THE
NIGER-DELTA AND POLITICS IN NIGERIA.
SEYI
ODUYELA
November,
2005
I have been
asking myself for the past two weeks, when the idea of writing
an opinion on the Niger-Delta came to my mind of the place of
the Niger-delta in Nigeria politics.
Bayelsa
State is one of the oil-producing states in Nigeria. It was in
Oloibiri, a small town in Bayelsa state that oil was first
discovered in Nigeria. The town and the state as at today do
not have anything to show for the wealth it has generated for
the country.
One question
begging for answer is why is a region that is generating to so
much wealth for the country is left, neglected and allowed to
suffer the way it is now. The money we spend on education,
health, power and other good things of life come from the
black gold, yet the land that gives us the wealth, though now
shared by few, is desecrated, defiled and abused.
Why is this
so? Why has it been difficult for the whole country to see the
injustices done to these people? Why do we play the problems
of this most important region in Nigeria down? Why do we keep
insulting these people’s sensibility? These and many questions
are begging for answers.
What is the
place of the Niger-Delta in the political history of Nigeria?
None! They are not at the fore front of political activities.
They have been issued as political instruments, aligned with
others rather than being aligned to. But it has never
benefited them.
Ogoniland is
a minute parcel of land of about 404 square miles and home to
about 600,000 people. For years, close to 634 million barrels
of oil put at about $30 Billion had been pumped from its land;
but what did they get back in return? Poverty, primitive
education and health facilities. Very few of the land enjoy
most basics such as electricity and running water. Shell and
other oil companies have caused a lot of damage to the
people’s land. Oil spillage has destroyed the lands and
waters, contaminating the waters and the lands. The people’s
main occupations are farming and fishing, but the spillage put
a stop to their means of livelihood.
Their
protests have been met with maiming and killings. Their women
raped, children starved to death, youth crippled. Isaac Boro
started the fight for the emancipation of these grossly
oppressed people, and in the early 90s the Movement for the
Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) was formed to represent
the opposition to the oppression of the Ogonis. At a time when
the people felt helpless, hopeless to stand and fight for
their land, Kenule Saro-Wiwa stood and led his people to war
against the oppressive government and its collaborators- the
multi-national oil companies.
In 1995, the
Ogonis paid a supreme price; but before the 1995 tragedy, the
Ogonis stood against the Babangida’s sponsored 1993 elections
and it was only in Ogoni land that the 1993 elections did not
take place. They did this to protest their neglect. It became
offensive for the Ogonis to protest the destruction of their
land. In response, Ogoniland and other Niger-Delta became war
zone. Military personnel armed with war gadgets were deployed
to torture, rape and sack the land known as the heart of
Nigerian economy. In 1995, the nine people, now known as the
Ogoni-9 were arraigned before a Kangaroo Tribunal and found
guilty. They were sentenced to death and hung by the Abacha
government.
On November
10, 1995, against calls from international community, Abacha’s
government ordered Ken Saro-Wiwa and other 8 Ogonis executed
by hanging. Nigeria shed blood of innocent citizens to protect
foreign oil companies who come to defile our lands and steal
our wealth away to develop their own countries. Sad too was
the role of traditional rulers of the Niger-Delta who became
boot-lickers at that time.
After the
hanging of the Ogoni 9 for their alleged role in the Killing
of another set of 4 Ogoni citizens, Lt. Colonel Okuntimo and
Komo took over the land and they ruled the State (Rivers
State) with iron hands. Killing their fellow Nigerians, raping
women and amputating hands. It was a sorry sight at one of the
conferences organized by BOABAB, a Human Rights Organization
on the Rights of women in Nigeria in 2001. I saw and heard the
victims of the military abuse recounting their stories. One
woman told the gathering how she was raped in front of the car
by Okuntimo in the presence of soldiers and how she was
bleeding. Another lady came forward to tell us how she became
one-handed woman after she was shot by soldiers who are
Nigerians, not soldiers from America or Cameroon, but fellow
Nigerians treating their fellow citizens like enemies in war
over their won rights.
Most of the
Ogoni students at the University of Port Harcourt dropped out
of school because of arrests and kidnaps. One of them now
lives in New York. He was arrested with others and Okuntimo
ordered their execution. He was lucky that the soldier who
shot him shot him in the leg and left him alive. But he
carries the scare now hobbling.
It will be
unfair to put all the blames at the door steps of the foreign
companies and the federal government without talking about the
role of the local leaders in Niger-Delta. While the youth
fight and agitate, their leaders who meet with the oil
companies negotiate, get compensation on behalf of the people
and lied back to the people.
When
Obasanjo came to power in 1999, to show his appreciation to
the Niger-Delta people for their support was the sacking of
Odi. General Malu, then Chief of Army Staff was directed by
Obasanjo to send soldiers to Odi to bring the town down.
Women, and kids were killed like chicken, some were raped even
in their death.
What has the
Niger-Delta gained from supporting the mainstream political
party in Nigeria? Nothing but betrayal. They have been used
and dumped, yet the people still remain loyal. If there any
region in Nigeria that should have a say in how Nigeria is
governed, it should be the Niger-Delta, but unfortunately,
they don’t have a say. In the scheme of things in Nigeria,
these people are behind. So far, the best they have got is
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. A Yoruba man
is the President, a Northern man is the Vice President, an
Eastern man is the Senate President, a North central man is
the Deputy Senate President, a North western man is the
Speaker of the House and a South south man is the Speaker.
Position number 6! Three people from the North hold very
important positions. Vice President, Speaker and Deputy Senate
President.
No one has
come out from the Niger-Delta to indicate interest in the
Presidential race, but we have a lot campaigning for Babangida
a northern man, Atiku another northern man and some are even
begging Obasanjo to stay there for life.
Talking
about the Ogonis, even in their state, their highest has been
state commissioner. Why would the Ogonis accept to be second
class citizens after the great price they have paid with the
killing of their sons, wives and husbands? When would they be
willing to take their rightful place in Nigeria politics? The
Ogonis and their brothers in the Niger-Delta should wake up
from their slumbers. Why would Yoruba views be respected and
Niger-delta views taken lightly? Nigeria has been divided into
two: we have the Nigeria of the Hausa and Yoruba and the
Nigeria of Ibo and Niger-Delta. When the former talk it
carries weight, but when the latter talk, no one listens. I
think it is self made and it is the people themselves that can
alter that.
Before, we
have the North, East and West, now we have the Northwest,
Northeast, North central, and Southwest, Southeast and South
south. Power in Nigeria has been rotating between two regions.
The North as one entity and the South west. I do not believe
in the rotational presidency syndrome but for the purpose of
this argument; in 1998 after the death of Abacha, it was
decided by some faceless individuals that Yoruba should be
compensated for the annulment of the 1993 election. This led
to Obasanjo presidency. He was picked by the same people and
now presidency is going back to the north after staying in the
South, not south west, but South for 8 years. For the purpose
of this argument, Obasanjo, a Yoruba man was head of State
from 1976-1979; Aguiyi Ironsi only ruled for 6 months. Nigeria
is 45 years old, Yoruba ruled for 10 years, Ibo for 6 months
and the rest 331/2 years have been for the north. Now it is
time for the north to rule again for another 331/2 years?
To be
continued……
