Itsekiri youth leader in Warri North council of Delta State and Niger Delta activist, Comrade Benson Erewa Mengison was one of those who was active in the fight to oust the military from power in the 1990s. Sixteen years after the return of democracy, he spoke with reporters on sundry issues affecting Delta state, including the proposed restructuring of the state intervention agency, DESOPADEC and others.
That is your position on the bill before the House of Assembly for the re-structuring of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC)?
If you create time to study the details of the bill thoroughly, you will agree with me that if becomes a reality, apart from the creation of more employment opportunities for Deltans, particularly oil producing areas, it will also bring development closer to the grass-roots. I, therefore, urge every Deltan to give the desired support it requires to see the light of the day. The benefits are quite numerous and we should not sabotage the process.
I am aware that our Ika brothers and sisters recently protested against the proposed restructuring to the governor of the state instead of channeling their grievances through the member representing their constituency in the Delta State House of Assembly. It is not fair; they could have presented the issue through their member at the Assembly instead of the governor.
When the governor recently constructed and commissioned flyover at Warri and Asaba, towards the end of his tenure, nobody raised eyebrow, why is there so much noise about the proposed restructuring of DESOPADEC?
I was one of those who agitated for the establishment of DESOPADEC; we were led by Chief Willington Okrika and Chief Rita Olori. It has brought so much development to the state today, it’s a dream come true. We have carefully looked at the activities of DESOPADEC from its inception, we have found that it has fared very well. Those who have managed the organisation have made us proud.
How would you assess Dr. Uduaghan’s eight years of governance?
Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan is a man of peace. He maintains his calm nature despite persistent provocations. As a practicing Christian, he believes that vengeance is of the Lord. And he goes about promoting peace as an act of state policy, this attribute of his has started manifesting itself when he was appointed secretary to the State Government (SSG) during the former administration of Chief James Ibori.
As SSG, Uduaghan was the alter ego of that administration in terms of peace advocacy. He was always at the riverine areas of the state predominantly inhabited by the restive youths, making peace and pacifying nerves. In fact, when hostage taking reared its ugly head to Delta State, it was Uduaghan, as SSG, who provided the magic wand. It is on record that about six foreign oil workers who were kidnapped in Delta State were released to Dr. Uduaghan in 2006.
Dr. Uduaghan’s giant strides in areas as diverse as urban development, social welfare and rehabilitation, information, culture and tourism, the environment, youth development, health, power, housing, commerce and industry, transport, energy, water resources, and sports, are legendary. Above all, Uduaghan has pursued reconciliation not just between himself and other aggrieved politicians but also across board because he knows that this is the precursor to peace and development.
If Uduaghan’s strides in physical infrastructure is astounding, his foray into agriculture shows that he has realised that food production would serves as alternative to oil. The state ministry of agriculture has been strategically positioned to meet the Governor’s policy on food production and food security. He has revived commodity boards that will help enhance the growth of agriculture in the state. It is also applicable to education which the governor has given top priority in realisation of the benefits which it brings to society.
As someone who joined the fight to kick out the military from power, do you think Nigeria has fared well after 16 years of democracy?
I am quite excited that Nigeria’s democracy, which is fashioned after America’s presidential system, has begun to take root because of obvious factors. Since, independence on October 1, 1960, Nigeria has had an unstable polity characterised by long years of military leadership. Between 1, 1960 and May 29, 1999 Nigeria has had different military administrations: General Aguiyi Ironsi (January 1966-July 1966), General Yakubu Gowon (July 1966-February 1975), General Murtala Mohammed (February 1975-February 1976), General Olusegun Obasanjo (February 1976-October 1979) etc. General Mohammed Buhari (December1983-August 1985), General Ibrahim Babangida (August 1985-August 1993), General Sani Abacha (August 1993-June 1998), General Abdusalam Abubakar (June 1998-May 1999). What this simply means is that democracy is still in its infancy in the country.
The problems of democracy in Nigeria cannot be limited to just the factors above, but could take their bearing from all of them. Nonetheless, the central impediment to the growth of democracy in Nigeria is the inability of the system to adapt to our local environment.
Right from independence, Nigeria has had two brands of democratic system-the parliament system and the presidential system. Nigeria has had experiment with numerous constitutions. The first was the independence constitution of 1960, which was swiftly suspended as soon
as the military struck on January 15, 1966. Since then, it has become fashioned for a new constitution to emerge each time there is a change of government. The 1999 constitution, which the late General Sani Abacha designed, was eventually promulgated into law by General Abdusalami Abubakar who succeeded him. Due to the hastiness with which it was produced, the constitution was thought by many Nigerians to have hindered our polity. For instance, some critics of the constitution argued that it should have made provisions for the complex nature of our society.
Sir, what would you say was responsible for the situation?
Though, some elites have argued that Lord Frederick Lugard without the consent of Nigerians merged the North and the South for convenience of the British government. It is sad to state that since then, progressive retrogression and continuous injustice have been the lot of the majority of the citizenry. The British colonization brought together three vast and cultural distinctive regions – North, South-East and South-West and at least 250 different language groups, more than any other African country.
Nigeria inherited the British-style of parliamentary system, with Dr. Nnamdi Benjamin Azikiwe (first Nigerian media mogul) as the governor-general and from 1963, President, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa of the NPC as the Prime Minister, exercising executive power and Chief
Obafemi Awolowo as the opposition leader. The Northern, Western and Eastern Regions constituted the country’s tripartite structure, until the Mid-Western Region was created in 1963.
The last twenty years in Nigeria have witnessed a multiplicity of tensions, crises and conflicts. The decade of unparalleled difficulties in Nigeria has, to some extent, brought the feeling of nervous, gloom, anxiety, worry, pressure, intimidation and very dangerous condition in the relationship between the people and the various governments, particularly between 1993 and 1998.
The cancellation of the June 12 presidential election, won by the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola which was considered by the international observers as well as Nigeria, the freest and fairest election not only in Nigeria but in Africa. This same election was cancelled by the Babangida junta without giving the masses including the talakawas, any clear-cut reason in his broadcast on June 23, 1993 for its cancellation.
The annulment by the Babangida junta brought in an unprecedented political unrest, ethnic crises and ideological conflict, which eventually brought in the Africa celebrated dictator, General Sani Abacha to power in 1993 between 1993 and 1998, Nigeria experienced the worse years of multiple assassinations, bombing of innocent people and unjust detention, harassments and armed conflicts.
It is crystal clear that Nigeria is groaning under the yoke of widespread poverty characterised by hunger, malnutrition, social vices, decaying infrastructure among others. Over 70 per cent of
Nigerians live below the poverty line, despite the fact that Nigeria is the sixth largest oil-producing nation OPEC.
It is also astonishing that Nigeria ranks as one of the poorest nations on earth. What an irony? Where has the oil money gone? This is a question that is begging and weeping profusely for response. It is no exaggeration to say that the nation’s economy is suffering from internal indiscipline and external shock largely induced by the overdependence on crude oil as the sole pillar of national survival as well greed of some of our leaders.
This country is not going to move forward for prosperity (though I am not a prophet of doom) through some people’s manipulations, but on the basis of truth and nothing but the truth. Manipulation can take place for a very long time but is will never stand the test of time. Our over-dependence and or over-reliance for too long on one single commodity namely petroleum had led to youth’s gansgterism, aggressiveness, and restiveness as well as premature death through inferno as a result of vandalization of petroleum pipelines.
We need to exhibit patience in nurturing democracy and its institutions in Nigeria. It has been said quite often that before the several military coups, which had occurred in Nigeria, some civilians had always invited the junta to take over the administration of the country based on their selfish reasons.
