Ifeatu Agu
9 October 2008
opinion
Wherever the late Ijaw revolutionary, Major Isaac Adaka Boro is today, his face would be glowing with excitement.
Being a crusader for justice, equity and Niger Delta development, he may not be satisfied that his home town, Kaiama has just been given electricity after many decades of denial, but he would, however, be happy that afterall, his struggle 42 years ago is beginning to yield good fruits.
The history of the agitation for the development of the Niger Delta region would be incomplete without acknowledging the role of Adaka Boro and how he attracted significance to his homestead, Kaiama in the Ijaw nation. The government for some political reasons, failed to come to terms with the fact that Boro's town is a historical milestone. Different administrations, both military and civilian, have paid scant attention to Kaiama, preferring to ignore its important place in history.
This did not deter the Ijaws who continued to see Adaka Boro as their hero. Thus, on December 11, 1998, the Ijaws gathered in Kaiama to establish the Ijaw Youth Council. On that occasion too, the famous Kaiama Declaration was made. The charter which took after the Ogoni Bill of Rights of 1990, asserted the right of the Ijaw people to ownership and control of their lives and resources. It stated: "All land and natural resources (including mineral resources) within the Ijaw territory, belong to Ijaw communities and are the basis of our survival".
The Ijaw Youth Council, just like the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) under the leadership of the late environmental activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa, opened a new vista in the struggle for resource control in the Niger Delta. The articulation of the Ogoni Bill of Rights and the Kaiama Declaration ensured that the problems of the region that produces over 90 per cent of the wealth of the country were kept in the front burner.
This awareness, however, did not stop the invasion and destruction of Odi in 1999. It did not also stop the neglect of the oil-rich region. But it was obvious that the Niger Delta question can no longer be swept under the carpet. It was not surprising, therefore, when the Chief Olusegun Obasanjo administration initiated the birth of an interventionist agency that would reverse the injustices of the past and work towards a sustainable development of the Niger Delta. Thus, the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in 2000 was meant to fast-track the development of the region.
Since its inception, the commission has remained steadfast in the onerous task of developing a region that has suffered so much neglect. As part of its mandate, the commission has been building roads, bridges, jetties, schools, hospitals, as well as providing portable water and electricity among other development projects.
Of course, the Commission could not forget Kaiama and what it represents. So, on September 5, 2008, it extended electricity to the historic town. You may say that it was long overdue, but it was better late than never. The community and the people of Bayelsa in general welcome the light as a beacon of hope for the region, and a pleasant reminder of the ideals that Adaka Boro fought and died for.
Chief Peremobowei Ebebi, the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, was right on the mark when he said at the commissioning that "Isaac Boro will be turning in his grave in happiness". Ebebi could not hide his excitement as he described electricity as the backbone of every development. He said that the lighting up of Kaiama would boost the economy of the area and consequently improve the lot of the people. "Now the economy of this town and all the places that this light is passing through is going to pick up and it will offer employment opportunities," the Deputy Governor said.
Mr. Timi Alaibe, the Managing Director of the NDDC, said the electrification of Kaiama marks a turning point in the lives of the people. He said that the electrification project would also be extended to Odi, assuring that the NDDC would not relent in its efforts to address the problem of inadequate infrastructure in the region.
The commissioning of the multi-million naira electricity project at Kaiama, the headquarters of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, links the town and other neighbouring communities to the national grid. The project includes construction of about 10 kilometers high tension line from Opokuma to Kaiama and the building of a 2.4MVA injection substation. It also includes the rehabilitation of existing 11KVA line, installation of three units of 300KVA transformers and the construction of River Nun crossing tower.
The Kaiama project is an extension of the Opokuma NDDC's power project commissioned two years ago in furtherance of its goal to provide electricity to all the communities in the Niger Delta region.
Now, artisans like electricians, barbers and a wide range of cottage industries, have an enabling environment to ply their trade in Kaiama. As should be expected, the project would reduce poverty by creating jobs and increasing productivity, especially in the agricultural and small and medium enterprises sectors. It would also promote industrialization and socio-economic transformation of the region. According to NDDC officials, it is one of the over 400 electricity projects executed by the Commission across the nine states in the Niger Delta region.
The people of Kaiama were obviously appreciative of what the NDDC had done for their community. In their own way of saying thank you, they headed for the Commission's headquarters in Port Harcourt, led by the Amanaowei of Kaiama, His Royal Highness Jerry Burutolu. The delegation, which included elders and opinion leaders, expressed delight that the interventionist agency has lived up to expectations in the provision of the much needed infrastructure in the region and Kaiama community in particular.
The traditional ruler of Kaiama described the electrification project as second to none. "We are enjoying it". He, however, lamented the over five decades of deprivation and neglect of the community by successive governments, despite its strategic and economic importance. He thanked the NDDC for coming to their aid with a mega shoreline protection, solar-powered water project and 100KVA generating plant as well as eight 300 KVA transformers to boost electricity distribution in the community.
He said: "Our mission is to express our boundless gratitude because of the role you have played and still playing in endowing Kaiama with much needed facilities we had lacked some five decades ago when Nigeria became a sovereign state".
The light in Kaiama is very symbolic in the sense that it would lead the way to further and more profound development of the Niger Delta. It would also help to rekindle the memory of Adaka Boro as a hero whose vision for the development of the Niger Delta was well ahead of his time.
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