The Nation Newspaper

Category: Niger Delta

  • X-raying benefits of Dickson’s Thank You Tour

    X-raying benefits of Dickson’s Thank You Tour

     Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their people. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish–  Sam Walton

    Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State’s recent ‘Thank You Tour’ of Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State has been revealing. The tour has thrown up the great cultural antecedents of ancient kingdoms that existed long before colonial rule. It has also shown the great love and support the people have for the Governor and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who hails from the state.

    Nembe Local Government Area, largely regarded as a center of cultural excellence hosted the “Contriman Governor” as part of his thank you tour and project inspection visit of the state. The ancient city of Nembe, renowned for its colourfoul celebrations, water based cultural displays such as the boat regatta, traditional dances, and colorful masquerades which are usually held during festive occasions.

    The indigenes of Nembe trooped out in their numbers to welcome Governor Dickson and his entourage which included the Deputy Governor, Rtd. Rear Admiral John Jonah, top government functionaries and prominent sons and daughters of the state.

    The atmosphere was that of festivity as the people displayed their rich cultural heritage through their colorful boat regatta with the Governor sitting atop one of the war canoes and waving to the excited crowd. It was indeed a tourist’s delight worthy to behold and further accentuated the affection and respect the people have for the Governor and his administration. After the cultural display, the Governor and his retinue berthed at the town’s jetty and were received by the Executive Chairman and Councilors of the Local Government Area, members of the local Traditional Rulers Council, community leaders and representatives of various interest groups.

    In a show of respect for the traditional institution, Governor Dickson upon arrival made straight for the palace of the Amayanabo of Nembe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, King Edmund Daukoru where he and his team paid the traditional ruler a courtesy call. In a short but solemn ceremony, the Amayanabo bestowed honour on the Governor tantamount to honorary citizenship of Nembe by inducting him into the Opu Sekiapu Club of Nembe, one of the most prestigious in the kingdom tracing its existence to the nineteenth century.

    The king in his address commended Governor Dickson for his visit, style of governance, achievements and his penchant of carrying the people along. He further pledged his support for both the Governor and the President ahead of 2015 elections stating that the Nembe people and indeed the Niger Delta are fully behind President Goodluck Jonathan. Having said this, King Daukoru further tabled before the governor challenges being faced by the people of Nembe and asked for the Governor’s intervention. In his response, His Excellency promised to look into issues raised by King Daukoru and assured him of his administration’s resolve to strengthen the participation of traditional institutions in local government administration through a bill which is presently going through the state house of assembly. He assured the excited council of chiefs and community leaders that by 2015, the road from Ogbia to Nembe would be completed in other to enhance development in the area. Those at the palace greeted this statement with wild celebration as presently the only means of travel between the capital city and Nembe was a two-hour boat ride with its attendant challenges

    From the Amayanbo’s palace, the Governor and his team in company of their hosts proceeded to inspect some projects and commission a road initiated by the Dickson administration. This included the recently upgraded Nembe general hospital and a road leading to the police station which the Governor found to be inadequate prompting him to direct that a bigger police station be built in other to increase police presence and security coverage in the Community.

    After the commissioning the road, the Governor paid a visit the council of chiefs in neighboring Gbasembiri town where he was hosted by the Nembe/ Gbasembiri council of chiefs to a grand civic reception by the community.

    From Gbasembiri, the august visitor and his entourage made for the Nembe City center where a civic reception was held in his honour at the King’s Square by the people who numbered in their thousands; all eager to catch a glimpse of the ‘countriman Governor’ who was acknowledged as the first Governor ever to embark on a post-election thank you tour of the State. As he entered the venue, the people amidst thunderous ovation and dancing men and women clad in their ceremonial attires received Governor Dickson.

    Just before he addressed the crowd, the Governor’s membership of the Opu Sekiapu Club was announced by the Secretary to the king of Nembe, Chief Isiah Howells who requested that the governor dance in procession with other members of the club as a symbolic gesture of his acceptance.

    The visit to Nembe by the governor was replete with adulation by the people especially in the face of his purposeful and result oriented style of administration. In the views of many, he was born to lead Bayelsa out of the doldrums of its yesteryears as speaker after speaker enthused.

    Other highlights of the event include the presentation of cheques to the four Rural Development Agencies in the Local Government Area by the Governor just as he had done the day before at Brass. This time, the amount totaled Sixty Million Naira as revolving loans to cooperative societies for the purpose of empowering women in the area.

    In his address, the governor expressed his gratitude to the people of Nembe for their warm and colourfull reception. He touched on several crucial issues including the need for beneficiaries of the loan scheme to wisely utilise the loans provided and repay back to the bank. He also reiterated that his youth empowerment scheme would kick off in earnest in 2014 to ensure youths are supported in various small scale enterprises. Presently over 10,000 youths have volunteered and have been screened to participate in this programme. The Governor praised the people for their active participation in security but urged them to increase the tempo in other to create an enabling environment for the growth and development of tourism in the area.

    As part of his avowed commitment to bring governance e and development closer to the people by governing the state from various local governments in the state from 2014, Governor Dickson spent the night in the newly rebuilt Governors lodge where he consulted with the people and community leaders on their needs and challenges. He was also feted to a to a refreshing carol night in line with the festive season where he was regaled in yuletide songs in English and Nembe langauges. He rounded up his tour with a visit to Nembe Grammar School presently being rebuilt by his administration where he inspected the finished structures and ongoing works. In line with his acclaimed revolution in the educational sector, he interacted with students and teachers of the school in other to get a first assessment of their needs and challenges and promised to ensure their needs were attended to soon.

    To the people of Nembe Local Government Area, Governor Dickson’s thank you visit is a promise kept and as they themselves describe it, a blessing from God. He is seen not only as a man of his words, but also as a rare breed of leader whose commitment to promoting the interests of the people is without question. Going by the events of the past two days in the historic city of Nembe, it is clear that by the end of the tour, the people would have officially endorsed Governor Seriake Dickson‘s administration as the best thing that has happened to the Ijaw Nation since the creation of Bayelsa over seventeen years ago. The overwhelming support, love and endorsement of the Governor by, men , women, old and young was unprecedented as he galvanises his people to a level of develoment unparralleled in the country today.

    •Akpe is the Senior Special Assistant to the Bayelsa State Governor on E-Media and Head Media Team, Abuja.

     

     

  • ‘Niger Delta’s resources in a few pockets’

    ‘Niger Delta’s resources in a few pockets’

    Comrade Goddy Ewerode is the President of South/south Network for Change, a pressure group. He spoke with Niger Delta Report on a number of issues affecting the Niger Delta Region and President Goodluck Jonathan chances in 2015.

    On the debate generated by Jonathan’s ambition

    The polity is being overheated by the people we call our leaders. We have seen an unprecedented avalanche of open letters. One would write and the other would reply, but the truth is that nobody can dispute the fact that President Goodluck Jonathan has done some good things and a lot of people don’t seem to be seeing.

    The President has done very in terms of power sector. Since he came we have seen steady rise in power generation from barely 2,000MW to over 5,000MW. His predecessor spent $16bn without any improvement. That he has been able to achieve much is a plus to the present administration. He has also made some improvement in the area of railway. He offset the arrears of railway staff and paid them off.

    Look at the privatisation that was bedevilled by hiccups in the past; see what this government has done with it. He privatised PHCN; this was where we had reports of several shady deals in the process. President Olusegun Obasanjo sold Delta Steel Company, Itakpe Steel Rolling Mill, Volkswagen and in all these due process was not followed.

    You spoke about the privatisation of the DSC, what is the state of the company now?

    That is what I am saying. DSC was privatised by former President Obasanjo and sold to an Indian firm. When they came, they did not resuscitate the plant. They were merely stripping and selling the plant. Today, DSC as speak nothing is happening; it is in coma. But the present administration is doing everything possible to get such companies back on stream.

    Do you think the president stands a chance of in his re-election battle in view of the stiff opposition, even from the Niger Delta?

    The president has done well enough to deserve a second term. If you look at the challenges he has faced since 2011 and how he was able to manage the country in spite of these, I honestly feel that Nigerians should give him a second term.

    Yes, South/south people may not be happy about some issues, especially the way the East-West Road is going. We have information that the progress was being slowed down because of funds that were not released to the contractors handling the road. But now as we speak, money has been released and the work is going on very smoothly.

    Are you impressed with the performance of your governors and other politicians in the Niger Delta Region?

    We are not impressed that the region is not developed. The people we must hold responsible for the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta are our own people. They are the ones managing the boards, commission and what have you that are set up to develop the region.

    Look at NDDC, some group of people have hijacked it and the development that we are supposed to get don’t come. We also have the Niger Delta Ministry, but I do not see anything that they are doing in the region. I can tell you that our politicians have failed us.

    The issue of the East West Road is very confusing. We don’t know who is handling it. Somewhere you see SURE-P, you see Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in other place. We do not know who is doing what. Initially it was NDDC, from there MNA. We were later told NDDC is under the ministry. SURE-P is not doing anything, they are using signboards to deceive the Niger Delta people.

    I am, particularly, not impressed with the management of the SURE-P fund. It was designed to eradicate poverty in the land, but these same groups of people have hijacked it in the name of PDP, the ruling party. They take jobs, collect money and don’t do them. That is why you see a lot of abandoned jobs everywhere.

    On our governors, only a few are working. Apart from Governor Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), who is doing a lot, we can talk to Akwa Ibom and Rivers states. The PDP government in particular has not been fair to the Niger Delta people. I know the PDP will never be fair to the people because when you look at the other states, you see some level of development on the ground.

    If you look at the budgets of the Niger Delta Ministry, the NDDC and even the Amnesty Programme put together, they are more than the budget of so many states. But those who are administering the money are the problem. The money seems to be getting into private pockets and people are saying Niger Delta has been developed.

    Don’t you think the performance of these agencies could mar the re-election of the president, because people see all these and are feel they deserve more from the government?

    I will advise the President to look beyond his party, if he really wants to see results. He must search for square pegs in square holes even outside the PDP. This is the only way the people can benefit from these programmes. The SURE-P is a case in the Niger Delta; they have not done anything apart from their signboards on the road.

    And the president is the leader of the PDP…

    PDP is not really the problem, it is the characters involved. We have a PDP government in Akwa Ibom and Rivers that are doing fairly well. In Delta there is nothing to show because we live a life of godfatherism here. Nothing seems to be working in my state. They sign so many agreements and when allocations come, they enter hotel rooms and the money is shared by a few persons. That is the problem. Niger Delta resources have been hijacked by a few cabals, we all know this.

    That is the same problem within the amnesty programme. Some few persons have hijacked the whole thing even though the entire region fought for the emancipation and a South/south president, now it is a section thing.

    If we want to move forward, there must be a conscious effort to correct some of the things that are fundamentally wrong. Let the development not be for a section, let it be for everybody. That is not the reason we took up arms and went for the struggle; this was not the idea that moved Isaac Adaka Boro.

    Again, the president must be serious in his fight against corruption because that is one issue in this government that really bothers me. This government is not doing anything about fighting corruption because they are paying lips services. If the government won’t fight corruption, it can’t lead us anywhere. This is one area I am not impressed with the government.

     

  • ‘Uduaghan has kept campaign promises ‘

    ‘Uduaghan has kept campaign promises ‘

    Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Chief Frank Omare, said GoverEmmanuel Uduaghan, has fulfilled 90 per cent of his electoral campaign promises to inhabitants of riverside communities.

    Omare, who spoke with Niger Delta Report at New Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South West Local Government Area of the state, assured that the Uduaghan administration, as part of its determination to finish strong, would achieve the remainder of the promises in the next 17 months before handling over to his successor.

    He said: “I led a team to campaign in this part of this state in 2007 and 2011. In this (Warri SW) LGA, we made commitments that as PDP government, if we are voted into power we are going to do XYZ. Today I am here to ascertain that the things we are going to do in this community, more than 90 per cent have been done.

    “The jetty we promised has been done. When we came, there was no jetty. I came with Honourable Dan Mayuku, we had to jump down from the boat. We promised that we will give them a jetty, there is a jetty there.

    “We equally promised to do something about the numerous schools in the area, solar street lights, which we have linked to the next community,” Omare added.

    Speaking further, Omare, who hails from Ogbe-Ijoh Kingdom, said that although Salvation City was not the headquarters of this LGA, it had benefited from the government’s infrastructure drive, adding that similar infrastructures were replicated across communities in the entire area.

    “If you can appreciate what has come into this community, so also it has gone to other communities. It means that the government and the governor I serve have listened to me and the budget implementation both in the state and DESOPADEC budgets are reflecting in the various communities,” he added.

    He admonished the people of the area to be patient with elected and appointed political officeholders, stressing that while they all could not be politicians, it was important for those outside the system to support those who are entrusted with public offices.

    “We want to finish very strong. People will make noise, they will blackmail, but the process must be done to its logical conclusion. All ongoing projects will be completed; a few ones (that are) needed will be started.

    “The important thing is that wherever you find yourself, play your role well. In any position, anything you are doing do it well. I lived here up to my third year in the university. When some people see us they do not know where we are coming from.”

    Speaking on the activities of his ministry in the last lap of Uduaghan’s administration, Omare revealed that there are plans to employ over 1,600 environmental marshals to ensure that people behave very well.

    He said the plan would not only provide employment but would also ensure that people in the state adhere to environmental laws and regulation to keep the cities and environment clean.

    “In Asaba, we have installed incinerator that will tackle wastes in the whole of Delta north. We are bringing in an incinerator of about 2,000 tonnages in Warri. Those are things that we are putting together.

    “We are purchasing new equipments for the waste management board. We have bought some, the governor has approved some. Government cannot do everything, but we should be disciplined and things will be well.

    “We are bringing the waste equipment in Warri/Effurun area. We are going to start installing them as soon as few documentation are done. When that is done every waste on the streets will vanish,” he added.

    Omare advised people of the state to change their attitudes toward sanitation and care of their environment, lamenting that “The cultures of our people are fundamentally wrong. People generate a lot of waste in their houses and for people to come and evacuate them they are not willing to pay or register with the PSP or pay N1,000 or 1,500.”

  • Amaechi… Stubborn, forward-looking

    Amaechi… Stubborn, forward-looking

    THE governor is at his ease, as always. Even in the 5 a.m. glare of the vast white tiled waiting room in Abuja Airport, he is immaculately dressed in a blue three-piece suit offset by a red silk tie. Assistants, drivers, security personnel, and advisers hover around in suspended animation, hanging on every word of the oga, or boss.

    The oga is Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Nigeria’s Rivers State, the man who sits atop most of the more than 37 billion barrels of proven oil reserves that lie under the serpentine waterways of the Niger Delta. At 48, he is a tall, well-built man, every inch the statesman from his gold-faced watch to his measured charm. We wait for his private jet to be readied for the flight to Port Harcourt, the seat of his government and the hub of the delta’s oil industry.

    An official portrait of Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan in his signature black fedora-his visage appears in nearly every public space in the country-glowers down at us. It has reason to: On Nov. 26, Amaechi and four other governors defected from the president’s ruling People’s Democratic Party to the opposition All Progressives Congress in one of the biggest upsets in Nigerian politics in recent years.

    The feud between Jonathan and Amaechi has been building for the past few years, dominating newspaper headlines in Nigeria. What the “rebel governors” stand for, aside from opposing Jonathan, is unclear. As one commentator lamented, “Mainstream Nigerian politics continues to be an almost ideology-free and policy-free zone.”

    Ideology or no, Amaechi is a politician to the bone. In 2007, he won his party’s primary and saw himself as rightful heir to the governorship of Rivers State after his mentor Peter Odili stepped down. On the eve of elections, however, allegations surfaced that Amaechi had amassed a personal fortune of $150 million through graft and corruption while he was speaker of the state government. His name was taken off the ballot. Furious, he formed a new alliance of convenience with alleged militant groups and had the election results overturned in court. He has been in power ever since.

    As the governor of one the country’s wealthiest regions, it’s not surprising that Amaechi’s ambitions are the subject of much speculation. Many suspect that he is angling for the vice presidency in the 2015 national elections. His aspirations, along with his leadership of the coalition of rebel governors, make him a bellwether for the political and financial fortunes of Africa’s second largest economy.

    “Are you scared?” Amaechi asks as we walk out onto the tarmac. All Nigerians seem to take pleasure in poking fun at outsiders’ perceptions of Nigeria as a uniformly terrifying place, but Amaechi enjoys it more than most. The question becomes a recurring joke over the course of the next few days. Am I scared now? How about now?

    Each time I say no. My emphatic denial seems to amuse him. “All foreigners are scared,” he declares, as he climbs the steps and settles himself into a leather armchair in the plane’s wood-paneled interior. “But they do not know the facts,” he continues. “You are perfectly safe.”

    Port Harcourt and the delta’s reputation as a dangerous place is well founded: The troubled region is one of the kidnapping centers of the world. Abductions by militant groups are a massive industry. Between 2006 and 2008 alone, ransom payments in the country exceeded $100 million. In November, two American crewmembers seized off a cargo ship were released after their capture a month earlier in an attack claimed by militant group MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta). A reported $2 million ransom changed hands, mostly paid by Nigerian officials.

    Amaechi is tight-lipped when it comes to discussing the ongoing militancy in the region. At the height of the crisis in 2009, close to 1,000 abductions were reported in Nigeria according to leading kidnap and ransom insurance specialists AKE Group. By 2011, AKE claims the average number of kidnappings per month had dropped to one or two. Each time I broach the subject, Amaechi succinctly acknowledges the issue before attempting to steer the conversation toward his more photogenic development agenda. “In Port Harcourt city yesterday about 6 or 7 p.m., [I saw] a white man who was jogging. No security, nothing, but he was just jogging,” he recounts with a winning smile.

    As we fly over the delta, the lush green of the wetlands is studded by orange pinpricks; fiery gas flares, rearing from the oil wells below, before tapering into thick, black smoke. A haze of burn-off hangs on the horizon on all but the breeziest days.

    The delta’s oil has enriched Nigeria, Africa’s largest producer, to the point that its economy is on track to surpass South Africa’s as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa within the next few years. However, the vast majority of its 175 million people remain poor. Even as the economy expanded by an impressive average of 7.2 percent a year between 2004 and 2010, an additional 43.7 million people fell below the poverty line. The delta’s persistent security problems are a direct reflection of the depths of Nigeria’s inequality.

    An hour later, we land in Port Harcourt. The governor’s entourage includes a half dozen heavily armed police officers, plainclothes security personnel, and five bulletproof Range Rovers. But Amaechi likes to show he is a man of the people when in his home state by driving himself around Port Harcourt-albeit led by a group of gun-wielding police officers in a jeep.

    Heavily armed police and military officers patrol a farm road outside of Port Harcourt. Militant activity remains a problem throughout the region.

    Port Harcourt is an unremarkable, midsize city, its streets teeming with ordinary bustle. Crowds throng street corners, wash clothes in the river’s mudflats, and wait for buses under large blue and yellow-painted awnings. Multistory buildings mix with tin-roofed shacks and shantytowns. An incomplete elevated train track snakes its way across the center of the city.

    Only the occasional roving military vehicle acts as a reminder of the constant threat from militants. When years of revenue from the oil industry failed to trickle down to local populations, unrest exploded into insurgency. Beginning in 2004, groups such as MEND declared war on the government, clashing with security forces, sabotaging oil industry facilities, and blowing up pipelines. MEND is a shifting alliance of subsidiary factions, not a single group. Other independent militant groups include the Niger Delta Vigilantes-who are rumored to receive political support from Amaechi-and the People’s Liberation Front.

    Amaechi arrives three hours late to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new water purification system in Eleme district on the outskirts of the city. Oil multinational Royal Dutch Shell, which has been accused a legal battle that made its way all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013 of polluting groundwater in the area with toxic benzene, has sponsored the cleanup as part of its corporate social responsibility campaign.

    Despite the late arrival, the streets are thronged with Amaechi’s supporters, still enthusiastic in the muggy heat. As the convoy pulls in, the supporters wave placards bearing slogans not about water issues or Shell, but in support of Amaechi himself: “Amaechi is a symbol of a true statesman,” “Come rain or shine Amaechi can sleep with two eyes closed!,” “Eleme people are behind all his aspirations.” I sense that along with the local news media, I’m being given a show.

    The governor uses an oversized pair of scissors to cut a blue ribbon festooned around the new water tap. A bewildered child is produced from somewhere in the crowd, given a cup of water, and told to drink. Amaechi goes next, taking an exaggerated sip. “Tastes like … nothing!” he says dramatically with a twinkle to the cameras. The crowd cheers. To be sure, cleaning up the poisoned groundwater in Eleme is an important achievement-yet this project will only reach about 20 percent of those affected. Shell’s representative, meanwhile, wants it made absolutely clear that the company’s involvement is a mark of the company’s benevolence, not an admission of guilt.

    Projects like this are but one part of the governor’s wide-ranging development agenda, which Amaechi trumpets constantly. Under his government, money has been directed into creating an industrial zone and programs to train and supply farmers. New schools dot the district, easily identified by their mustard-yellow buildings and green tin roofs. India’s largest education contractor, Educomp Solutions Limited, has been hired to run 24 model secondary schools around the state.

    When we visit one such school, the governor lounges with a proprietary air in a plush red seat in the new 1,000-person capacity auditorium. Educomp Africa’s CEO Shantaram Hegdekatte is present and eager to impress his benefactor. “This will be the most advanced school in Nigeria, probably even Africa,” he assures us as we are ushered through the well-appointed science labs and teaching rooms equipped with laptops and digital projectors. Amaechi jokes he will rescind Educomp’s contract if the school doesn’t also produce the highest test scores. Everyone laughs, but nobody doubts he means it. Contracts here are like favors-easily granted and easily withdrawn.

    The governor is keen to pitch his development agenda as the main approach to fighting militancy. Unemployment and underdevelopment outside of the oil sector remain a problem, leading many desperate young men to turn to a life of violence and crime. “The solution is social security,” Amaechi asserts. “We take on poverty by creating employment.”

    The bullish poverty line is a constant Amaechi refrain, but the fact that he stands accused of pocketing $150 million undercuts his credibility as a champion of social welfare. While his projects certainly look impressive, measuring their impact on development is difficult. Nigerian statistics at the federal level are notoriously patchy and inaccurate, and independent assessments of Rivers State from development agencies are non-existent. It’s simply too dangerous for nongovernmental organizations to operate there.

    The kidnapping situation in the delta has improved since the height of the crisis in 2009. That year, former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua instituted a blanket amnesty program for militants. In exchange for laying down their arms, ex-militants received a government stipend of more than $400 per month-a substantial sum in Nigeria. The program is still in place today, but many don’t see it as a sustainable solution. Amaechi opposes the program, pitting him against the federal government and Jonathan.

    “I have been against [the program] from the beginning,” he says. “You don’t reward crime. You punish crime. These gentleman have not been found guilty by any court, so you can’t even call them criminals.”

     

  • Dwindling allocation from Federation Account worrying , says former Edo SSG Imuekeme

    Dwindling allocation from Federation Account worrying , says former Edo SSG Imuekeme

    Dr. Simon Imuekeme, is a seasoned civil servant, a former Permanent Secretary, Head of Service and Secretary to the Edo State Government.  In this interview with Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia, speaks on issues concerning politics, governance and host of others.

    How would you rate the performance of Governor Adams Oshiomhole in Edo State thus far?

    There is no doubt that the governor has continued to work hard for the people of Edo state in terms of infrastructural development. Looking at the land mark achievement that he has made in 2013, especially the various projects that he has commissioned, there is no doubt that he is still very much focused, especially in the areas of roads’ construction, schools renovation, provision of health facilities, electricity and water.
    He has just finished a year in his second term and still has three more years in office. What this means is that if he is not distracted, more people oriented projects would still be expected to be completed by the government.
    As far as I am concerned, he should ensure that he completes all the projects he has started in the three senatorial districts of the state. I believe that once these projects are completed, Edo State would have gotten to a stage of comfortable infrastructural development.

    What area would you consider the Oshiomhole government to have performed well?

    There is no area the governor has not left an indelible mark, but I am particularly impressed with the job he has done in the area of roads’ construction, schools renovation and provision of water across the state.
    In the area of school renovation, virtually all the remaining schools that are yet to get the governor’s attention has been advertised to be worked on. If he succeeds in getting this done, one would say Oshiomhole has done marvellously well, considering the state of these schools before he came on board.
    By and large, I would say that the signals are still there; his tenure he would have set a standard for his successor in office to build on and his tenure would always remain a reference point for comparison.

    There are concerns that the projects he embarked upon are too many and that most will eventually become abandoned?

    I am more worried with the dwindling resources accruing to the state from the federal level and not in the number of projects. We are all not unaware of the fact that allocation from the federation account has dropped in the past few months. The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has also not been performing to the expectations of the governor. It is hoped that with the Federal Government efforts to contain the leakages in the oil industry, especially pipeline vandalization, oil theft coupled with the state government efforts to boost IGR, more resources would accrue to the state government in order to address the various projects.
    The signal he has given in his first year of the second term shows he is out to complete all the projects he has started.

    Lots of politicking is already going on ahead of the 2015 elections, don’t you see this a major distraction to the governor?

    I am a bit worried about the level of politicking that is already going on. This is democracy, you cannot rule out political intrigues from democracy. My advice however is that politicians should not overheat the system, both at the state and at the federal level.
    Government would not be able to deliver to the electorates if there is distraction. I appeal to politicians in Edo not to unduly distract the governor. If this can be avoided, there is no doubt that he would deliver on his promises. When distractions become frequent and disturbing, there would be loss of focus and unnecessary dissipation of energy on irrelevant issues.

    Do you thing the criticisms of the opposition (PDP) are constructive or merely to distract the governor?

    For democracy to thrive there have to be a virile opposition and the opposition has to be very objective in its criticism and not the pull down syndrome type. If you have this in an opposition, it enhances the performance of the government in power but when it degenerates to pettiness, it becomes a problem to the sitting government. Nobody is an angel neither are we saints. We were what we were before elected into office. So, for me, the more opposition focuses on issues the better for us all.

    The opposition PDP has said that the state is broke because the governor spent so much money on his re-election campaign. What is your reaction?

    I am not aware that the governor spent the state resources on his re-election. It should be noted that globally, the economy of the world is presently going through trying times. In Europe, in America the availability of funds for social services is dwindling and Nigeria is not an exception. All over the world, there is now limited fund to governments to operate. A clear example is what happened recently in America where for two weeks there was a stalemate between the executive and the Congress as result of the request by the President for an upward review of his borrowing capacity.
    What I am trying to say that all over the world government borrow money from banks and other financial institutions to fund project. It should be made known to the public that before this money is given out, the borrowing institution would ensure that the ability to pay is guaranteed and there is also transparency and accountability in the handling of the finances of the state. So it is a thing of joy if Edo state if found worthy to benefit from the World Bank fund in view of its stringent borrowing facilities. For example, out of the 36 states of the federation that applied for World Bank support, only three states benefitted of which Edo state is one.
    The issue of heavy indebtedness does not arise as this issue has been put into consideration even before the federal government allows the state to borrow.  One of the Indices to show that the state is viable is the payment of salaries as at when due. As far as I am concern, the state workers get their salaries as at when due.

    Are you worried that the APC could face similar problem as bedevilling PDP in view of your coming registration exercise?

    As far as the party’s registration is concern, the governor who is the party’s leader in the state, has made it abundantly clear that nobody will be disenfranchised. He said as long as you are an APC member, you will be registered. I think there would be no problem as far as APC is concern. We are working round the clock to ensuring that any issue that would lead to disaffection is quickly tackled.

    What is your message to the people of Nigeria and Edo in particular, especially as we all look towards the 2015 elections?

    Nigeria is a country that is blessed by God. Let those of us who have been given opportunity to lead the country not destroy it; we should remember that governance and positions are ephemeral. You are there today; tomorrow will be the turn of another person. It is what you do to positively impact on the lives of the people while in office that tells your story.
    I like to conclude by saying that we should not unduly heat up the polity in this country.

  • Calabar-Ogoja accord no longer holds water, says Ugbo

    Calabar-Ogoja accord no longer holds water, says Ugbo

    Dr Fidelis Ugbo from Obanliku Local Government Area in the Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State is the Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission. In this interview with reporters, Ugbo, who is widely believed to be Governor Liyel Imoke’s candidate for 2015, offered advice on how the state can manage its financial handicap. NICHOLAS KALU was there.

    Are you interested in Cross River State governorship in 2015?

    In 2006, I aspired to the position of governorship of the state and by 2007 after we realigned forces I had to step aside for Liyel Imoke. I worked with him. Since then we have been working together. Then it was between north and central. But central has already taken it and good enough through the wisdom of the party PDP, they have also formally agreed to zone the position to the northern part of the state since the southern had already taken theirs, therefore paving a way for the northern candidates to begin to show their interest as to who wants to run or not want to run. For me that it is natural for people to say yes this man had aspired in 2006, now it is going to his side, the natural thing is that he must show interest whether I have showed interest or not. I believe that there is still time. INEC has a programme of action leading to the 2015 elections and sometime in February this year, they are coming out with a programme. I work under a principal who is Mr President. When they come out with a programme and Mr President makes a statement as our boss, then those of us who are working under him would begin to follow suit. So I do not want to appear to be jumping the gun. The only thing I can say is that I have a voter’s card and I am sure you all do too. You can vote for somebody and if you can vote then you are also qualified to be voted for. So I would like to leave it at that. Until when we have the clearance we would know the next step. If the president says he is not running, that is a statement. So you take it as a statement. So if he has others can make, either for or against.

    Even though party has taken a decision, some persons in the south within the PDP are still interested in contesting and their argument is that when others contested in the past, the people from the north entered the race. So by right they are equally free to contest? What do you have to say to this?

    What I would say is that we are operating a democracy and what you are seeing is democracy in action. Everybody is free to aspire but if your aspirations go contrary to the party that took the position of course I am not within the party hierarchy to know how they would react to such things but they are in a better position to address such issues. What I can say is that people are free to aspire. It is left for Cross Riverians to take a decision on what they think is the proper thing to be done. So I would not say why this or that should be. That is not my own because we are in a democratic world and we should allow people to express their personal desires and aspirations if it come to matters of governance.

    Some people are arguing for the Ogoja-Calabar accord which would mean power returning to the southern senatorial district. Do you agree with this as things stand today?

    Talking about Calabar Ogoja accord, those who are good students of history can trace history and be able to define whether what they are talking about exactly falls within the category that they can say this accord is still in existence or no longer exists. When was the accord made, it was made when Cross River State was South Eastern State. The entire Ogoja province started from Akpet to the north and Calabar Senatorial District started from Akamkpa down. And then you had mainland. That was when that accord came about and the reason was that we had overwhelming domination of people from the mainland part of the state and if we are to be able to take power from them, Calabar and Ogoja must unite to be able to take power so they entered into the agreement. Soon after that happened, the mainland became a state called Akwa Ibom today. So that entity which necessitated the coming together of persons to create a Calabar-Ogoja accord, no longer existed. So the substratum upon which the accord was placed was no longer standing and if it is no longer standing, naturally the accord itself would crumble. So I am surprised that people would not read back into history to educate people who may not understand. The Calabar-Ogoja accord no longer holds water because the basis for which it was created no longer exists. So I think it is wrong for anyone to rely on that and begin to make an argument. If you make an argument based on that, it is like making stale arguments.

    Cross River has been in a state of financial trouble since it lost its oil revenue. Do you see a way out of the present economic situation?

    It is true Cross River suffered some setback with respect to the oil revenue we used to get. And to that extent our finances has dropped and that has put more pressure on us. But if we want to think outside the box, the question we should begin to ask is that are they states in Nigeria that do not have oil and are progressing? And the answer I would give to that is yes, there are. If we don’t have oil to make up for the loss in oil revenue, what is it that we can use as a substitute? I would say we have a good substitute. We are endowed in agriculture. Tourism is also our flagship. We are yet to develop our tourism to the maximum where all Cross Riverians from every home both those in government and outside, those participating in the carnival and those watching in the side-lines would begin to feel tourism. We are yet to take our state to that level. If we can emphasize on those two things and promote our tourism. Encourage small and medium scale enterprises because government alone employ people. Gone are the days when you used to have very few universities, when you graduate, you have many employment letters waiting for you. Now we have too many universities and the public service is not expanding and it is still what it used to be. So you must create and opportunity for self-entrepreneurship.

    We should take a critical look at our economy in the state and identify the growth drivers. Once we identify them, let us concentrate on that and leave others. If we do that they would be a better multiplier effect and it would give us the necessary revenue we look forward to and we can development our state.

    Take agriculture. In Cross River you can grow maize three times in a year. That in itself is something you can create a big market out of. Cross River is the second largest producer of cocoa in Nigeria but the cocoa we produce in Ikom, we carry the cocoa beans to Lagos. We take it to the west to process it there and export the beans but I think the time has come for us to think of converting our cocoa beans to some semi-processed product that we can now add. In doing that, you create jobs for people. So, we have a lot that we can do to turn things around for our economy. Talking about our tourism what do we need to develop it? Good roads. You cannot drive tourism if your roads are not good. We must pay attention to our infrastructural development. Once we do that, we encourage people to come in. And when they come in think of a way to make them spend the money they have in their pockets. We should develop a sense of making people spend. Once we do that you will discover that everybody begins to benefit from our tourism and the economy is better for it.

     

  • Four Cameroonians, three Nigerians nabbed

    Four Cameroonians, three Nigerians nabbed

    Four Cameroonians and three Nigerians suspected oil thieves are in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) for their alleged involvement in smuggling of 33,500 litres of 134 drums of 250 litres each of petroleum products out of the country.

    The products were concealed in 134 drums which have capacity to hold 250 liters each.

    The four Cameroonians suspects are: Lappa Bamileke, Fabian Lemonmu, Meluis Ameh and Elias Mume, while their three from Nigeria accomplices are; Egbe James, Emeka Igbokwe and Michael Effiong John.

    They were arrested by the Nigerian Navy while perfecting plan to ferry a large quantity of illegally refined petroleum products to Cameroon on that New Year’s Eve.

    Apart from the 143 drums of 250 litres of petroleum products, other items recovered from the suspected oil thieves, were two 40 horsepower engines, two pumping machines, as well as provisions which the suspects used to mask the stolen products in other to convince the border security that they were only carrying ordinary articles of trade.

    At the time of their parade at the Nigerian Navy office in Ikot Abasi, the seven suspected oil thieves pleaded not guilty to the allegation.

    One of the suspects, Lappa Bamileke, told our correspondent that he was only a passenger on the boat.

    “The only crime I committed was to board that boat. I don’t know anything about what I am being accused of. What will my father say when he gets to hear all these… I was only carrying provisions in that boat and not petroleum products. I cannot plead guilty to a crime I did not commit”, he lamented.

    Another suspect, Michael Effiong John said he has never stolen before in his life and pleaded that the case be properly investigated so he should be exonerated.

    “My father has died and my mother has died. I don’t have anybody to speak for me. I am not guilty of this offence. I have never stolen before in my life,” Michael said.

    The Navy Commandant, Commodore Isaac Ogbole, who spoke with reporters shortly after handing over of the suspects to NSCDC, said that it was possible that the suspects did not only deal on petroleum products but arms and ammunition as well.

    His words: “Our country and Cameroon, they have boundaries. There is nothing wrong. We are friends. But again, from all indications, these men… it is not only petroleum products that they have been carrying.

    “They have made useful statements to my people that their master is somewhere in Cameroon and I am sure he comes in and out. They could have equally smuggled arms and ammunition in and out of our country.

    From what we have seen, they are perpetual smugglers.”

    Responding, the Akwa Ibom state commandant of the NSCDC, Akwa Ibom State command, Pedro Awili Ideba commended the NNS for their partnership and gave the assurance that the case would be properly investigated and necessary prosecuting steps would be taken.

    His words: “I want to also assure the whole of Akwa Ibom and Nigeria in general that we will ensure that there is zero tolerance in oil theft and vandalism in our country. People should not walk in any how and steal our oil to another country. And people should not also steal our oil, adulterate it and sell it to our people to use to destroy their generators. We are determined, we’ve been doing it and we are going to do it again.”

     

  • Elder Clark and ‘diabolical concoction’

    Since former President Olusegun Obasanjo dared the ‘oga on top’, President Goodluck Jonathan, by accusing him of having a list of people who deserves death, among others, his foot soldiers have taken to the field. Some have used the television; the internet appealed to others; and the print media have also been the choice of another set to vent their anger against the Ota chicken farmer. The latest, an perhaps belatedly, to join the long list of Jonathan’s defenders is the elder himself and self-appointed godfather o f Mr President, Chief Edwin Clark.

    On Monday, Clark released his reaction to Obasanjo’s letter. Obasanjo’s letter was dated December 3. Clark’s response was dated January 3, meaning it came exactly one month after. Whether it was deliberately so or a mere coincidence is a matter for conjectures.

    In Clark’s letter, he denied every single allegation Obasanjo made against Jonathan. He went ahead to accuse the former president of engaging in “mere diabolical concoction”. He said Jonathan was not clannish, meaning he is a nationalist. He said it was wrong of Obasanjo to say that the president is surrounded by Ijaw men and women. As far as he is concerned, Obasanjo only said this to discredit Jonathan ahead of the 2015 polls.

    He supplied interesting statistics. One, he said no Ijaw man is Vice-Chancellor of any of the 36 federal universities. He said of the 64 ambassadors, only three are Ijaw. He was not done. He said of the president’s Special Advisers only Oronto Douglas is Ijaw.

    Other statistics supplied by Clark are: of 70 Permanent Secretaries, only three are Ijaw and of 42 ministers, only two are Ijaw. So, Baba Clark passed his verdict: GEJ is not clannish. He did not end his letter without accusing Obasanjo of harbouring corruption during his time.

    Elder Clark’s response perhaps took long in coming because he was waiting for all the facts. He needed to deal with Obasanjo ‘statistically’.

    Elder Clark’s response will certainly not be the last of the attacks on Obasanjo for daring to attack an Ijaw man and undermine the Ijaw’s chances of producing a two-term president.

    For the Ijaw and the Southsouth, it is understandable that these are not the best of times. The Presidency came at a time they least expected. The death of Umaru Yar’Adua opened the door for the unexpected. After completing that term left by the late Yar’Adua, getting elected was not a tea party for Jonathan. Now, getting re-elected will be more difficult and, some say, impossible. Time will tell. But what is clear is that with the way Hurricane APC is moving, the president has to watch his back. Some of his kinsmen, such as Elder Clark, are watching for him too. But things are becoming more difficult by the day. The opposition is taking over the House of Representatives. The Senate may join too soon. The times are scary. It is with this in mind that Elder Clark’s intervention should be understood.

    But something can still be done: one, let Jonathan give Nigerians road; let him fix electricity for good; let him fight and not address corruption; let him end poverty; let him show that he is the father of the nation by ensuring that no child of school age is out of school; let him find a permanent solution to the Boko Haram menace; let him weed out all those behind oil theft, which has crippled the economy; and let him reduce drastically the army of unemployed in the country. Then, Hurricane APC may not be able to stop him and then he may be the best president he so much wants to be.

     

  • Blood on the political floor

    Blood on the political floor

    Dynamites. Bombs. Guns. These are instruments of war. The men who made them did not have love in mind. They had strife in mind. They were designed to cause destruction of unimaginable magnitude. Try presenting a girl with gun and professing love to her on your knees and see her reaction. She will most likely be horror-stricken and pleading with you to spare her or she will simply run and assume you are mad. Really, only a mad man should profess love with gun. There is nothing romantic about it.

    Flowers, candies, chocolates and all manners of gifts are instruments of professing love. Guns, bombs and dynamites are symbols of war.

    So, when in a state, bombs go off at one spot and dynamites are evacuated from another spot, then war has either started or is about to start.

    I am afraid for Rivers State, which is home to prominent Nigerians. It has been in the news in the last few months.

    Before the recent hulaballo in the port state, calm and civility made it home after the mad moments when kidnappers and militants operated from its confine and made nonsense of security arrangements. Fear walked on all fours and it was as though the end was here.

    But a Supreme Court verdict declaring Rotimi Amaechi governor brought in an era of calm and civility and companies, such as the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, attributed their relocation from Lagos to Port Harcourt to the security wonder wrought by Amaechi.

    But the honeymoon is over. Rivers is on the boil and there is blood on the political floor. Fire has relocated from the mountain. It has secured for itself a place on the ground and it is raging like a wounded lion.

    The recent strife became pronounced as a result of a struggle between Amaechi and some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the control of the party structure. A court ruling eventually took the party’s structure from the governor and gave it to a group led by Supervising Minister for Education Nyesom Wike, who until he became minister was Amaechi’s Chief of Staff. He also served as Amaechi Campaign Organisation’s Director-General.

    The governor was obviously sad about the development and he made his position clear.

    The crisis got so bad to the extent that the House of Assembly erupted in violence when the minority tried to impeach the governor. Heads were broken and blood stained white garments and stained the floor.

    It got to a head when Amaechi declared for the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and he has not stopped urging the people to vote out the PDP. We knew the battleline has been drawn, but we were not prepared for what followed next.

    Last Sunday and Monday ended on bloody notes in the state. First, a high court was bombed. Then the police the day after said it had removed an explosive device, suspected to be dynamite, at the premises of the Ahoada High Court in the state.

    The police said the device was uncovered at the court’s premises following a tip-off.

    What is significant in this is the fact that the court was expected to sit that Monday to determine the ex-parte motion filed by Otelemba Amachree, the speaker of the House of Assembly.

    Amachree, who represents Asari-Toru constituency in the assembly, filed the application last November, seeking to stop Evans Bipi, a member representing Ogu/Bolo constituency, from parading himself as Speaker of the House. Bipi, who calls Dame Patience Jonathan his god, has addressed himself as speaker since the failed attempt to impeach the governor.

    The Rivers High Court in Okehi, the headquarters of Etche Local Government Area, was also razed on Monday, with vital documents burnt and valuable property destroyed.

    Since the Sunday and Monday incidents, the PDP and APC have renewed their battle, with APC saying the PDP was working to get emergency declared in the state.

    The PDP, in turn, has blamed the agents of the Rivers government for the arson.

    Significantly, last December 18, a judge’s office and the car park in the Ahoada High Court were hit by explosions.

    Now, men speak the language of blood. Love seems old-fashioned. For those of us too young to have memories of the Biafran/ Nigerian civil war, we have read books and seen documentaries. The late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister also sang about his experience and warned that “only he who does not know war calls for strife”.

    One thing is clear though, disturbances, whether of military or civilian hue, have never brought good. No war or disagreement has ever been concluded at the battleground. The roundtable has always ended it all.

    The gladiators in Rivers must check it. No innocent blood must be shed. No head must be broken again. Democracy allows for disagreements. Go ahead and disagree, but keep the guns away; keep the dynamites away. Make Port Harcourt a romantic city, where flowers, candies and their likes are seen all over. After all, you all claim the fight is for the benefit of the people.

    But, I must add, from the look of things, my advice will not be taken. Heads will still be broken. Innocent blood will still be shed. And guns and dynamites will still be used to express the weird kind of love that Rivers is experiencing.

    My last take: God will punish whoever uses violence against the people. He will make things difficult for agents of destruction. He will destroy the plans of the evil ones and ultimately clean the blood on the political floor and make the people smile and express love with flowers and candies. And end the reign of guns and dynamites. All the people need is love! It is not too much to ask.

     

     

     

     

  • Odi’s day of fury

    Odi’s day of fury

    The people of Odi, a sleepy community in Bayelsa State, are protesting the Federal Government’s non-compliance with a Supreme Court judment asking it to pay them for the destruction of their homes, writes Mike Odiegwu, Yenagoa.

    Their faces are wrinkled. Old age has indeed caught up with them, like fish in a dragnet. With their faces exuding hardship and their legs showing weariness, nobody expected the old men and women of Odi, the community bombed and shelled in November 1999 by the military under the directive of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo, to engage in activism.

    But they were compelled by perceived foot-dragging by the Federal Government in obeying the ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which in February 2013 ordered the government to pay N37.6bn as compensation to victims of the military invasion. The court categorised the damages to include special damages of N17.6bn and general damages of N20 billion.

    Justice Lambo Akanbi ordered the government to pay the money in 21 days. Justice Akanbi described the attack on the people of Odi as genocidal, reckless, brutish and a gross violation of the rights of the victims to life and to ownership of property.

    In the spirits and contents of the judgement, the government was supposed to have paid the money on or before March 13. But the failures of the government to comply with the order has unsettled Odi and opened wounds of the 1999 invasion.

    Therefore, on December 27, last year, Odi residents demonstrated their anger against the government, which incidentally, is led by their kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan. Old men and women barricaded the East-West Road reliving their losses and demonstrating their annoyance.

    The women sang dirges to the dead. Their lamentations, rendered in Ijaw language, rented the air. Freely, the mourners especially the women who held bunch of leaves rolled on bare ground twisting and crying in memorial pains of the disaster.

    A septuagenarian woman who identified herself simply as Benelaiefa said: “I am an old woman but see what the government has reduced me to. We want the government to hear our cry.

    “Let them pay us so that we can recover a little. Government came, bombed our town, killed our children and destroyed our property. It is not fair. The same government has refused to obey court order. It is bad.”

    Another septuagenarian, Maria, said: “I lost everything, even my sister died. We are asking our son, President Jonathan, to help us pay this money so that we can recover a little.”

    The youths marched from one end of the road to the other singing and reliving their pains to motorists and passengers who were held spell-bound in traffic. In the scorching sun with drops of sweat mixed with tears, the youths overran the busy road.

    Some of them carried a mock coffin, a symbol of the bloodshed that accompanied the destruction of their community by the marauding beast. Like undertakers, the youngsters bore the coffin. When the coffin covered with white piece of cloth touched the ground, women threw themselves at it rolling uncontrollably in tears in remembrance of their loved ones cut down in their primes.

    Their community leaders, however, ensured that the anger did not snowball into violence. They managed the demonstration and later persuaded the aggrieved protesters to leave the road after about 20 minutes of barricade.

    The inscriptions on their numerous placards and banners were striking. One of them “Before it is too late”, reminded people of the title of the controversial letter written by former President Obasanjo to President Jonathan.

    Other placards lamented the destruction referring to it as a genocide while some decried the delay in paying the compensation, describing it as an abuse of the rule of law. Still some of the placards called for the intervention of the wife of the President, Dame Patience Jonathan whom they fondly referred to as “Mama Africa”.

    They bore messages, such as “Odi has gone through the path of justice”; “FGN obey the court”; “It is time to know if truly there is respect to rule of law in Nigeria”; “The people of Odi are crying for justice”; “Odi are for justice”.

    Others were; “20th November, 1999, FG was very unfair to Odi”; “Months after judgement, FGN still adamant to pay, where is the rule of law? Nigeria, the giant of Africa, be exemplary, obey court order”; “Dame Patience, Mama Africa, where are you?”

    But the demonstration was not enough. The people retreated to their community and opened a chapter of prayers. In a solemn and sober assembly, they prayed for divine intervention and made supplications against agents of oppression. The cast and bound persons and forces frustrating and delaying the payment of their compensation.

    One of the community leaders, Koku Imananagha (retd), narrated the tortuous journey that led to the judgment. He said Odi chose the oath of justice despite proofs that the 1999 incident was a clear case of injustice.

    “So, it was a surprise to see such a human right abuse case in this 21st millennium dragging for 14 years. Eventually, on February 19, the Federal High Court Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Lambo Akanbi in a substantive suit awarded Odi community the sum of N37,616,871,000 as compensation for the destruction of Odi to be paid within 21 days.

    “Despite the long road to this victory, the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) instead of taking the path of glory to put smiles on the faces of the traumatised people of Odi, chose to take us through further legal battle”, he said.

    He reeled out fresh legal roadblocks designed by he government to frustrate the judgement.

    He said: “On March 12, the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt still presided over by Justice Lambo Akambi turned down a stay of execution application filed by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and ordered that the judgment sum should be paid without further delay to the law-abiding citizens of Odi.

    “Also, on May 14, the Federal Appeal Court in Port Harcourt presided over by Justice Ejembi Eko granted the withdrawal application by the AGF for an out-of-court settlement with Odi for which the AGF did nothing thereafter.

    “Consequently, on May 31st, 2013, the Federal High Court Port Harcourt gave a Garnishee Order Nisi compelling the Garnishee, CBN, to pay the judgement creditor, Odi, the sum of N37,616,871,000. The order had a mandatory 17 days life span which gives the Federal Government yet another room to conclude the out-of-court settlement with Odi community. This also failed because of the inaction of the AGF.”

    But Imanangha said the Federal High Court made another pronouncement on June 17th, 2013. Quoting Justice Lambo Akambi, he said: “That Garnishee Order Nisi is hereby made absolute directing the Garnishee, CBN, to pay the judgment sum of N37,616,871,000 which sum is judgement debt owed the applicants by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as epitomised by the judgement debtors”.

    He said following the failures of the government to obey these series of orders, Odi had decided to solicit for the interventions of human rights organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), the media and other groups in Nigeria to prevail on the government to comply on the court order.

    He, however, warned: “If this appeal we are making to the Federal Government to pay pay Odi does not get the deserved attention, we would have no other choice but to seek help elsewhere outside the shores of this land.”

    But in a tearful retrospect, the Chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation, Bayelsa State, Branch, Chief Nengi James, narrated the devastation of the community by the military. He said Odi was overnight turned into a battlefield.

    “To carry out this murderous operation, the Nigerian Army assembled arsenals of 27 vehicles loaded with 2000 troops; four Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) mounted with machine guns; three 81mm mortar guns which were used to shell Odi between 2pm on November 20, 1999 and 6pm November 21, 1999.

    “Also, two pieces of 105mm Howitzer artillery guns and conventionally equipped machine guns of a combat battalion were involved in the destruction. The invasion of Odi by the military was a mission to wipe out the community from the face of the earth as nothing was spared by tin the community by the invaders. It was like using a sledge hammer to kill a fly,” he said.

    James said the human rights community should petition the United Nations with a view to dragging former President Obasanjo to the International Criminal Court of Justice (ICCJ). He asked the government to immediately comply with the contents of the judgement in the spirits of the rule of law to put Odi on the path of recovery.

    He said: “This year’s memorial is a moment of sober reflection of the injustice the people of Odi have endured these past years. It is provoking and unacceptable that despite the various landmark judiciary victories recorded by the Odi people against the subversive government of the Nigerian state and it’s agencies, justice has continued to be delayed.

    “Instructively, the judgement is a clear vindication of Odi, Gbaramatu, Odioma and other communities in the Ijaw Niger Delta which we’re invaded and destroyed at various points by the military.

    “The Ijawland and Odi community and indeed the entire Niger Delta cannot afford to sweep the military attack on Odi under the carpet or forget it in a hurry.

    “On the part if the Odi community, I wish to urge that this story of invasion and abiding resilience should become part of our social events and family reviews.

    “The story should be told again and again so that even generations unborn will hear the undisputed truth of how those who ought to protect them turned around to be the very ones to attack them. This is very pertinent because justice is justice and what is bad is bad no matter who is involved”.

    Also, a retired Federal Permanent Secreatry, Dr. Timiebi Koripamo-Agary, said Obasanjo’s action against Odi betrayed the carrot and stick approach he recommended in his letter to President Goodluck Jonathan. She said Odi had yet to recover from the aftermath of the invasion.

    “We have won all our cases and the court had ordered that money should be paid to us. We are not happy with Jonathan because if the court had given judgment, he should have complied with it in the spirits of the rule of law. If they had not reported to Mr. President, we want to inform him through our protest,” she said.