Date Published: 06/09/09
BEATING THE DRUMS OF WAR
By Edoreh F. Edoreh
Expectations are high as the nation awaits the much-talked about amnesty being packaged by the federal government of Nigeria for desiring militants in the Niger Delta creeks, as a panacea for enduring peace in the troubled region. It is needful to state that adequate consultations should be made to accommodate all fragments of the menace. An appeal should therefore go the militants to perceive the olive branch being extended to them in good fate and lay down their arms to embrace dialogue.
Unarguably, the Niger Delta region has suffered untold economic deprivation, exploitation and environmental degradation over the years. And the people have suffered untold hardship in the midst of plenty. Worst still, successive governments have continued to treat the Niger Delta issues with levity and utmost disregard. This, many believed largely contributed to have ignited the agitations for the control of the oil-rich region.
Today, like many other oil producing communities in the Niger Delta, there is a strong reference on Oloibiri which is the first point of call in the crude oil business, but have remained a thoroughly sapped and devastated village – with nothing to show for its own contribution to the larger society. The drastic effects of pollution on their water, land and air has rendered them handicapped to carry on with fishing and the cultivation of the soil which is their basic means of livelihood. This somewhat compels the people into a beggarly lifestyle in the midst of plenty.
Thus, the people are frustrated and infuriated to have been left attended to for so long a period to experience and continue to taste the biter pills of hunger, hardship and environmental inadequacies, while the cumulative effects of their deprivations yields revenues to the government and those who manage their God endowed resources feed fat on it.
The genesis of the rage of open criminality and widespread violence in the Niger Delta is rooted to the situation of unfulfilled aspirations of the people despite the long years of oil exploitation and exploration. There is consistent pollution and environmental degradation, and the people are deprived and impoverished, thereby subjecting them to abject poverty and criminal intent.
The agitations to draw government’s attention to their deprivations, environmental hazards and degradation can be traced to the pioneer time of Major Isaac Adaka Boro, who is perhaps the most celebrated Ijaw nationalist. Born on 10 th September, 1938 at Oloibiri in Bayelsa, Adaka Boro as he was fondly called championed a revolutionary war to liberate the oppressed people of the Niger Delta. He died on May 9 th,1968 at Ogu, Rivers state. But even in death and defeat, he remained victorious.
The struggle continued into the era of the intellectual radicalism of Ken Sara-Wiwa. A writer and leading activist, Saro-Wiwa led the struggle demanding the rights for the Ogoni people, including an end to Shell’s gas flaring in Ogoni regions. He was detained, imprisoned and tortured until November 10, 1995 when Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists were hanged to death by the Nigerian government.
Substantial evidence indicates Shell collaborated with the Nigerian government in a campaign of brutal crackdowns that culminated in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogini 8. Shell is being forced to face this evidence in U.S. federal district court in New York City. On April 23rd, Judge Kimba Wood rejected Shell’s last-ditch attempt to avoid trial, rejecting the company’s claim that the court did not have jurisdiction to consider the case.
Today, the struggle has snowballed into the present day reality of arm-struggle and open criminality to economic sabotage. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is the most organized body for the militants and has continued to intensify its threat to attack the oil industry in the coming days, “warning that it will stand firm on a 72-hour ultimatum issued over the weekend.” The ultimatum (to local and foreign oil workers) warning “Niger Delta oil workers to leave within 72 hours to avoid an ‘imminent attack’” expires about midnight on Monday 8 th June, 2009 MEND threatened that “Our focus will be the oil industry as this is an oil war.”
MEND said in its statement on Saturday 6 th June, 2009 that “Hurricanes are never predictable by nature. So, we cannot predict what it will entail,” “An oil war simply means that the focus will be on oil politics and the fight will be restricted to oil infrastructure,” the group emphasized. Recently, the government has declared a total war in the region trying to murder the undying protesting voices of the people. Yet, the Niger Delta question has remained unanswered, but a heap of sheer promises upon unfulfilled aspirations.
Meanwhile, an additional 4000 combat ready soldiers were reported to have arrived the Warri base of the JTF in the wee-hours of Saturday to step up the on-going onslaught against militants following the presidency’s approval to the military authorities for the deployment. Panic-striken residents of Burutu, headquarters of the oil rich Burutu council in Delta State have fled their homes to take refuge in the mangrove forests amidst reports of an impending invasion by troops of the JTF.
Since May 15 th 2009 when the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian military launched offensive in Niger Delta in an operation code-named “cordon and search”, the nation has been counting loses. Although, the JTF claimed they were targeting the militants, and “conducted the operation in the most professional manner and the security outfit is only focusing on the areas where there are militants and their hideouts where hostages were being kept”, however the casualty figures have proven differently with alarming death tolls on innocent children and defenseless aged parents as “collateral damage”. It is also learnt that displaced persons in the affected areas are virtually yearning for food and medical attention.
First, was the reported drastic drop of the total output of crude oil production to less than 1.3 million barrel per day as against the 2.2 million bpd in which the 2009 budget was predicated. Over one million barrels of crude per day and an estimated daily revenue loss of about N10.5bn is also being counted as loss to the ragging war in the creeks. Finance Minister, Dr Mansur Muhktar disclosed at a recent press briefing that full implementation of the 2009 budget was no longer feasible. This is worst as the nation battles to measure up with its 1.67million bpd OPEC quota, while the legislative arm is reported to have drawn a battle line between the federal government for the full implementation of the budget.
There are indications that the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company may have been shut down due to lack of crude oil for its operations. It will be recalled that the flow line servicing the plant popularly known as Chanomi Creek pipeline was blown up recently by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the umbrella body of the militants, as a direct response to the heavy bombardment of some Ijaw communities and the killings of innocent citizens by the Joint Task Force (JTF).
The Nigerian Gas Company is also reported to have cut gas supplies to industrial users, especially in the northern part of the country. A few companies in the southern axis of the country may likely suffer similar fate. The Geregu Power Plant owned by the Power Holding Company in Kogi State had been shut down due to lack of gas to operate it. The NGC lost about 200million standard cubic feet of gas daily sequel to the destruction of the Escravos/Warri Gas Pipeline from the Escravos base of Chevron Nigeria Limited to the Ekpan operational headquarters of the subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company the same day the Chanomi pipeline was blown up by the militants in the Niger Delta.
In Delta state, Warri is choked with a state of insecurity, and risks being shut out from the FIFA World Cup tournament based on the latest FIFA evaluation report that ascribes Warri as a “no-go area” even when its stadium can stand the test of time. The state will definitely lose economic gains derivable from the FIFA tournament.
It is common knowledge that the employment market is but a time bomb to our shaky economy. It is therefore a scary news that the biggest oil firm in the country, the Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell, conceives the plan to embark on a major shake-up of its about 24,000 workforce courtesy of the war .This no doubt will definitely spell doom for the economy, especially in the Niger Delta region, and may continue festering more grounds for youths’ restiveness in the troubled region.
There is also a count on the collective lost of manpower. The militants are reported to have been killed in droves. The Joint Task Force on the other side had disclosed that the uniform of a Lieutenant earlier declared missing by the Nigerian military and the rifle of a soldier, two of whom are among the 18 missing JTF soldiers were found in a shrine at Okerenkoko community, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. The JTF Commander, General Sarkin Yakin Bello said the Lieutenant’s uniform had black stains and bullet perforations on it, suggestive that they may have been killed by the daring militants.
Even as the dust raised by the operation launched by the highly fortified Joint Military Task Force in some Ijaw communities ostensibly to flush out criminal elements that are terrorizing the peace of the Niger Delta, fresh facts have emerged that the soldiers on rampage made no distinction between the militants and the innocent people caught in the crossfire while it carried out the land, water and aerial bombardments of Azama, Benikurukuru, Kokodiagbene, Kunukunuma, Kurutie, Okerenkoko, Oporoza, and Ubefan communities all of Gbaramatu Local Government Area of Delta state, Nigeria.
According to investigative report, "even animals were not spared. All the horses in the royal stable of the king of Gbaramatu were shot in the head and the dogs were bludgeoned to death by Nigerian soldiers". Could these innocent animals also be criminal elements?
It is more bizarre that the dastardly act was perpetuated during a festive period as “residents of the villages and those visiting for a festival on the day the bombing began were forced to flee their homes and villages”, “hiding in the bush and do not have adequate food or medical supplies”. All over the world, well-meaning Nigerians have condemned without reservation the intensity of the military onslaught which presupposes that the country was at war with the Niger Delta people.
Sixteen foreign-based civil society organisations is reported to have dragged President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the Joint Task Force (JTF) to the International Criminal Court sitting at Hague. It is strongly believed that the Joint Task Force Commander, Gen. Sarkin Yarkin-Bello and the military had cases to answer for the crimes they allegedly committed against humanity as it was reported that “corpses are decaying and survivors of the attack are taking cover in nearby bushes without food, water and drugs and in continuous fear of repeated attacks. Victims of this military action are mainly women, children and the aged who are vulnerable.”
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is reported to have passed a resolution backing the military offensive in the Niger Delta. The so-called representatives of the people indeed requested the military to extend the carnage to other parts of the Niger Delta. Worthless remarks were even credited to the leadership of the House. Some school of thought believes that the resolution passed by the lower chambers is most unintelligible and cowardly.
It is pitiable and an ignominy that in a democratic era some of our so-called leaders, especially the leadership of the House of Representatives lacks the necessary intelligence and broad based knowledge to carry on with legislation in the 21 st century. Perhaps, its leadership also lacks parenthood, since some of their leadership are yet to attain full responsibilities associated with making and keeping a family. And therefore their parochial knowledge of what the pains of birth and death means to any family and society could be so easily compromised even when a genocide involving the death of thousands of innocent and defenseless citizens in some Ijaw communities in Delta state is attracting international concern. This can only be the true democratic dividends of a nation whose representation is galvanized by “stolen mandates”.
How can this act of legislation be reconciled, when far away in the United States of America, the Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate, Senator Russ Feingold while lamenting the killings of thousands of civilians and about 30,000 displaced refugees by the JTF in Gbaramatu Kingdom in its bid to “fish out militants taking refuge in parts of the Kingdom” has promptly requested President Barrak Obama to intervene in the offensive in the Niger Delta. In his words, "I urge the Obama administration to think creatively about how we can work multilaterally to help end this long standing crisis in the Niger Delta.” "Genuine peacemaking will require not only legitimate political negotiations but a convincing case for transforming the illicit war economy into one of peace," he stated.
While our legislature is perceived to be feasting on the war, the US Senator noted that in order to achieve a lasting peace in the region, federal government "needs to undertake a serious and sustained initiative to address the underdevelopment of the region." He urged the US government and President Barrack Obama to please act before the situation devolves into full-scale war.” According to him, “there is still time to avert another African tragedy''. Truly, when the matured mind speaks, the weak mind listens.
The Ijaw nation is said to have demanded an apology from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole for the "unconscionable attempt to institutionalise genocide in the Niger Delta, as evidenced by the House of Representatives passing a resolution, which callously implores the Federal Government to extend the carnage in Delta State to Rivers and Bayelsa states, plus the condemnable call for the extermination of the 20 million Niger Deltans by Representative Bala Ibn N'Allah of Kebbi State."
Dr. Felix Tuodolor, an of Ijaw foremost leaders, particularly took on Hon. Bala Ibn Nallah regarding the invasion of Ijaw communities in Delta State, saying the utterances of Nallah implied that the Niger Delta people are inconsequential in Nigeria, whereas their lives is depended on the revenue from the region.
Also, the Northern elders under the aegis of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in their usual characteristics of beating the drums of war had literally passed a vote of confidence on the Joint Task Force for a job well done in the Niger Delta and had asked the JTF to expedite action until the crude oil from the troubled Niger Delta is allowed to flow peacefully and uninterrupted. Well, it may not serve any good to join issues with such reckless and inflammatory statements of short-sightedness based on shallow knowledge of the issues at stake as exhibited by some weak minds. However, there is more wisdom in seeking for solutions rather than beating the drums of war.
Leadership is the problem. The rampant electoral and institutionalized corruption in the country, particularly in the Niger Delta region has continued to betray the confidence of the masses and deny the people true representation. And there is a disconnection in sincerity of purpose. For instance, the Federal Government is said to be planning to dredge the River Niger, whereas it has no comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessments and the resulting drastic effects on the occupants of the region. While the dredging will promote economic gains, it is also important to examine the effects associated with it.
The Federal Government must "end the humanitarian crisis that has attracted widespread opprobrium throughout Nigeria and the civilised world, by immediately declaring a ceasefire and stopping its bombardment of Gbaramatu Kingdom, and totally ignoring any untoward calls to expand the carnage into any other part of Niger Delta.”
As a matter of proactive approach, there are larger political and ideological issues that must be tackled to safeguard Nigeria from destructive crime and violence. Yet, the long period of military dictatorship have damaged the fabrics of true democratic governance which our early nationalists consolidated for our multi-ethnic society. One consequence of this disruption is the alienation of resources from areas where national wealth is generated. The Niger Delta is a major victim of this injustice.
Unfortunately, 10-years of democracy in Nigeria, the country has continued to tread the path of dishonour and moral decadence which has further dampened our national pride and integrity. But until we embrace true democratic tenets and practice, and reorganize the polity to promote economic justice and fair representation, our democratic system and peaceful co-existence will continue to witness threats.
The most effective way to reduce crime and violence in the troubled region and indeed across the nation is to restore a functional and just federal system in the country so that each unit of the country can exploit its abundant resource endowments to provide for the welfare of the majority of the people and the larger nation, rather than consistently suppressing justice, and willfully shelling and bombarding the owners of the God endowed region.
The government must as a matter of fact have sincerity of purpose in dialoging and there must also be a pragmatic approach towards the developments of the region to ensure better life for the people as a matter of rights and privileges. We may not need to be reminded that the persistent and inequitable under-funding of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of the Niger Delta, contrary to the provisions of the NDDC Act contributed in its own token to the escalation of the crisis and poses a fundamental issue to the Niger Delta question.
If all the money being wasted on warships and war artillery and sustaining military personnel in the Niger Delta since 2003 were converted to developing the Niger Delta region rather than under-funding the development agencies, the people may not continue to cry foul this much.
Today, the JTF through assault may seem to have achieved some results, but cannot truly put a final stop to the militant activities in the region until the fundamental issues emanating from the core Niger Delta struggle are conscientiously addressed to rekindle dashed hopes and restore a befitting glory to the devastated region.
As events now turn out in the recent blast of the Chevron major trunk pipelines by the militants, the federal government should therefore wake up from its slumber and come to the early realization that the Joint Task Force alone cannot do the magic of effectively securing the pipelines and safeguard lives and properties while the Niger Delta people continue to be victimized, impoverished, deprived, shelled and bombed to utter intimidation and cowardice, else it may just be a vicious circle.
The international community perceives these developments as manifestations of global terrorism in this part of the African continent which must be nipped in the bud.
The federal government should ensure that the proposed amnesty is all embracing. The security operatives should be made to leave the region to promote an air of freedom and a sense of belonging. As a responsible government in a democratic setting, we don’t need to be reminded that it takes a longer period to build, but destruction is only a twinkle of an eye. The lawmakers, the northern elements and their likes should stop beating the drums of war. Already, in this few day alone, the nation is counting loses in a war that is highly regrettable, wrongly timed and most avoidable.
Edoreh F. Edoreh
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