Date Published: 06/01/09
When citizens could no more stomach their government's insensitivity, dishonesty, brutality, massive looting and inefficiency; and then took up arms in order to sing emancipation, what should we call them? Criminals? Crusaders? Or both? And should the govt - legal or illegal - folds it arms in discharging its primary duty of protecting lives and properties? The Niger-Delta "war" is an intricate and confusing political situation.
Niger-Delta War: For Oil Or Freedom?
by Hakeem Babalola
I quite understand that no government will ever tolerate any deliberate act of destruction or disruption in which lives and properties are being damaged. The primary duty of any government is to protect its citizens and their properties. And any government unable to perform this mathematical function must be rejected with contempt. A government that folds its arms when some people declare warfare against the state will only find itself to blame. In fact, law abiding citizens should freeze off such government. Well, it is another story if Nigerians find this an impossible task. A good government should not take decision for popularity sake, or do things right instead of doing the right things.
But the matter becomes ticklish when the government in question is illegal, or even felonious. Or what would you call a government whose motto reads: Do or Die Affairs? Or what do you call a government that deprives its citizens the right to choose their choice? Or what do you call a government that takes a little surreptitious pleasure in its citizens' intense unhappiness. The misery and wretchedness of this thought is intolerable and must be rejected. It is even bedevilled if a tyrannical government in its manipulation efforts portrays the participants or fighters as a gang of thugs. Who is the crook? Is it the thief or the owner who is struggling to recover her stolen property?
I am talking about the Nigerian government's irascible response by declaring war in the Niger-Delta, where the Joint Task force in its bid to wipe-out the "militants" has bombed many places in the creeks of Delta State. According to the Guardian, there have been civilian casualties. Women, children, the elderly, and members of the National youth service Corps have been displaced from Oporoza, Gbamaratu, Okerenkoko, and other riverine communities. Is this government showing mighty power because of the oil or because of its primary duty to protect?
Yar'Adua and his advisers must be deceiving themselves if they actually believe they are using state apparatus to destroy criminals in the Delta troubled region. No sir, because the issue at stake is much more than mere rhetoric. It is much more than deceit which has been our rulers' hallmark all along. The government of Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua can call the Niger Deltan fighters a bunch of criminals or whatever, but the most important is the fact that these lads have the support of majority of Nigerians - with the exception of kidnapping and raping. And this is a warning to the present regime that Nigerians are sad and angry with the way things are going in their country. Many Nigerians have even gone to the extent of calling the Nigerian government a bunch of criminals.
Any government that uses the instrument of state to oppress its citizens will soon find its Waterloo. However, it appears there's a certain place where instead of meeting its final crushing defeat, such government is waxing stronger in its bids to conquer its citizens. Of course, there are many things responsible for this, including the oppressed who is satisfied with the remnants being fed. For a recent example, fresh facts have emerged that the nude protesters during the Ekiti Governorship rerun fiasco were alleged to have been paid ₦ 2,000 each, an equivalent of $20 to stage their protest, according to pointblanknews.com. In an environment where citizens allow themselves to be used for political thuggery, it would be near impossible to defeat such government.
When citizens could no more stomach their government's insensitivity, dishonesty, brutality, massive looting and inefficiency; and then took up arms in order to sing emancipation, what should we call them? Criminals? Crusaders? Or both? And should the govt - legal or illegal - folds it arms in discharging its primary duty of protecting lives and properties? The Niger-Delta "war" is an intricate and confusing political situation. It seems a simple question but I doubt it. Niger Deltans, like other Nigerians, are undergoing a tough time. They are suffering and they are suffering. They have adequate water in their background but the government prefers to dry their well. Hum, the owner of the well is thirsty while the thieves have enough water to swim in. This is a case of abracadabra if you ask me.
We all know that the task before any government is always delicate and enormous and that a good government will deliberate and deliberate before going to war against its own citizens. If a government should take a drastic action to the extent of wasting the lives of its citizens as we are seeing in the Delta region, such government must be sure of its position in this regard. It must be the last resort and it must be done in good faith. This is probably why death penalty is still legal in some so-called developed countries. The punishment must meet the crime. But when a government decides to kill its citizens just to show an impellent power, such government is only building public support and sympathy for the victims. And we are all victims of a government which seems to be deriving pleasure from inflicting pain on its citizens. A good government must know the right time to kill and bury its citizens.
Moving on, a government that does not know that certain people will always take up arms in a gallant effort to liberate themselves is not fit to remain in such sensitive and important position for a minute. It is equally dangerous if a government does not know that certain people may use the opportunity to advance their own innate ambition. The duty of a good government though it may be difficult, is to be wise enough to distinguish between the genuine freedom fighters and the fake freedom fighters. Any attempt to lump them together will backfire. In fact, a discerning mind definitely knows that it is possible for a government to cause further trouble by indirectly sponsoring the fake freedom fighters in order to defeat the purpose of the initial struggle which is liberation.
Even a wrong thinking mind would like to know why the citizens, especially those in the core areas where the nation derives much of its "wealth" cannot boast of basic amenities like water, electricity, medical care etc? Both the federal, state and local governments should once and for all tell us why people must remain thirsty in the midst of abundant water? Does this make any sense at all? Does it occur to these governments that the non-availability of basic amenities is enough to spark revolt - as we are witnessing in the Niger Delta? And do these governments really care as long as the ember of fire does not consume their mansions? What exactly is wrong with Yar'Adua and co?
It is true that kidnapping and raping have been going on in the Niger Delta and that most of these atrocities have been linked to the "militants", but as I said it is the duty of a good government to seek the truth and act accordingly instead of the indiscriminate bombing of towns and villages. The ultimate solution does not lie in deceiving the public in order to gain support for the total destruction of the "militants". A good government should understand that the spirit of fighting against injustice, or to free oneself from brutal oppression can never be defeated; it is unstoppable when people decide to vote for emancipation. It may take time but such spirit has never been crushed. Even the spirit of Biafra is much alive.
It is even shameful for a government not to know how to appease genuine freedom fighters. However, it is not surprising that Yar'Adua's led government is more concerned about politics of oil than that of human welfare. Those before him did the same thing. Any attempt by Yar'Adua to put the blame on foreign nationals saying, "the conflict in the troubled Niger Delta is fuelled by the collaboration of foreign nationals with militant elements in the area", is hogwash as far as I am concerned. A serious government should never allow that to happen before putting its house in order!
I am of the opinion that a government that politicizes important issues like that of the Niger-Delta is murdering injustice and shall have no peace. Subsequent governments have promised and promised to find solution to the crisis in this oil region only to renege. Such unfulfilled promises make one wonders if the Nigerian governments do actually gain from the conflict in the troubled Niger Delta. Is the government laughing now that the country is losing 150,000 barrels of crude per day as a result of the conflict in the region? Yar'Adua and his wo/men must pause and think. They must ask themselves if brutal killing of citizens ever solved or killed the spirit of any genuine freedom fighters? The bottom line is this: No Nigerian government has ever cared about its citizens. And by the time everything is settled, nothing would have been settled
Meanwhile, it should be noted that the struggle for freedom, fairness and injustice by the Niger- Deltans began a long time ago, even before the civil war that could have paved way for the Republic of Biafra. For the fact that injustice continues 43 years after the civil war indicates that no Nigerian government - legal or illegal - is interested in finding permanent solution to the crisis. In 1966, a young Ijaw man named Isaac Adaka Jasper Boro began what seems to be a struggle for liberation when he declared the first Republic within Nigeria called the Niger Delta Republic. His revolutionize mind had seen beyond the surface; the young man had rightly predicted today's Nigeria, where one man can steal a horse while another must not look at its halter. The Ijaw hero fought for the cause he believed in even though it was brief, for he later fought on the side of the federal troops against the Biafran soldiers. This, I suppose is the scale by which every Nigerian government measures the seriousness of the Niger-Delta struggle. Perhaps they think the so-called crusade is about chop make I chop. It's up to MEND to affirm its initial vow.
Hum, the name is instructive: the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). For such struggle to have a meaningful end however, they must endeavour to fight the enemy within. They must not allow traitors or spies to divert the course of what they believe in. They must deal with the criminals among them otherwise the struggle will be in vain. They must not give the kidnappers, rapists, blackmailers etc any chance to hijack their genuine intentions. More importantly, Niger- Deltan genuine freedom fighters must always remember the words of their hero who highlighted the honourable path to follow more than four decades ago. His words were succinct enough to guide any genuine freedom fighters in their crusade.
"Today is a great day, not only in your lives, but also in the history of the Niger Delta. Perhaps it will be the greatest day for a very long time. This is not because we are going to bring heaven down, but because we are going to demonstrate to the world what and how we feel about oppression. Before today, we were branded robbers, bandits, terrorists or gangsters but after today, we shall be heroes of our land. For this reason, and for the good name of the Ijaws , do not commit atrocities such as rape, looting or robbery. Whatever people say, we must maintain our integrity. Moreover, you know it is against Ijaw tradition to mess about with women during war. You have been purified these many days. Be assured that if you do not get yourselves defiled within the period of battle, you shall return home safe even if we fail".
Oh Jesus of Nazareth, Oh Prophet Mohammed of Mecca, Oh Ifa Olokun asoro dayo of Ile- Ife! It would be cool if the criminals in both camps can be fished out and killed. This is because there are fake militants as well as fake government representatives, and I believe these are the twin crooks fuelling the ember of fire in the Niger-Delta region. You should ask yourself the main wo/man who is supplying arms and ammunition to these fake militants. Is it you? Well, who is going to fish them out when, as it seems, the head of the Nigerian government enjoys seeing the civilian homes being destroyed by his submarines. Do you think a good government should kill its erring citizens in order to rule? Your honest answer will reveal your stand regarding the giant of Africa
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