THE BLAME GAME

TONY ITA ETIM

NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT AND THE BLAME GAME

Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe, Secretary to the Government of the Federation has blamed the neglect, devastation and underdevelopment of the Niger Delta Region on political and community leaders from the area. Kingibe made this declaration in a key-note address at a conference organized by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) with the theme “Law, Peace and Development in the Niger Delta Region.”

According to Kingibe, “The vast majority of the people in the Niger Delta have only the same aspirations that all other Nigerians have to lead a normal life, have enough food to eat, roof over their heads, educate their children, access affordable medical care, pursue their livelihoods in peace and security and pay their bills. The resources are there for these aspirations to be reasonably met. Why then are they not met? While rightly holding the Federal Government to its responsibilities, so should they hold their governments in the region and their community leaders to account?” One may ask Kingibe with the abundant resources that Nigeria is blessed with has the central government meet the needs of her citizens outside the Niger Delta? The failure of the Niger Delta political leaders is a reflection of the collective failure of the nation’s political leadership since independence.

Though Kingibe may want us to believe that his views are that of the federal government, but we dare say that those opinions are those of the Northern oligarchy. The Niger Delta problem was first identified by the Willink Commission in the pre-independence years. The commission recommended that the area should be declared a Special Area. Why was this recommendation not implemented? What did the Nigerian government do since 1960 till about the year 2000 when the agitation for development took a violent turn? Majority of Nigerian leaders since independence have come from the North. So the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta is a conspiracy of the Northern oligarchy. What has the region to show for more than 50 years of oil exploration which has fed the infrastructural and economic development of Nigeria? What is the fate of Oloibiri, the cradle of oil exploration in Nigeria: no access road, no electricity, no hospital except for an abandoned museum, na museum we go chop? After Oloibiri was milked of its oil resources it has been abandoned; we are afraid that when the oil dried up this may be the fate of the entire Niger Delta given the environmental degradation that goes with oil exploitation.

Kingibe talked about the setting up of the Niger Delta Basin Development Authority, 1.5 per cent derivation, OMPADEC and NDDC, including the 13 per cent derivation to Niger Delta states. Let me remind Kingibe that after the basin authority was set up, it was reproduced all over the country and NDBDA ended up as the least funded as it received the least allocation till date. About NDDC, so Kingibe has soon forgotten about the ‘expired’ funds that were allocated to the commission. It is one thing to set up an interventionist agency but it is another to provide enough for such agency to carry out its responsibilities. When Abuja was created what commission was set up for its development yet today Abuja prides itself as one of the most beautiful nation’s capitals in the world? Today people are agitating to be recognized as indigenes or original owners of Abuja and federal government has not issued any statement. Lest we forget that in the face of these indigene-ship agitations, the original Abuja federal territory development had made provision for their resettlement which has been implemented; making current agitations by the original inhabitants a nullity. We were told that Abuja would be a no-man’s land. And Kingibe is telling us we should not agitate for resource control. The question may be asked: Why is it that all the ministers for Federal Capital Territory have been from the North while majority of Petroleum ministers has also come from the North – is it not to ensure the good interest of the north? It should have been assumed that the minister for petroleum should come from the Niger Delta Region in like manner as a default. But now that we are agitating there is no longer Minister for Petroleum but minister of state; which is but a sign that authority not given would be authority not taken. If the oil was found in Kingibe’s backyard would he share the proceeds with other Nigerians? The demand for resource control, which he mocked, would have been a fiat accompili, if by tomorrow oil is found in commercial quantity in the Chad basin.

Despite their famed corruption, it is unfair to solely blame political leaders in the Niger Delta for the underdevelopment of the region. It is only since 1999 that Nigeria has enjoyed democratic governance for eight unbroken years. What magic could have been done by the former governors in eight years to right a neglect of more than half a century? One is not supporting the brazen embezzlement of funds meant for the development of their states or justified their poor performance. Is it the political leaders that are responsible for the poor state of federal roads, infrastructures and facilities in the Niger Delta? Most of the Military Governors and Administrators in the Niger Delta states during the long years of military rule were soldiers of occupation, they did absolutely nothing to improve the area; and they were mostly of northern origin. Let us pause to ask other pertinent questions: Is Kingibe aware that what it takes to construct a kilometer of road in Niger Delta can construct 10 kilometres in the North? I doubt. But the truth is that our terrain and environment are difficult and challenging and needs more money not mere pittance. In the Niger Delta we can boast of community Secondary schools, Community Health centres, water and electricity projects and other self help projects initiated by the people of the region, these have come about because of the failure of the federal government to address the needs of the people. I dare Kingibe to point out just 100 of such projects in the entire North and I would show him one million of such projects in the Niger Delta. I would rather suppose he and his people have been relying on government to spoon feed them and not the other way round.

The last federal administration in the country wasted 16 billion dollars on power projects and the power situation in the country is worsening by the day, which Niger Delta state got that amount in the last nine years if we are to use that yard stick as a measurement to judge? What about the state of federal universities in the region and other part of the country, is the Niger Delta political leaders responsible for their poor state and the incessant strikes by ASUU?

In the early 1990s when the Ogoni people began to agitate for a fair share of the oil resources from their land, they were dismissed as mere irritants. Instead of government to look into their demands and their past neglect; leader of MOSOP Ken Saro-Wiwa was judicially murdered to stop the agitation. But as Saro-Wiwa predicted that a generation would come that would not adopt the Ogonis non voilent approach, that prophecy has come to pass now with the insurgence of militants. The Federal Government is now concerned about the violence in the region because the area is no longer conducive for the exploitation of the oil resources.

I agreed with Kingibe that where there is no rule of law, there can be no peace and where peace is absent, there can be no development. But Kingibe and his likes must also acknowledge that where there is no justice, fair play and equity there can be no peace. Injustice is an act of lawlessness so Nigerians cannot expect the rule of law where there is injustice. Half hearted attempts by the federal government to develop the Niger Delta cannot stop the agitation or violence in the region. We want dedicated and committed actions towards meeting the developmental aspirations of the people. We are tired of rhetoric and the blame game. We want actions and less talk. We are tired of conferences, presidential retreats, seminars, and workshops on how to develop the Niger Delta region. Niger Delta deserves the best and nothing else. The best that Nigeria can boast of should be found in the Niger Delta.