use our oil and gas revenues to establish a federally funded 'oil and gas university' in Kaduna, a non oil producing area. The children and youths of Niger delta region would never forgive PDP and VP Jonathan, governors and federal legislators. The truth is out of the box now. PDP/RSG Brick House blamed the poor masses in the slums for political violence in Port Harcourt. But RS Truth commission stories seems to ignore the political accused 'slum dwellers' as perpetrators of PH political violence and RSG attempt to destroy their plank houses. RSG was using them as scapegoats. RSG/Gov Ameachi owes Port Harcourt slum dwellers an apology for threatening to demolish Marine base, Nembe waterside, Bundu waterside, just to mention a few. Indeed, RSG should develop more urban centers such as Mbiama, Ahoada, Degema in the wetlands or delta areas immediately please move government to the creeks or closer to communities at the Atlantic coastal areas. After all we got sand dunes everywhere you go for building government houses and rent these properties to the oil and gas companies there. Bayelsa governor-elect should also develop Opuama, Oporoma, Akassa and Kaiama town to become urban centers with some impressive prefabricated State and local government offices. Niger Delta States don't need elephant projects (secretariats) to impress the electorate but intelligently designed low cost prefab structures that would provide huge covered spaces like what SHELL has in its PH HQ. Niger delta governors could use simple economic indicators to measure their performance quarterly and it requires the state PDP executive, legislators and politicians to visit local markets at random to assess and collect statistics on how many natives (Ijaws, Efiks, Ikwerres, Ibibios, Uhrobos etc) own shops and participate in buying and selling of (wholesale/retail) goods and services. It would be considered as economic empowerment strategy of the local people, the poor masses. Most indigenous people of oil producing communities wear the same shorts or pants or wrapper alone for a week, not because of the hot humid weather but it's all they got, no extra clothes. It's true! Poverty! There you would see the impact of acute poverty in the mist of oil and gas wealth. It's common to see bare chest youths or Youth man walking around all day with knickers/shorts, they don't have any backup. And they are sitting on top oil and gas resources in Niger delta. Imagine yourself in the same situation. Another interesting thing about State own media houses (Nigeria Television Authority) and others, politicians tend use it to divert public criticism. For example, instead of Nigeria Red Cross sending relief materials to the needy people in Niger Delta region regularly, Chief Rocha of the Nigeria Red Cross opted for group photo opportunity with Mrs. Jonathan (VP wife) and President Yar'Adua to cover up in competency and past discriminatory policies against Niger delta minorities. Does the Presidency need emergency relief materials or the people in Niger delta region or places that suffered from pipeline explosions? Nigerians are protective of their tribal lands either in Igbo land, Yoruba Land, Sokoto Sultan Hausa-Fulani Caliphate land, Tiv land or Idoma land and it's not an exception in Niger Delta region. National Assembly, repeal the obnoxious petroleum laws and land use Act. PDP Federal executives promote tribalism, discriminatory policies and they may publicly deny that. Our Presidency always blames past leaders, that is, the blame game and we are tired of that nonsense. Please just look at federal executives daily public appearances from head to toe and you would not need a rocket scientist to explain to you what I am saying. Religion influences are traditional values along tribal lines and the way our politicians dress (head wears) shows Nigeria still has lot of integration to do. Although we love traditional attires but regional politicians tend to stick to wear tribal caps and they don't switch caps along tribal lines except photo opportunities to fool local illiterates. If you look at head wears (red cap, hats, cup caps, twisted caps, Igbo or Yoruba centric styles...) our legislatures wear in group photo opportunities then you may agree with me. Probably, such attitudes contribute to national reactive policies and lack of policy consistency. For example, who (Musa) came up with the idea to import $80b of rice to prevent hunger in Nigeria? Does Musa have a job today? How did the decision makers, mostly northern scholars, raw PhD graduates allow international news flashes influence such critical national food policy? Another incompetent Agriculture Minister worth discussing now, Federal government plans to spend $80billion of our oil and gas money to import rice. Nonsense! How much of the Fed Ministry of Agriculture annual budget goes to Niger Delta region farmers? Yes, there is hunger in Nigeria except for the families of politicians. Fed Minister for Agric should setup a simple field test in South-South public universities and the results would amaze the authorities. After all FG subsidizes petroleum products with billions of Naira annually and probably more than half of the allocation end up looted, inflated contracts or corruption at PPPRA. Senate and State House of Assemblies should be bold enough to subsidize and provide our students with quality meals 3x per day at all Federal and State universities, especially the South-South region, where students could be required to pay N10 per good balanced meal. Also, Federal executive council/legislators and State executives/politicians should be encouraged to sample or eat on surprise visits to the institutions. You can reduce cultism with subsidized good food and sports facilities on all college campuses. A hungry man is an angry man. You feel me? In the Southern region, women can get by when life gets though but what do you expect the male youth (Youth man) to do? There is hunger on campuses! Naturally, male (youth man) students had to survive in our generator economy. Disadvantaged male Youths might feel that the only option available in most cases in the Southern university campuses is cultism because the human instincts of survival kicks in when there is no food or hope. Assuming Youth man parents were deceased and no relatives were helping while on campus. We should also build sports facilities on each campus and encourage regular inter-collegiate sports. We have bad Federal roads all over the country and I don't think this idea would work. Loops! Each region may have food preferences due to culture or traditional values but the FG would be able to gauge hunger in most urban centers and distribute aid to regional farming communities. Agric Minister could also setup a 'Smorgasbord' or 'All U can eat' joints for a minimal fee (N20 per plate) in Lagos/PH to determine the level of hunger in metro centers. It could be worth trying it. It would show the Agric Minister that most Nigerians go to bed hungry. Most people can't afford to eat rice and the price of garri, gas, kerosene is out of grandma's reach in the village. So, Mr. Agriculture Minister, your policy should promote mass production, transportation and distribution of food in all regions. Hence, some Niger delta politicians tend to be driven by empty blind emotions, deficiency in critical thinking, selfishness, egotism, stupidity, greed and ignorance. And our politicians (self interest) tend to collude with the elders, elites, traditional rulers seeking to please their Abuja PDP masters than the local electorates. Ironically, no South-South traditional ruler can claim to benefit equally in status and opportunities than their regional counterparts - Emirs, Sultan, Obas or Obi of non oil and gas producing areas from the federal and state governments. Why? You know what I am trying to say. Figure it out yourself. We should apply critical thinking in every process in our demands for equity and justice in Niger delta region. We are still waiting for President Yar'Adua's detail Marshall Plan for the development of Niger delta region. How can you trust PDP presidency that has refused to release funds for NDDC projects? Well, NDDC has done what the local governments couldn't do and it's far short of our expectations. Thanks to NDDC and Chief Alaibe and we are still waiting for major integrated pipe borne water for Niger delta region after 8yrs. Yes, some Niger delta politicians preached about developing the region (9 states) with N46b capital budget and Yar'Adua was withholding bulk of money due to the agency. Why? Indeed, it's laughable! Decentralize NDDC and allow each State NNDC branch to manage its project of choice. May be FOI bill when passed will allow investigative journalists to bypass NTA and other government control media houses to get the story behind it. There is still no federal government presence in Niger delta region, it only collects oil and gas money and shares the money in Abuja. Whatever PDP/Abuja decides to give Bayelsa State, they run with it because most legislators/politicians don't know the States legal entitlements under our military constitution. May almighty God and Allah combined direct our Niger Delta Governors and legislators for a retreat in Arabian Gulf States of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to see what Bechtel, Parsons Construction, Balfour & Balfour, Fluor Daniel Corp are doing to transform the region. There will be no peace in Niger Delta region if the Federal government which is dominated by non-oil producing politicians stick to its deceptive approach to developing the region. We are capable of developing the region ourselves; just give us peoples Constitution with 50% derivation money enshrined in it. Well, NDDC is not enough and I hope Chief Alaibe should have realized that the few billions of Naira his boss gave him to work with doesn't buy much developmental assets. Chief Alaibe was a good sales man. Monthly oil and gas allocation to develop Niger Delta region was not enough and naira has not much purchasing power. Naira has weak buying power and don't let billions of Naira allocation (billions numbers) fool you. We need 50% oil and gas derivation to buy whatever we would require in the world market to develop Niger delta region. These parasitic States should develop their resources and contribute to the central national treasury - fiscal federalism. FG could engage reputable international companies from Arabian Gulf to execute major public projects or infrastructure development in the Niger delta areas but they don't want to do that. NNPC could finance major industrial parks, highways, marine transportation in the region but they gave us NDDC without adequate funding. No, we want fiscal federalism in the constitution. We hope and pray for our governors/legislators to visit the Arabian Gulf states of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Oman to see what these countries did with their oil and gas money. RSG legislators retreat to Australia was waste of time and resources and Tinapa Resort retreat would have accomplished the same purpose if they had used technology. Our Niger Delta governors should wake up and work with all oil and gas companies to establish a major American Technology University in the region with campuses in other Niger Delta states. The problem with Niger Delta University is very sad and Ijaw politicians should realize the urgency in human capital development. Our Governors should present a compelling argument to the National Assembly for FG grants. FG/Yar'Adua executive should provide grants to Niger Delta University (NDU) and the Bayelsa State Governor should sack NDU Board of Directors immediately; Bayelsa State should look beyond Ijaw land to seek assistance from the world education market, specifically established renowned Universities in USA (University of Minnesota, University of Illinois, Universities of the New England States, University of California) and Sweden or Norway to develop NDU in the next five years. Bayelsa State should be a hurry to invest more money in NDU to make it a world class science and technology institution. Right now, it's being mismanaged and become a liberal arts university because the board of directors (liberal art graduates) got blind vision. They don't understand multi-national oil and gas operations and the corporate culture. Please sack the present tribal board of directors who don't have the experience to build institutions from ground up. Bayelsa State ought to establish a separate 'Bayelsa College' in Oporoama or Kaiama' for liberal arts studies. Gov Sylva, please sack NDU board of directors now, they are incompetent and unqualified to develop a full fledged university in Ijaw land. We are in a hurry! Do it now! Damn it. Niger Delta Governors, especially Bayelsa State should take free education seriously and work together with the multi-national oil and gas companies to establish an American Technology University in core Niger Delta region. Whatever Chief E.K. Clark said should have been amplified by IYC and INC in all State capitals with mass awareness rallies in the region. After all, he (Chief Clark) has become the mouthpiece of Ijaw land and he is doing a better job than the governor General of Ijaw land. Kaduna is a wrong location for gas and oil Technology University and we don't want to be slaves to the Muslim Yoruba/Sultan Hausa-Fulani Caliphate managers in the Oil and Gas Industry. Niger Delta oil and gas resources and revenues was used to build private universities in backward areas in Yoruba land (OSUN, OGUN), Adamanwa State, Niger State, just to mention a few. What do we have in Niger Delta region for the teeming Youth that need science and technical university education? In fact, the Muslims, non oil and gas producing states should be encouraged to come to South-South universities to study, not the other way around. Human capital development in the region with abundant natural resources would create middle and top managers for the oil and gas industry. Give us the opportunity to develop and be competitive. Believe me I would like to inform my people; the Ijaws, Ikwerres, Efiks and others that laborers don't make hiring decisions in the oil and gas industry. Most oil and gas companies in Niger Delta region refused to hire indigenous or local people because the middle and top managers are still Hausas, Yoruba's, Edo and Ibos. Nigeria is tribal whether you like it or not. Its a fact and Niger delta governors need to wake up and stop barking like pit bulls (RSG Magnus Abe signature) and work together to obtain more money (50% derivation) and grants from the federal government (oil & gas revenues) for human capital development. Niger delta politicians including the PDP Governors/Religious Groups/NGOs/Youth man Groups should demand 50% derivation of oil and gas revenues and 50% management positions in NNPC group of companies. We deserve all that. If Hausa/Fulani or Yoruba Muslims could manage our resources then Ijaw people could do the same or better. We need the opportunity now. Further, chicken coop politics basically refers to our governors and legislators getting excited about the Abuja PDP/Presidency crumbs or the word billions of Naira allocation to develop Niger Delta region. What can the Naira buy with the price of cement and petroleum products are very high. Monthly allocations to Niger Delta region surely sounds big in numbers but Naira purchasing power would not buy much in the capital development market, way less as general construction materials cost remain high permanently. Naira is a weak currency in the international market and we have to import almost every consumer and construction goods to develop the region; Then we are not getting adequate funding (money) from the PDP central government because the money is being diverted to the Muslim/non oil producing states (parasitic states) and Abuja institutions. There must be fiscal federalism to enable Niger Delta develop at its own pace but not Sokoto, Kaduna or Ogun State rate of development. It's got to be federalism or nothing. Niger Delta politicians should stop practicing chicken coop politics and lift their heads up. FG and PDP controls the energy businesses, petro $dollars and the PDP/Yoruba Muslims politicians and sultan Hausa-Fulani caliphate politicians are using PDP to dictates our development pace. No, it should be the other way round. This is the time for critical thinking! Think! Think! Do some critical thinking and work together to get what you naturally deserve. They will not give it to you and you don't have to beg for your own resources and money to develop Niger Delta region. It's a task that must be done! Take care. Love u. Martin Obosso Abadani USA
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