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Terrorist Asari Dokubo and the Parasites By Mahamman Adarawa
The controversy over the rude comments of terrorist Asari Dokubo that Northerners are parasites raised eyebrows and emotions in the country.
In this article, I shall analyse the terrorism in the Niger Delta in which Asari Dokubo is the king pin and then analyse parasitism in Nigeria.
The problem of the Niger Delta has historical roots in slave trade and colonialism. During the trans atlantic slave trade of the 18th & 19th century, the rulers of the Niger Delta especially Ijaws used to cruelly hunt for slaves in the hinterland especially Igbo areas and sell them to European slave merchants for mere articles like, mirrors, arms, wine and spirits. Then during the 20th century when palm oil business boomed, European trading companies attempted to take over monopoly of the trade from native rulers. This led to widespread acrimony and subsequent violence, culminating in the famous Akassa raid, further battles between colonialists and ultimately exiling of King Jaja of Opobo. The struggle of King Jaja was an example of legitimate resistance against colonialism. Later on, the Niger Deltans so much liked the colonialists that they adopted their names as surnames and converted to Christianity although retaining cult activities. What they failed to adopt is the politeness and decorum of their new masters.
During the creation of Nigeria, the Oil rivers protectorate or Niger delta merged with the Igbo land and others to form the Eastern region of Nigeria. The Niger Deltans didn’t have it easy with the majority Igbos who became assertive and domineering in the 20th century, thanks to their education and aggressive trading activities. Igbos also aggressively acquired properties in Port Harcourt and marginalised non-Igbos in the Eastern region. No wonder Isaac Adaka Boro attempted secession with the aim of establishing Niger Delta Republic. His action was just symbolic because it ended within a few days. A few years later, he wisely joined the Federal Government of Nigeria in liberating Port Harcourt from Biafarans. After the civil war, peace reigned, and Port Harcourt was called the Garden City.
In the 1980’s the indiscipline of IBB’s regime led to beginning of oil bunkering as well as agitation for development of the Niger Delta. IBB surprisingly responded to their yearnings by establishing the OMPADEC. However, the leaders of the Niger Delta in their usual debauchery, corruption and laziness swindled all the money. Up until now, no body could retrieve the money swindled by Tam Horsfall and others. Ken Saro Wiwa started a good struggle for environmental protection and social development in the Niger Delta in the 1980s, but in the 1990s, he derailed a bit. The gruesome killing of the so-called vultures (traitors) by setting them on fire in a Volkswagen car was an act unbearable for the Government of the day and the judiciary. He was subsequently hanged despite pleas from his supporters in Nigeria and abroad.
Many observers believed that the deliberate incineration of Ogoni elders by Saro-Wiwa in the Volkswagen car was the end of legitimate struggle and the beginning of terrorism in the Niger Delta.
Obasanjo changed OMPADEC to NDDC and approved 13% of revenue from oil to be given to the Niger Delta states. Instead of using the money, Governors of the Niger Delta states diverted the money to their accounts abroad, used some of the money to buy heavy weapons in 2003 to intimidate innocent citizens to allow PDP to return to power by force, and gave the money illegally to the PDP for campaigns in both 2003 & 2007. Although in reality, most of the campaign money ended in the pockets of the PDP leadership.
The greed over the sharing of the new revenue precipitated incessant terrorist and cult activities in the Niger Delta by NDVF, MEND and EGBESU. Asari Dokubo and his hench men, harassed, intimidated, bullied, killed, maimed and kidnapped innocent citizens of Niger Delta as well as foreign workers. Not only that, Asari Dokubo and his gang continued their economic sabotage of oil bunkering and blowing up of oil installations. The activities of terrorists in the Niger Delta shows that even if the whole oil revenues are given to them as long as people like Asari Dokubo are there, the whole money will end up in the pockets of arms manufacturers abroad.
Corruption was so rampant at all levels of governance in Nigeria during Obasanjo’s regime leading the World Bank to complain that the worst corruption was in Aso Rock Villa. After Aso Rock, the next worse station of corruption was represented by Niger Delta Governments headed by Governors like Odili, Alamysegha and Ibori. Governors from other states also committed unthinkable financial recklessness but because they don’t get the 13% extra money, their level could not be compared with the Niger Delta Governors.
In order to cure Asari Dokubo of his ignorance and blindness, I shall group the real cruel exploiters (parasites in his words) so that he could comprehend the enormity of corruption and cruelty by the real parasites.
Group 1. The whole leadership of the PDP irrespective of their hierarchy, age, board membership, executive status, membership of legislature, region, sub region, state of origin, tribe, creed, and ideology. Since 1999, they have been stealing money meant for development of not only the Niger Delta but the whole of Nigeria. They have brought misery & poverty to Nigeria. Some hypocritical and corrupt ANPP leaders like Eme Ezeoke, Ahmed Sani Zamfara, Adamu Aliero, Saminu Turaki, Ibrahim Shekarau and Modu Sherriff also belong to this group.
Group 2. The former and current foot soldiers of the PDP like Odua People’s Congress, Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer forces, Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta as well as numerous fetish and deadly cult groups like Egbesu , Awure, Ogboni, and Okija cults etc. Although in reality, there are other troublesome but non-sophisticated, unemployed youth groups (not cults) like Area Boys and Yan Daba all over Nigeria who take the law in to their hands with little provocation at intervals. The Area boys and Yan Daba are actually victims of bad governance in Nigeria.
Group 3. Intellectual and religious backers of PDP, who try to justify corruption and election rigging for a mean price. This includes Jasper Akinola, Ahmed Gummi and Professor Omuruyi etc.
The millions of Northerners whom Terrorist Asari Dokubo insulted are hard working, polite and kind. It ranged from yam and potato farmers in the North Central sub region who send lorry loads of yams and potatoes to Dokubo and his people to enjoy pounded yam, as well as cereal and bean farmers from the North West and North East who send their products down South for ogi and akara. What of the truck loads of cattle that travel down South from the all over the North to supply beef for suya, kpomo, shokoto and other products? One of the greatest abominable sins in all cultures is to insult the hand that feeds you! Another learning point for Terrorist Dokubo is that the presence of oil in their region does not automatically makes them hard working, because the presence of oil is one thing and its processing is another. I have never known any gadget made by an Ijaw or Ogoni man for crude oil exploration or processing. Moreover, oil is found not only in the Niger Delta but also in the Niger –Benue trough. It is also interesting to note that those who perish in the Sahara Desert or Mediterranean Sea trying to reach Europe for an illusory life and those who go by air to practice prostitution as well as the gangs that mastermind these activities are certainly not Northerners. The human trafficking cartel is the handiwork of a gang of callous parasites who are not too different from Terrorist Asari Dokubo and his gang.
Terrorist Dokubo should read a good article about parasitism in Nigeria written by Reuben Abati in response to his rude ranting and heed the advice of Wole Soyinka on the need for intellectual militancy rather than violent militancy in the Niger Delta as a cure for his ignorance and barbarism.
In conclusion, there are genuine environmental and social problems in the Niger Delta like other parts of Nigeria. People with rational ideas from the Niger Delta should be encouraged to engage the Federal Government in finding lasting solutions to the problems of the region. Rude and murderous terrorists like Dokubo should face the full wrath of the law for crimes against humanity and they should not be allowed to hijack legitimate aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.
Yours faithfully,
Mahamman Adarawa,
Abuja, Nigeria. |