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, traversed the
delta region, bringing 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, carry
on as though 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 any tangible thing or show the will to end
the problem. Even elements within the opposition 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 affects 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 who 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 who 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
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.
