Sunny Omekwe
8 October 2008
opinion
Port Harcourt — This essay is borne out of a passionate desire to solve the problems of the Niger Delta Region. Therefore, the article seeks to achieve three objectives. First, is to assist the Technical Committee on the Niger Delta to put together a 'Charter of Demands" that can be reasonably articulated at the National level to bring about accelerated development of the Region.
Secondly, to demonstrate that governance is a collective responsibility of both power holders and the governed. This being the case, our collective approach to governance should be that of dialogue and accommodation, as even tons and quantum of criticisms would not solve any problem. Thirdly, to emphasize that there is now a need to properly articulate and prioritize the needs of the Niger Delta Region along the lines of practical implications for development in its entire ramification.
Nigeria emerged as an independent State with a political tripod and un-federal federation, which promoted dissentient tendencies with their attendant marginalization of the minority ethnic nationalities. The Willink Commission therefore recommended that "there was an overwhelming need for a SPECIAL IJAW AREA consisting mainly of the Ijaw people in the Eastern region, and taking in from the Western Region the Western Ijaw, consisting as it does mainly of the delta of the Niger, and that it should, be regarded rather as a special development area, requiring particular economic assistance".
Sadly, the recommendations of the Willink Commission were largely not implemented because of political expediencies dictated by the major ethnic groups, who have been at the locus of power. Since then the misery index of the Region has quadrupled and the youths who feel economically alienated have now taken the laws into their hands. This anti-Niger Delta posturing of the Federal Government was manifested in the promulgation of the Land Use Act and the Petroleum Act, which expropriated land and resources of the people. These are familiar themes in our chequered history that cannot be glossed over.
A more crucial dimension of the struggle was the emergence of revolutionaries. Before the Civil war, Major Jasper Adaka Boro and his kinsmen in the army engaged in what has become known as the Yenagoa Putch. The revolutionaries were pained by the exploitation of the Niger Delta people, where the Federal Government was taking everything as it were, without putting back anything. This anger crystallized in what is known today as the 12 Day Revolution. The putsch was the first attempt by the Ijaw nation to assert its autonomy and self-determination. Adaka Boro was particularly irked that the Ijaws were not given the opportunity to aspire to the highest position of the land. About five decades after this revolution the ideals of the struggle have remained largely not achieved.
The Ijaws had relied on their traditional bargaining power without the benefit of adopting persuasive approaches towards extracting concessions from the Federal Government. Now the dynamics of the struggle has changed. Violence has never been a solution to the Niger Delta Question, the real solution is dialogue. This has led to a new thinking and a new agenda about the development of the Region.
When the Ijaw struggle started, it assumed the semblance of a well-coordinated movement, with the youths at the vanguard of the Kaiama Declaration. But midway, the struggle lost its vigour, direction and mission. With the infiltration of politics, the struggle was twisted to serve the interest of very few people. Thus had begun the criminal dimension of the struggle, which thrives on oil bunkering, illicit gun running, banditry and wanton violation of oil facilities. This undesirable dimension of the struggle has led to the militarization of the Region. Thus rather than deepen the ideology of the struggle and consolidate the gains already achieved, some people who did not conceive the ideology of the struggle began to do violence to the Ijaw cause by portraying the Ijaws as a violent people, and most often denigrating genuine Ijaw leaders. This approach has been most retrogressive and portrays the whole ethnic nationality in bad light.
In pristine Ijaw traditions, people can only make comments on a masquerade at the point of in-house dressing, but when the masquerade is fully dressed and gets to the field of play, everyone follows its dance steps in the spirit of community and fellow-feeling. It is therefore preposterous that a few unpatriotic Ijaw people now plot to bring the office and person of the Vice President to disrepute.
The Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was elected into office on two premises. First was on personal merit and Second and more importantly, the VP was elected to mitigate the plight and douse the tension in the Niger Delta Region. The VP should be commended for the bold initiatives earlier taken; the early initiatives raised considerable hope and put pressures on the militants to give peace a chance. Complications and suspicions however materialized before long. First, on 2 July, 2008 Dr. Jonathan inaugurated a Presidential Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation Committee headed by Senator David Brigidi.
Following the cancellation of the proposed Niger Delta Summit, the Federal Government took two bold initiatives. First, on September 8, a Technical Committee on the Niger Delta was constituted to understudy existing reports on the Region and to make recommendations for immediate implementation. This was closely followed on 10 September by the creation of the Ministry for the Niger Delta. On these initiatives, the President Yar'Adua and Vice President Goodluck Jonathan deserve commendation.
In terms of achievements of the Vice President, the Ijaws should soberly consider the initiatives taken by the Federal Government so far and evaluate the achievements of the VP against the background of human foibles and the political infrastructure in which he is working. Proffering solutions to problems that are cumulative in nature must be gradualistic. After all, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is a human being and he does not also possess magical powers to invoke a change overnight.
It is my opinion that God has compensated the Ijaws by producing from among them the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, who is now the rallying point of the Ijaw struggle, even though the critics of the Vice President have refused to come to terms with that fact. Genuine leaders of the Ijaw ethnic nationality and indeed the Niger Delta have come to realize the catalytic role of the office of the VP in engendering unity among the people and charting a new direction for the accelerated development of the Region.
The indication is that Ijaw people can only achieve their development agenda if they build their aspirations around the Vice President and avoid the luxury of working at cross purpose. It is difficult to believe that the Ijaws have learnt a lesson in honouring their sons and daughters. Our developmental emphasis now should be to encourage our people in positions of trust and consolidate whatever gains they have made. We shall be marking time if we criticize and do not proffer solutions to the knotty problems that threaten our collective survival.
The emergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as Vice President is slowly and steadily changing the people's perception as well as redefining the Ijaw agenda. The Ijaw nation must now shed its combative posturing in favour of a more civilized, subtle and persuasive approach to issues pertaining to their economic emancipation. The fourth largest tribe must now embark on an aggressive transition from violent agitations and other base forms of struggle to persuasive engagement and pro-active negotiation with the Federal Government. We should not discard the wisdom of those who say, what a people cannot achieve through armed resistance, they can achieve through diplomacy, and what cannot be achieved by the barrel of the gun can be achieved in the court room. The Ijaws and the Niger Delta People should see the Vice President as an asset who is capable of re-defining the Ijaw agenda in the light of contemporary realities.
The new thinking is that opinion leaders, elders and well meaning people of the Region should provide robust support to their people occupying positions of trust and use them as potent instruments to articulate a strong position on the need to fast-track the development of the NDR. By This new thinking, Ijaws from the Niger Delta should support the Vice President in articulating a clear vision for the improvement of the wellbeing of the people.
I do acknowledge that every thing rises and falls on leadership. With respect to the Niger Delta Region, the people's expectations are very high about the supposed role of Niger Delta sons and daughters holding federal appointments. In the scheme of things the VP is like a team leader, who needs all the encouragement and support to lead the team to its assured destination.
A leader's capacity to empower people depends on the people's ability to support him. Whereas the people have a responsibility to wash, the leader does the rinsing. Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has to do the rinsing. No leader does the two at the same time. Therefore our attitude towards our leaders has been a huge draw back. Therefore, when leaders make modest efforts depending on the peculiar circumstances they find themselves, their measure of success should take into full account, the prevailing circumstances, and any attempt to judge them based on a tilted scale will amount to doing violence to their psyche, and demoralize them psychologically.
I have no personal relationship with Dr. Goodluck Jonathan but judging by what people say about him, he subsumes among under leaders who are benevolent. It is against this background that he remains an invaluable asset to the Ijaw nation and Nigeria. His possesses the ingredients of leadership. His loyalty to constituted authorities shows that he is a genuinely patriotic leader who never betrays the trust and confidence of his people. His humane and humble disposition has enabled him to rise slowly and steadily in stature and political power. Such a man needs the support of all well-meaning Ijaw people.
The level of militancy in the Region is an indication that it's either the elders are not talking to the youths or the youths have no confidence in the elders. In an ethnic nationality where we have Prof. Tam David-West as elders, the youths expect the elders to play a more pro-active role in fostering constructive engagement with the Federal Government. In fact, nothing stops the elders from constituting a think-tank to advise the Vice President on issues concerning the Niger Delta Region.
The neglect inflicted on the Region is monumental and cumulative; there is need to give the helmsmen some time to fashion out viable and sustainable solutions to the problems of marginalization. Indeed the Vice President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan should be seen as a leader capable of furthering and achieving the needs of the IJaw race. The Ijaws are at the threshold of history and all hands must be on deck to encourage Ijaws in positions of authority to work in assiduously to realize the aspirations of the Ijaw nation.
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