Donu Kogbara
5 December 2008
opinion
Many of my fellow Niger Deltans - including some serious-minded individuals whom I regard as good friends and hold in high esteem - invested a lot of time and energy in lobbying the President to create a Niger Delta Ministry; and they were jubilant when the President agreed to turn their longstanding dream into a reality.
And I am very happy that they are very happy. But I have a confession to make: I have repeatedly tried to persuade myself to believe that we need a special new Ministry of our own. But I can't summon up any enthusiasm for the idea.
I will no doubt be accused of disloyalty for saying this, but I am finding it extremely difficult to intellectually justify the claim that oil-producing communities' problems cannot be solved via institutions that already exist.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), for example, has already been mandated, by the Federal Government, to undertake development-related responsibilities and to liaise with other stakeholders who also have developmental responsibilities - oil companies, state governments, local governments, NGOs, etc.
It is very obvious - to me at least - that the NDDC does not need to be replaced or eclipsed because it can do everything that a Ministry can do - if it is given the human and financial resources with which to play a dynamic coordinating role.
If the NDDC receives sufficient funds and is staffed by people who have integrity, kind hearts, vision and relevant professional experience, it can start to deliver impressive results for its beleagured constituents within a matter of months.
To quote William Shakespeare, the great English dramatist: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
In other words, a rose is a rose...and will doggedly retain its basic identity and essential characteristics, even if you perversely, for reasons best known to yourself, choose to describe it as a car or shirt or bottle or toilet or whatever!
Similarly, it doesn't matter what you call the organisation that is supposed to socially and economically empower Niger Deltans and calm our nerves. The only thing that matters is what the organization actually is and what it actually does.
Let's face it: The Nigerian ruling class specializes in greed, dishonesty, a cruel disregard for ordinary folks and a penchant for incompetently failing to maximize the potential of potentially effective public sector bodies.
And there's a very real risk that the new Ministry will largely ignore the struggling villagers who need it most ...and turn out to be nothing more than a glorified version of the NDDC and cynical, expensive window-dressing exercise that adds no value beyond bestowing more juicy jobs and lucrative business opportunities on The Boys.
At the end of the day, substance, sincere intentions and concrete achievements are more important than nomenclature issues. And I don't give a toss about titles.
All I want is a strong Niger Delta Whatever-You-Want-To-Call-It that will inspire militants to become law-abiding citizens and liberate my geopolitical zone from poverty, pollution, bitterness, injustice, violence, anarchy, fear and low self-esteem
Madame Minister?
It is widely assumed that the first Niger Delta Minister will be a male technocrat or politician; and I often wonder why nobody seems to even think about the possibility of a female Minister when this Cabinet slot is being discussed.
Sure, the Niger Delta job is a particularly tough one that will involve regular contact with belligerent activists and can only be adequately handled by someone who possesses considerable amounts of psychological and physical strength.
But it's a big mistake to automatically regard such a challenging job as an exclusive male preserve because not all women are shy weaklings. Some can be just as robust, courageous, determined, tireless and success-orientated as men.
History is littered with examples of valiant warrior queens (such as Boudicea of ancient Britain, Catherine II of 18th century Russia and our very own Moremi, Idia and Amina) who have significantly impacted on the worlds they inhabited.
And let's not forget modern Amazons like Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel and Condoleeza Rice...all of whom have faults like any other human being, but are still more intelligent and respected than many of the men who surround them.
I know quite a few women who will not be afraid of boldly looking intimidating militant leaders in the eye and flatly refusing to tolerate nonsense from them!
I have also noticed that youths who are normally troublesome and rude frequently drop their aggressive stances and behave meekly when they are in the presence of older women. They are also more likely to apologise and hang their heads in shame when older women tell them off for committing illegal or destructive acts.
It's a form of chivalry that emanates from their affection for their mothers and their belief that women are more genuinely concerned about their welfare.
I am absolutely convinced that the right kind of female can combine cool, rational super-toughness with warm maternal tenderness and be an excellent Niger Delta Minister. If Dora Akinyuli was from an oil state, I would nominate her!
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