I'll like to clear the air about the supposed newest SUPER HEROES in the Niger Delta.I'll like to state clearly that they are in no way representing the interests of the Niger Deltans.
What Does The Niger Deltans Need?
I can't speak for the Niger Deltans that's why I'm going to talk on what they need and not what they want.In my opinion,I think the greatest problem of the Niger Deltans is the Ignorance of modern system of government.This, unfortunately is not peculiar to them,it's in fact a general problem of all Nigerians.But I would be treating the matter as it affects the Niger Deltans.
Truly,the Niger Delta region has been grossly polluted and most of their sources of livelihood has been affected negatively.Now,the question is how are they going to get compensated for what has been lost and probably get on with life peacefully?This is where the problem lies.
The Late Ken Sarowiwa of blessed memory did his best to claim the compensation at the expense of his life.But sadly,not even the Great Ken Sarowiwa understood the core problem at hand.It wasn't as much of a federal as it was a local problem.The people he led admired his courage,his fearless confrontation of the Military regime that was in place as at then.It wasn't an easy task,I must admit!But,the goal wasn't just to confront them,neither was it to play to the gallery as the Avengers are doing as we speak.
Ken had made so many rather vague statements as to the emancipation of his people that his mission and vision were altogether misunderstood by the ordinary people in the street.The misunderstanding of such statements that has to do with 'emancipation','freedom' and 'marginalization' were what both the repentant (when they were still in action) and this crop of militant groups capitalized upon to wreck havoc in the name of the Niger Deltans and as expected,they had the support of the general populace who saw them as their heroes.
The people of the Niger Delta whose traditional lifestyle of a fisherman has been disrupted and put out of business saw the militants as the only voice they had and naturally,had to support them.After all,the Man of peace (the Late Ken Sarowiwa and co) was killed for being so nice,so,the not so nice militants may continue the great cause for them! This is,perhaps,the thinking of an ordinary man from the Niger Delta.
This goes to mean that the people of the Niger Delta needs a voice that would speak on their behalf to bring the Federal Government,not to their kneels but to their responsibility of fixing the problem they created with their exploration of oil by doing all that's humanly possible to restore the balance of the ecosystem of the region.They only wanted the Government to see the need to clean up the pollution created by oil spillage and take measures to forestall future re-occurrence. That's all!
Is that What The Niger Delta Avengers are Fighting for?
We all know that it isn't.The true mission and cause that great activists like Ken Sarowiwa died for had been sidelined and forgotten.They actually made mention of it as a little part of their demands.Most of their demands were in actual fact,more political and financial than the restoration of the ecosystem of the Niger Delta.They didn't even make mention of compensations,to whom and how it was to be paid.Rather,they were busy asking for the release of a high profile criminal like Nnamdi Kanu,an apology to a former governor's family that was summoned to answer to charges of robbing the people of the Niger Delta(he died from the shock of the news),the continuation of the rehabilitation of touts and thugs (while the ordinary law abiding Niger Deltans are still wallowing in abject poverty,thugs and touts are sent abroad for training that costs several millions that could help thousands of Niger Deltans to their feet) and the most ridiculous of all,to me,the ownership of oil wells!I don't know how these aforementioned demands cleans up the Region and compensate the poor masses that are most hit by the environmental disruption.
To cut the long story short,these guys are not fighting for the people but,rather,their very pocket and their sponsors as one can see clearly from their demands.
The Avengers are Wrecking Much more Havoc than Good!
Now,the cleanup of Ogoniland a struggle for which the late Ken Sarowiwa and the other ten Braves of the Niger Delta were condemned to death for has begun.If the Avengers were truly interested in the cleanup exercise,they should mellow down and make a press release to that effect,but,instead,what did we hear?
When the news of cleaning up Ogoniland reached the Avengers,their response was that the President,General Muhammad Buhari should not dare enter the Niger Delta region.Can you imagine?!The President have heard your call for a clean up and had deemed it fit to personally come down to the area to flag off the clean up and your response was that he shouldn't come.Is that not madness...or...could it be insincerity???
My fellow country men from the Delta,it is very obvious that Avengers are misrepresenting you in all ways.They are not actually interested in the clean up as they have actually shown with threats to kill the President on your soil.Why? Because he was coming to clean up your land as you wished as they claim to demand.
Their constant bombing of oil pipelines only pollute your lands the more and it means that the oil is wasted,the Federal Government cannot sell to make money from which they send you allocation through your governors,they can't fund the NDDC or the Ministry of the Niger Delta.
Above all,they disenfranchise your youths by making thuggery,oil bunkery, crime,drugs and prostitution more lucrative to them than a decent lifestyle of education and honorable means of employment.If your youths are out there breaking oil pipelines while youths from other regions are in the classroom learning how to explore and refine oil,where would they be when it's all over and the Federal Government have cleaned up your land and no longer depend on only oil for foreign exchange as they currently do?They have no certificates or qualifications and they are already used to the wild life they current live,crime would be the only option left.Is that what you want?I believe your answer is no!
So,What's the Way Forward?
In my opinion,I think all traditional leaders of the region should meet and raise a voice to call the Avengers to order.The Battle, to me,is over.The struggle of Ken Sarowiwa and the other ten sentenced to death is NOT in vain.Their dream for Ogoniland and the Delta region as a whole has come true.Nigeria has finally come to her senses and her president have succumbed to the demand of cleaning up the land and restore the balance of the ecosystem.Therefore,there's no more need for further vandalization.The Rural leaders should call the Avengers to order now!
If after their call,the Avengers continue to strike,then,the Rural leaders and the people of the Niger Delta should publicly dis-own them!Who says you needed them in the first place?Like I said in the beginning,our ignorance of the mechanisms of Democracy is the core problem we have in this country!I'll explain how in my next post,God's Grace.Stay tuned!
God Bless Nigeria!
What Does The Niger Deltans Need?
I can't speak for the Niger Deltans that's why I'm going to talk on what they need and not what they want.In my opinion,I think the greatest problem of the Niger Deltans is the Ignorance of modern system of government.This, unfortunately is not peculiar to them,it's in fact a general problem of all Nigerians.But I would be treating the matter as it affects the Niger Deltans.
Truly,the Niger Delta region has been grossly polluted and most of their sources of livelihood has been affected negatively.Now,the question is how are they going to get compensated for what has been lost and probably get on with life peacefully?This is where the problem lies.
The Late Ken Sarowiwa of blessed memory did his best to claim the compensation at the expense of his life.But sadly,not even the Great Ken Sarowiwa understood the core problem at hand.It wasn't as much of a federal as it was a local problem.The people he led admired his courage,his fearless confrontation of the Military regime that was in place as at then.It wasn't an easy task,I must admit!But,the goal wasn't just to confront them,neither was it to play to the gallery as the Avengers are doing as we speak.
Ken had made so many rather vague statements as to the emancipation of his people that his mission and vision were altogether misunderstood by the ordinary people in the street.The misunderstanding of such statements that has to do with 'emancipation','freedom' and 'marginalization' were what both the repentant (when they were still in action) and this crop of militant groups capitalized upon to wreck havoc in the name of the Niger Deltans and as expected,they had the support of the general populace who saw them as their heroes.
This goes to mean that the people of the Niger Delta needs a voice that would speak on their behalf to bring the Federal Government,not to their kneels but to their responsibility of fixing the problem they created with their exploration of oil by doing all that's humanly possible to restore the balance of the ecosystem of the region.They only wanted the Government to see the need to clean up the pollution created by oil spillage and take measures to forestall future re-occurrence. That's all!
Is that What The Niger Delta Avengers are Fighting for?
We all know that it isn't.The true mission and cause that great activists like Ken Sarowiwa died for had been sidelined and forgotten.They actually made mention of it as a little part of their demands.Most of their demands were in actual fact,more political and financial than the restoration of the ecosystem of the Niger Delta.They didn't even make mention of compensations,to whom and how it was to be paid.Rather,they were busy asking for the release of a high profile criminal like Nnamdi Kanu,an apology to a former governor's family that was summoned to answer to charges of robbing the people of the Niger Delta(he died from the shock of the news),the continuation of the rehabilitation of touts and thugs (while the ordinary law abiding Niger Deltans are still wallowing in abject poverty,thugs and touts are sent abroad for training that costs several millions that could help thousands of Niger Deltans to their feet) and the most ridiculous of all,to me,the ownership of oil wells!I don't know how these aforementioned demands cleans up the Region and compensate the poor masses that are most hit by the environmental disruption.
To cut the long story short,these guys are not fighting for the people but,rather,their very pocket and their sponsors as one can see clearly from their demands.
The Avengers are Wrecking Much more Havoc than Good!
Now,the cleanup of Ogoniland a struggle for which the late Ken Sarowiwa and the other ten Braves of the Niger Delta were condemned to death for has begun.If the Avengers were truly interested in the cleanup exercise,they should mellow down and make a press release to that effect,but,instead,what did we hear?
When the news of cleaning up Ogoniland reached the Avengers,their response was that the President,General Muhammad Buhari should not dare enter the Niger Delta region.Can you imagine?!The President have heard your call for a clean up and had deemed it fit to personally come down to the area to flag off the clean up and your response was that he shouldn't come.Is that not madness...or...could it be insincerity???
My fellow country men from the Delta,it is very obvious that Avengers are misrepresenting you in all ways.They are not actually interested in the clean up as they have actually shown with threats to kill the President on your soil.Why? Because he was coming to clean up your land as you wished as they claim to demand.
Their constant bombing of oil pipelines only pollute your lands the more and it means that the oil is wasted,the Federal Government cannot sell to make money from which they send you allocation through your governors,they can't fund the NDDC or the Ministry of the Niger Delta.
Above all,they disenfranchise your youths by making thuggery,oil bunkery, crime,drugs and prostitution more lucrative to them than a decent lifestyle of education and honorable means of employment.If your youths are out there breaking oil pipelines while youths from other regions are in the classroom learning how to explore and refine oil,where would they be when it's all over and the Federal Government have cleaned up your land and no longer depend on only oil for foreign exchange as they currently do?They have no certificates or qualifications and they are already used to the wild life they current live,crime would be the only option left.Is that what you want?I believe your answer is no!
So,What's the Way Forward?
In my opinion,I think all traditional leaders of the region should meet and raise a voice to call the Avengers to order.The Battle, to me,is over.The struggle of Ken Sarowiwa and the other ten sentenced to death is NOT in vain.Their dream for Ogoniland and the Delta region as a whole has come true.Nigeria has finally come to her senses and her president have succumbed to the demand of cleaning up the land and restore the balance of the ecosystem.Therefore,there's no more need for further vandalization.The Rural leaders should call the Avengers to order now!
If after their call,the Avengers continue to strike,then,the Rural leaders and the people of the Niger Delta should publicly dis-own them!Who says you needed them in the first place?Like I said in the beginning,our ignorance of the mechanisms of Democracy is the core problem we have in this country!I'll explain how in my next post,God's Grace.Stay tuned!
God Bless Nigeria!
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