By Sunny Ikhioya
The devastating effects of the activities of
the Niger Delta Avengers on the Nigerian economy has made it imperative for the
Federal government to reach a compromise with the militants. In fact, the PM
News edition of Tuesday 7th June reported the setting up of a committee
to discuss with the avengers. The questions that logically crop up from this
development are: What will be the basis for discussions? Will the issues cover
other Niger Delta ethnic groups? If an agreement is reached with the avengers,
will that guarantee peace in the region? Do the authorities really want peace
in the region? What must be done to guarantee that?
It is very important for all to know that the
Ijaws are not the only ethnic group in the Niger Delta that have oil deposit in
their land. The wikipedia source estimates over 40 ethnic groups in the whole
region and almost all of them are oil rich and suffer the same degradation of
their land as the Ijaws. The Ijaws also, are not the only tribe fighting for
the resource control of their land.
The late Ken Saro Wiwa a foremost minority
rights activist was of the Ogoni ethnic stock. But the recent militancy of the
Ijaw group has made it seem like they are the only oil producing community in
the region. The import of their struggle is, if they had remained docile, the
federal government and international communities will continue to ignore the
degrading conditions in the region. The people of this region have always been
hard working and contributed significantly to the economic development of the
country at different times in our history.
Long before crude oil came to the fore, it was
known as the oil region and European businessmen set up trading posts in
different parts of the region. It was known as the oil region because of the
predominance of palm oil production. So, the peddlers of the lies that the
other regions resources were used to develop the oil businesses in the Niger
Delta are only deluding themselves or speak out of ignorance. The Niger Deltans
have always been productive but they have never been known to come up with one
voice on issues affecting them. It has always been to the advantage of those in
authority to keep them fighting amongst themselves through the divide and rule
technique.
The Niger Deltans have always been productive
but they have never, ever come up with one voice because of the deliberate
policy of the federal authorities to keep them apart. It began with the slave
traders and later, during colonial times the British continued with it by
setting tribes against one another, if it is not through land acquisition, it
was deliberate trade decisions that pit one against the other. The federal
government of Nigeria
Even with the glaring pollution and destruction
of their land, successive governments have continued to ignore their pitiable
plights. You just have to go to the oil producing areas to experience first
hand what goes on there. It is genocide through environmental poisoning. Even
with their son Goodluck Jonathan as President, the majority ethnic groups
rebuffed efforts to bring succour to the oil communities. For example, the
Petroleum Industry Bill was killed in the National Assembly, now they have
brought out a much toned down version that does not take the communities into consideration.
You cannot allow the ‘goose’ that lays the golden eggs to die.
Until the federal authorities find an
alternative source of revenue to the Niger Delta crude oil, they must kowtow to
the rights of the owners of the oil, no other way out. The Jonathan government
did not do much to alleviate the plight of the Niger Delta citizens, the little
he did were concentrated in his hometown and other Ijaw locations. Projects
that would have benefited other ethnic groups like the Ogidigben projects were
needlessly subjected to controversies, same with the oil wells disputes
involving Bayelsa and Rivers states.
This has made people from other delta ethnic
groups to remain indifferent to the current plight of their Ijaw neighbours
because, from the experience of the recent past, the Ijaws have proven to be
greedy with the spoils. But, should we allow them to negotiate alone on issues
that affect the whole region? My opinion is that the negotiation must involve
all of the ethnic tribes in the Niger Delta region, no one must be excluded.
Each of them must come to the negotiation table to express openly matters that
affect them. It is a common problem to the whole – the economic exploitation
and degradation of their land – therefore there must be adequate compensation
and true control of the resources in their land.
The real communities must be made partners of
any project that is embarked upon in their land and not succumb to the divide
and rule tactics of the federal government. One has noticed that some groups
are encouraging the federal government to intensify military action in the
region because they are not happy with the way the Ijaws have handled things in
the past but we all know that no military action can bring lasting peace to the
region. It is only a concerted effort from all the ethnic groups, reached
peacefully, that can guarantee lasting peace. The pipelines criss-cross the
whole region, no military super power can mann it without the co-operation of
the indigenes.
If we allow the Ijaw avengers to negotiate
alone, we are giving bite to their right to claim the reward alone and allow
others to scrabble for the crumbs as was the case under the Jonathan
government. Other Niger Delta ethnic groups must demand to be included in the
negotiation to table their demands. They should not allow others do it for
them. They must also not allow themselves to be used as spoilers or saboteurs
of a genuine cause for the region’s freedom.
*Ikhioya is a commentator on public issues
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