The history of the end of militancy in the Niger Delta cannot be completely written without acknowledging the role played by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who at great cost to his presidency, and with the assistance of his then Vice President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who traversed the delta region, brought militancy to its knees on the negotiation table.
Today, oil flows to keep the economy running, while political aspirants of different shades jostle to occupy the presidential villa, the National Assembly, and state government houses on the strength of what Yar’Adua and Jonathan fought to achieve. Curiously, with the insurgency in the North-East, many of the politicians, rather than join hands with Yar’Adua’s successor to end the malaise, act as if they are happy with the bad situation, hoping that they can use it as a weapon to achieve their political ends.
Many political office holders who stand the chance of benefitting politically if the Boko Haram fighters are reined in, are not doing anything tangible to show the will to end the problem. Even elements within the noise-some All Progressives Congress (APC), who readily point to the menace as one of the weaknesses of the ruling government, are asking to be formally invited to do something about a disease that is affecting us all.
It is even becoming fashionable to taint the political space with ethnic and religious sentiments as if anyone can escape the conflagration that could follow. Boko Haram and the shadowy characters that sponsor them desperately want to colour the problem religiously by going after the Christians hoping there will be a backlash. This failed woefully. For the Muslims who dare to speak up or are fingered as collaborators with government, they are maimed or killed, and at other times, forced to join the train of violence. I can imagine if all those seeking political office on the ticket of the APC were to use all the wealth, goodwill, and connections they claim to have, the PDP will be made an easy picking next February.
But for now, the Jonathan administration which many want to paint black over the menace, appears to be winning the battle, having succeeded in reducing to the barest minimum the involvement of Nigerians. It appears that it is mainly foreigners that are the foot soldiers in the battle, what with the alleged involvement of the Chadian government with its retinue of jobless rebels.
If Jonathan is the President today, it is because he paid the price for his region by travelling there and negotiating a peaceful settlement. Others from the North should do the same. It was the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, who reiterated the role of Jonathan in comments he made months ago.
Kuku said: “Some of us who played significant roles in ending the agitation in the Niger Delta cannot be silent when some persons try to foist a skewed history of the crisis on us.
“The persons that claim to be behind MEND are in no position to write the history of the Niger Delta agitation. I challenge whoever is claiming to be MEND now to controvert the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan, at the time he was Vice President, played a significant role in ending the insurgency in the Niger Delta.
“Where were those behind MEND now when our late beloved President Umaru Yar’Adua, who because of his concern for the peace of the region, sought to end the conflict and destruction of oil facilities, the kidnapping of expatriates on the Niger Delta waterways and the proliferation of arms, then dispatched his Vice, Dr. Jonathan, to Tompolo’s Camp 5 in Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State?”
Moreover, he added, Jonathan on June 28, 2007 met with Tompolo at Okerenkoko, after which Tompolo was invited to Abuja. Tompolo called a meeting of Ijaw leaders and stakeholders, who converged on Gbaramatu, before a trip to Abuja. On the knotty issue of kidnappings in the South Eastern flank of the country, the Goodluck Jonathan administration through its points man then in the army, General Azubuike Iherijika, did a swell job, taming the monsters in his home state of Abia. And when he was called in to do the same in the geopolitical zone, he latched on to it with the support of the state governors.
In accepting the challenge, the man who succeeded also in his military assignment while pushing the Boko Haram in the North-East to Sambisa Forest, before he was replaced said: “The issue of kidnapping is a problem the army is very familiar with, having dealt with kidnappers in the past in Abia State, and having helped to restore normalcy to Aba. As you are aware, the kidnappers are aided by the use of GSMs and the proliferation of weapons. But what will help most is the cooperation of people in giving out vital information to the security agencies.
“It’s a very welcome development that the South-East governors have come together just like the Northern governors have all come together to help tackle the menace of terrorists. So, with this type of interest shown by the governors, I believe the problem of armed robbery and kidnapping in the zone will be put behind us.” Like their South-East counterparts, maybe North-East governors should rise to the occasion and work out a solution, except, of course, if they are complicit.
Mr Ikejiani sent this piece from Port Harcourt.
