At Dr. Peter Odili's 60th birthday party, the Former Military "Head of State", General Ibrahim Babangida, said "only the adoption of a Marshal Plan by the Federal Government can put an end to the on going crisis in the Niger Delta". It is evident why Babangida failed as dictator after eight years of tyranny, oppression, assassinations, looting of the national treasury and destabilization of the country economy due to self greed.  The problem of the Niger Delta can be summarized as people like you Babangida having oil blocks in the Niger Delta, living larger than life, while people of the Niger Delta are quite the opposite.  You took what belong to them, to develop your Mina village, develop almost all the Northern of Nigeria with better roads, school, power and water supply…you simply think the people of Niger Delta should shut up, rollover and die. I will urge Babangida and others advocating for massive deployment of the military to put themselves in the shoes of the people of Niger Delta.  I think Babangida should advocate for Marshal Plan in Nigeria not just Niger Delta, A Marshal plan that would confiscate all those ill-gotten wealth of every past and present office holders.

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Babangida also said "The economic successes of China and India came after many years of toil and sweat." Once again, point of correction Mr. Former"Head of State", the economic successes of China and India actually came during good leadership, when these countries had leaders who put their country first, leaders that actually develop ongoing infrastructures / institutions instead of building and naming one after themselves; leaders that will not loot from their people, leaders with vision, sense of direction and hungry for legacy instead of self and family inheritance…that is how China and India gets to their current economic position.

The solution to Niger Delta crisis is a simple one…

1.     Nigeria needs to level the playing field to start, provide development in Niger Delta, similar to that of Abuja and other part of Northern Nigeria

2.      Provide massive benefits of the resources from Niger Delta to the people of Niger Delta.

3.      Development of Niger Delta area with Federal government projects and industries

4.      Massive job creation will improve standard of living in the area, increase tax base, which eventually trickle back to the government coffers

5.      Involvement of the oppressed at every level of the decision making process...thereby enabling people of Niger Delta to champion their own future plans.

How hard could the above be? Importantly and a word of advise…, you do not make peace with guns…sights of guns begets aggressiveness, which begets defensiveness from the oppressed and ultimately leads to more violence.

By Emmanuel Ukpe

eukpe5@gmail.co

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