Leadership (Abuja)
Ray Morphy
7 January 2009
column
The creation of the new Niger Delta ministry is, undeniably, a giant step in the right direction, and this column must commend President Yar' Adua for taking this bold step.
As a matter of fact, the establishment of the Niger Delta ministry ought to lead to a complete cessation of hostilities starting with a complete halt in criminal hostage-taking.
One is further gladdened by the appointment of Chief Ufot Ekaette to head this all-important ministry, not only because he is from the area but because he is a seasoned system man who will be able to work the system to the advantage of the new ministry. Moreover, with the appointment of Elder Orubebe, an Ijaw, as minister of state, sensible Niger Delta indigenes should be willing to give peace a chance. Furthermore, with the additional fact that an Ijaw son is now the number two citizen of the country, there can be no better evidence of the federal government's commitment to addressing the issues peculiar to the oil-producing areas.
The only problem seems to be that anarchists and nihilists pretending to be militants are, day by day, worsening the plight of the Niger Delta people. Everyone knows that the activities of the militants have ended up hurting the Niger Delta and worsening the plight of the people. Hostage-taking and other economic sabotage activities such as pipeline vandalisation and work stoppages have impeded the delta basin much more than it did the rest of Nigeria. Only a fool will continue on a path that is clearly injurious to his long-term interests. The situation today in the Niger Delta is that most firms are beginning to abandon the area and are moving to Lagos where their foreign staff are relatively safer. This will, invariably, lead to a loss of taxation revenue and many other benefits. Additionally, exploration activities are moving further offshore into the deep basin, to the detriment of the people and the economy of the region.
No one can claim that the oil communities are currently being marginalised with their apparent gains in the current dispensation. However, it goes without saying that the problem of the Niger Delta today is more of internal inequalities rather than external discrimination. It is more a result of the political culture of the region rather than a lack of resources for the development of the area. Despite the many trillions of naira pumped into the Niger Delta area directly from the federation account, there is nothing on ground near the quantum of funds pumped into the region. No one can deceive anyone anymore that the problem in the South-South is the federal government. No, the problem is the parasitic mindset of the ruling elite who waste virtually all the funds meant for the development of the region.
No one can still claim that the oil-producing communities are being marginalised with their apparent gains in the current dispensation, culminating in the creation of a Niger Delta ministry manned almost exclusively by Niger Deltans. Peace should reign now if common sense is allowed to prevail. Many of those who ought to be working very hard for their brethren at home have rather turned themselves into jet-set socialites and stars who use funds meant for development for enjoyment and merriment. The NDDC is as guilty of mismanagement of these developmental funds as are all state governments in that region. I would like Asari-Dokubo and others of his ilk to seek accountability of the funds released to that region since 1999 before looking for scapegoats elsewhere. Statistics from the Federal Ministry of Finance show clearly that the six states of the South-South have received N3.5 trillion since 1999. For those who wonder what a trillion is, it is one million times one million or 1,000 billion. In other words, if you share one trillion to one million people, they will each receive one million naira. If that money was shared along family lines, virtually all families in the area would be millionaires many times over, but that is very far from the fact on the ground. Poverty is a very clear companion of the people of the oil areas despite the CBN's recent statistics that indicate otherwise. But the federal allocation is not all these imprudent states got. They still got the internally generated revenue which, in the case of Rivers State and Delta States runs into trillions. Instead of developing their people and providing them infrastructure, the Niger Delta ruling elite have, instead, armed their people and set them to fight the rest of Nigeria as if the oil will never run dry. Most Nigerians will recall the earlier testimony of Asari-Dokubo and Ateke Tom who did not mince words when they alluded that they were initially armed by the ruling elite of Rivers State and environs. What is clear is that the governors and other public officeholders of that area should be held accountable for the poverty and hardship in the Niger Delta.
There is no doubting the fact that there was marginalisation in the past but, today, the situation is not exactly the same. Certainly, there is environmental degradation arising from the very nature of crude oil extraction, but hostage-taking is certainly not going to help in the clean-up process. Or is it? This is the time for the South-South moderates and professionals to stand up and help in the process of healing and mitigating the militant mindset of the youth of the region. There is no way any serious group would allow itself to be led by ignorant and intemperate elements in the name of liberation. Granted that a drive towards full Niger Delta citizens' participation in the oil business is necessary to make up for the environmental degradation, but allowing short-sighted leaders to hijack the process (for selfish gains) is just not good enough. The agitation process will have a better hearing if the procedure is limited to dialogue and political agitation rather than needless confrontation. It is clear that the rest of Nigeria now appreciate the problems in the oil-producing areas but peaceful methods from now on will achieve more results than ever before. A better way of attracting political support for more derivation for the region is to showcase the poverty and poor infrastructure of this area that is the golden goose. No Nigerian, having seen the corrosive impact of acid rain on homes and oil spills on farmland, will balk at supporting us in getting more funds to enable the longsuffering peoples address the issues. But to blame the Nigerian state while allowing the local political elite to fritter away the funds already received is not just proper.
But all that is in the past. The people should now turn a new leaf and give Ufot Ekaette and the Niger Delta Ministry a chance to succeed.
UP NIGERIA
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