GovWatch

Militants of the Niger Delta

Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro of blessed memory was a celebrated Niger Delta nationalist and Nigerian civil war hero. He was one of the pioneers of minority rights activism in Nigeria. He led an armed protest against the exploitation of oil and gas resources in the Niger Delta areas which benefited mainly the federal government of Nigeria and a remote Eastern Nigeria regional government. He believed that the people of the area deserved a fairer share of proceeds of the oil wealth. He formed the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, an armed militia with members constituting mainly of his fellow Ijaw ethnic group. They declared the Niger Delta Republic in February 23, 1966 and gallantly battled the Federal forces for twelve days but were finally routed by the far superior Federal firepower.

Later Niger Delta activists like the late Ken Saro-Wiwa substituted Isaac Boro’s gun for a pen and peaceful international campaign and protests. These are the genuine activists of the people of the Niger Delta. They believed in their people and their people had faith in them and they worked and died for their people. The dream and aspiration lives on.

The later day activists and so-called militants of the Niger Delta are the creation of the rogue elements in the executive arm of government both in the state and federal levels, especially within the security organisations of the state. Oil bunkering was introduced by these elements, because of their privileged positions and greed, decided to establish two parallel methods of selling Nigerian crude oil legitimately for the
government which is often unaccounted for and illegitimately for themselves. These rogue elements provided a situation of insecurity in the region by arming militias. They instilled fear in the region to sustain this illicit business and impressed on oil companies that they had to cooperate in the process by opening their taps also for stolen crude. The security agencies went further to train some of these militias abroad under the pretence they required the militias as undercover agents necessary for the security of the Niger Delta. The business grew bigger and produced millionaire security officers and militias. Their civilian collaborators in politics enlisted these elements into the political process and some of these militias acted as thugs during elections and helped to massively rig these elections. These militias were intended, above all, to turn their guns against their own people of the Niger Delta. This they did for some time but when the game was up and realising they were up in arms against their people they adopted the ideologies of the people, which is to say, they now support true federalism and resource control.

Africa and the UN

African nations especially Nigeria has through its adherence to the UN charter and participation in its activities expressed unflinching commitment to the purposes and objectives of the United Nations.

For us and indeed other Africans the UN was seen as an embodiment of the collective hopes and aspirations of men and women and everywhere for a world free of war, free of want and free of injustice.

I commend efforts by the helpless and powerless secretary generals like Kofi Annan to give the world body a new lease of life because there was critical issues, such as global poverty, international peace-keeping, regional economic integration, the environment and climate change challenges, migration and refugees as well as global health problems for which there could be no lasting solution without intensification of international co-operation.

In order to preserve and sustain the relevance of the UN to Africa and the developing world, the world economic powers and powers that be in the UN security council must eliminate the present reality in which a large section of humanity is economically exploited and politically under-represented.

The dearth of expected international support despite bold steps at economic reforms had amounted to increasing impoverishment, marginalization and alienation of the African continent.

Debts of Third World Countries

The debt of third world countries is both unpayable and uncollectible. To continually insist on repayments with suffocating interests is to continually impoverish these nations. What is needed is debt forgiveness with a commitment to good governance, fiscal responsibility and transparency on the part of these countries.