Former President of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo, has said that the Niger Delta region will suffer for the actions and inactions of his successor, Goodluck Jonathan.
Jonathan, who lost to President Mohammadu Buhari hails from Bayelsa State in the Niger Delta.
Obasanjo spoke yesterday while responding to questions shortly after he delivered the convocation lecture of the Benson Idahosa University in Benin City.
He explained that he couldn’t have helped Jonathan do his job as Nigeria’s President after helping him secured the presidency.
According to him, “To become Head of State was because of my performance in the war front. If General Gowon had not sent me the war front, he would not know whether I could perform or could not perform. He sent me to the war front and because I performed, we both shared the credit but if I had failed, he would not have shared the condemnation with me. I would have been alone.
“I believe that the opportunity that availed itself in 2010 was for somebody from the minority to become the President of Nigeria. We should never lose such opportunity. What he did with it is entire up to him. What he did or did not do with it will reflect for a long time in that part of the country. There is no particular person who got there without the people.”
Meanwhile, the former President has said that educating the masses is the right tool to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency.
According to him, even if Nigeria wins the war against Boko haram insurgency on the military front, it still needs proper education of the masses to sustain the victory.
He said Nigeria must give education the priority it deserves or the dream to have a great Nigeria would remain a pipe dream.
The former President noted that the Nigerian government needs to combine the power of education and military in its fight against Boko Haram.
Former President Obasanjo spoke in Benin City, Edo State, while delivering the 11th convocation lecture of the Benson Idahosa University.
Speaking on the lecture, titled ‘Effective Educational System: A Panacea for Societal Development and Transformation’, Obasanjo said education remained the most powerful tool against the indoctrination of Boko Haram group.
Obasanjo urged the government to be more truthful and appealing, as well as promote literacy in the North East.
He said Boko Haram thrived in the North East because it is backwardness in education.
According to him, “Do the needful to exterminate the scourge and social economic development of the area concern and talk with the group that is ready to talk.
“Boko Haram thrives on indoctrination. Spreading hate messages to propagate its messages through popular media. If we are able to counter Boko Haram hate messages with education in our schools and the social media to dilute such messages and prevent people from being swayed by Boko Haram. The Nigeria airwaves and social media should also be accentuated with positive messages.”
“We have to reverse the trend of educational backwardness of the North East because Boko Haram was a menace waiting to happen. Empowering the youth with skills and taking them off the yoke of unemployment and the promises of Boko Haram.”
Obasanjo, who also blamed poor educational system for the massive youth unemployment in the country, said moulding of character was completely ignored by Nigerian tutors, noting that Nigeria depends on the power of education to resolve the massive youth unemployment, corruption, insecurity, infrastructural decay, as well as the poor state of the economy.
Obasanjo was later honored with the Change Nigeria award of the university.
Chancellor of the institution, Arch Bishop Margret Idahosa, praised President Obasanjo for honoring the school’s invitation, and described the former president as a close family member
The Bishop of Niger Delta Diocese, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev Ralph Cornelius Ebirien, has vowed that the church would never support same sex marriage or relationship despite the appointment of a Nigerian as the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion worldwide.
Rev Ebirien, who spoke at an event to mark the fifth anniversary of his ordination as the sixth spiritual head of the diocese, said the appointment of Bishop of Kaduna Anglican Communion, Bishop Idowu Fearon as ?the next Secretary General of the Anglican Communion worldwide, has received the blessing from the church but noted that the primate of the Anglican communion had told Fearon the Nigerian church would not accept same sex marriage.
He said, “Same sex marriage is a problem to Anglican Church worldwide; Church of Nigeria is against it and we want to thank the immediate past President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan who said no to it. Our primate said no to it, all of us said no to it. The primate said Bishop Idowu Fearon is on his own, someone has been appointed to oversee his Diocese in Kaduna. Our answers remain ‘No’, according to the bible and we will continue to say No.
Rev Ebirien began his journey as a young Deacon in 1982 and was consecrated Bishop on January 10th 2010.
He said his greatest achievement as the Bishop of the Niger Delta Diocese was his ability to resolve a very serious crisis affecting the number two church in the Diocese. He said God’s grace was with the members of the church and others who played one role or the other to ensure that peace took the position of the crisis.
He also recounted the contribution of the church during the flood disaster in Niger Delta communities and other humanitarian service rendered by Diocese. He said because of the terrain where most of their churches are planted, the church had always had to do more in the area of social service delivery.
“We are indeed very happy that God is guiding us. It is not easy, but God was on our side with the support of Diocese. Since we came onboard we have made some strides in the area of discipline, we had some challenges in one or two churches. The crisis affected the Diocese badly, that church, St. Cyprian where crisis erupted is the number two church, but God assisted us to solve the matter successfully. And that is one of the greatest achievements of my leadership.
“We have two people on scholarship; we also have plans to increase our temple in the area of training. Before I came here the church hospital was closed down. But now, we have reopened it with modern medical equipment. We have also acquired 20 plots of land; we bought lands for new church buildings and there is also plan to have a new Bishop’s court. These are some of thing we have achieved.
“During the flood crisis, especially in the Niger Delta region, we reached out to people; about four communities were assisted with food items, clothing and other consumable materials. We have always identified with them even when there is no flood we also visit them. More of our churches are along the creek and sea that is another challenges but we don’t allow any of these challenges to deter us from doing the work of God. One of our pastors fell sick and the church sent him to Indian. With the little available to us we have also assisted other members of the society who solicited for our help in one way or the other.”
Rev Ebirien also commended his wife for bringing the women in Anglican Communion together and teaching them in a Godly ways on how to respect their husbands and to take care of their families.
He said the church is devoting interest to training and re-training of the leaders of the church and also establishing a youth church.
He listed another challenge facing the Niger Delta Diocese community as the migration from rural to urban areas, noting, “Everybody today wants to travel out of his or her community and some of these people are so important to their church in the community.
“Some time when you go to the rural area to preach you discover that some of the churches are empty. When you try to find out the reply is always that they travel out because of job or school. So it is our duty to see how we can link with those members of the church who have left the villages to towns.”
The President of Political Watchdog, a nongovernment organisation, Comrade Curtis Ugbo, has blamed the region’s lack of development during the last political dispensation on self-styled activists who abandoned the struggle for resource control.
Ugbo decried a situation where the ‘apostles’ of resource control and a better Niger Delta abandoned the struggle and became ‘spokespersons’ of the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government.
Ugbo described some of the agitators as self-seeking freedom fighters whose main concern is lining their pockets at the expense of bringing development to the region.
Ugbo, who spoke with our reporter in Benin City, Edo State, said these activists were busying acquiring eye-popping properties outside the region and the country.
Ugbo stated: “Before Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became the President of Nigeria, the Niger Delta struggle was at its peak and resource control agitation was very high. The likes of Ankio Briggs, Asari Dokubo, Opunabo Inko-Tariah, Ledum Metee and Edwin Clark were always on the television telling Nigerians and the world how the Southsouth has been marginalised by the North and the West despite her oil.
“By divine and metaphysical error and act, Goodluck Jonathan, from the Southsouth, became the President of Nigeria after President Umaru Yaradua’s death in 2009. His emergence came as a joyous daybreak to end our age-long marginalisation. There was a beacon light of hope for my region. Immediately, the Niger Delta struggle stumbled and died or went comatose. The Niger Delta activists mentioned above became Jonathan’s spokespersons and abandoned the struggle. Even though in 2011, Nigerians – Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Christians and Muslims – voted massively for President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Thereafter, administrative thieves were appointed ministers and head of federal institutions, convicted criminals received presidential pardon, militants were given contracts running into billions of Naira, impunity and corruption became the norm; all these and many more replaced the Niger Delta struggle for resource control.
“The need for constant electricity, portable water, good health facilities, good road network, and massive manpower development went into oblivion. Even the recent Ogoni UNEP report that would have changed the lives of an average Ogoni man was not implemented by their regional brother-president which played a major role in the problem with Ex-Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
“Saro wiwa, Isaac Boro and others actually fought for the wellbeing of the people, they refused kick back and agitated for basic amenities for their people, but today struggle is glamour with thieves and they obtained money and embezzle it. Ijaw communities have land but they rather prefer to build schools in Benin Republic.”
He cautioned those who are being called upon to take up arms and go back to the creek to first of all demand accountability from the so-called freedom fighters before embarking on such mission.
The President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to sustain the achievements recorded in the agricultural sector by the former Minister of Agriculture and President-elect of the Africa Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.
The advice was given by the Nigerian Agricultural Watch Network, in a statement signed by Mr. Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh and Solomon Eyituoyo Iwetan, Chairman and Secretary of the group in Warri, Delta State.
NAWN opined that the former Agriculture Minister was outstanding among the ministers who served under the past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that it was imperative to sustain the momentum and build on his legacies.
The statement noted: “Agriculture is definitely the brightest star of the Jonathan administration under the watch of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, agriculture was transformed to a viable business. Dr. Adesina used agriculture to diversify the Nigerian economy.
“He succeeded in this regard because of his crack team; his team shared his vision and they succeeded at the end of the day. The solid foundation laid by the former Minister should be built upon. The success showed that he has some competent and incorruptible men in his team that was the secret behind his success.
“There is need to continue this agricultural policy and so it is important that Dr. Adesina should be consulted before the appointment of the next Agriculture Minister.
“We want to stress it here that if President Buhari must succeed in the agriculture sector, the eggheads that made agriculture a success story in the administration of former President Jonathan should be assembled and their wealth of experience tapped as the legacies left behind by Dr. Adesina are unbeatable.
“Party should not come into play here; we want the progress of our country hence we are imploring President Buhari to sustain the enviable legacies of Dr. Adesina,” the statement added.
Renowned Niger Delta-born historian, Prof Obaro Ikime has advised the National Commission for Museums and Monuments to prioritise creation of monuments, including a National Cemetery across the country.
Ikime, Professor of History at the University of Ibadan, made the call in Koko, headquarters of Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State during the official presentation of century-old photographs on the life and times of renowned Niger Deltan nationalist, Chief Nana Olomu.
In his presentation titled: “Monuments as History”, Ikime said the NCMM should not just be content with declaration of individual structures or buildings as monument, but should go out of its way to create them.
He said: “Photographs being handed over to the Museums and Monuments constitute part of Nigerian History. It is not enough to declare structures or buildings as national monuments but the NCMM must create National Monuments.”
He said there is need for the designation of places as National Cemetery as is done in other parts of the world, adding that it would help to generate revenue from tourists across the globe.
He charged the NCMM DG to fast-track the creation of the National Cemetery as it represent a slice of Nigeria’s history. He expressed regrets that Nigeria is the only country in the world that does not teach history as a subject to her citizens.
The relics presented at the event included historic photographs, particularly of Chief Nana Olomu’s residence and warehouses in Ebrohimi village before they were destroyed during the 1894 British Expedition.
The artefacts were presented to the Director- General of NCMM for onward display at the Nana Living History Museum in Koko.
Prof Ikime’s presentation, made on his behalf by his wife, also paid glowing tribute to Pa. J.O.S. Ayomike, another renowned historian. He described Ayomike as the brain behind the Nana Living History Museum.
While stating that Chief Nana Olomu was one of Nigeria’s greatest figures of the 19th Century because of his stand against British imperialism, Prof Ikime appealed to the NCMM to ensure the sustenance, maintenance and preservation of the Nana Living History Museum for generation to come.
In a brief address, HRH Prince Edun Akenzua, the Enogie of Obazuwa, also commended Pa. JOS Ayomike for his and his family’s efforts that led to the birth of the museum, remarking that Nana Olomu is an important character in Nigeria’s history.
Prince Akenzua said the British attack on him and on King Ovoramwen of the ancient Benin Kingdom took similar dimension because they were both seen as stumbling blocks to the British territorial bid and commercial interests.
He therefore called on all persons and institutions across the world to return all the cultural properties forcibly and illegally removed from their owners.
Pa. JOS Ayomike later presented the two photographs to the DG of the NCMM and the dignitaries present at the occasion including the representatives of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse 11.
Guests included Chiefs Nelson Utieyone, Yaya Pessu and the Olaraja of Koko community, Chief Victor Nana and Dr. Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, former Governor of the Old Mid –Western Region and former Bendel State, amongst others.
Some beneficiaries of the Phase two amnesty programme have begged President Mohammadu Buhari to pay their allowances which they alleged was stopped since March, 2012.
The beneficiaries from Delta State who protested to the premises of the Nigeria Union of Journalist in Benin City Wednesday said they were warned not to protest in Delta State again.
Two ‘ex-generals’, Pawpaw Julius and Gideon Ogbe who led the protest accused former head of the amnesty programme, Kingsley Kuku of conniving with their leaders to defraud them.
They said the few allowances they collected were not paid into their individual account but into an account belonging to camp leaders.
The protesters said they only opened account with the United Bank for Africa but were surprised that their allowances were paid into a Fidelity Bank account.
According to them “Kingsley Kuku and the amnesty officials got some slots from camp leaders which enhance the evil business of diverting salary and paying everything in the leaders’ account with our names being impersonated by unknown persons.
“Vocational training is no longer in progress and most of our international passports are lying dormant in the offices.”
Massive infrastructure development and boom in property business across the country over some decades have resulted in increased hunger for sand, an essential material in building, road and other construction works. There is hardly any road or housing project that does not require a huge volume of this item from foundation to finishing. Even some roofing materials contain sand in various forms.
To assuage the hunger, local and professional sand dredgers as well as multinational firms have devised various means of extracting this essential material from the ocean, streams, rivers and even ponds, mostly without recourse to best practices. Some go the extra mile bringing down mountains and burrowing deeper into the foot of the earth or any other place where sand can be found.
Gone are the days when sand excavation is done by locals who dive to the bottom of the ocean or stream to scoop up bucketful and offload same into canoes or riverbank. The huge appetite for sand means that the conventional method of sourcing it is no longer adequate. These days, dredgers use heavy equipment, which are able to suck sand and other materials from the riverbed in large quantity.
An investigation our correspondent conducted in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, among others, revealed that sand miners are now found in every nook and cranny as sand dredging is now a multi-billion naira industry and a money spinner that spews millions of naira for operators, even at the long term risk of communities and villages.
Sand excavators are commonplace from the Central Senatorial District of Delta State, through Ox-Bow Lake and around Ecole Bridge (Bayelsa), Emohua and other parts of Rivers to Akwa Ibom states. Hundreds of sand dredgers litter rivers, streams and ponds in the area.
Our finding revealed that the business was given further fillip by the ongoing East-West Road construction project and others like it requiring immense sand-filling of the unfriendly terrain, particularly in Bayelsa and Delta states. The sheer volume of sand required for the 150-kilometre Warri-Port Harcourt axis of the East-West highway led the construction firm, Setraco Nigeria Limited, to award several contracts with irresistible incentives to local dredgers.
In spite of the contract, Setraco is also excavating from every available source along the road. Massive sand moving equipment are deployed by the Lebanese firm to areas that are inaccessible to local operators with limited resources and skill.
Unfortunately, our findings revealed that the activities of sand miners are not regulated despite the probable negative effects on the environment, economies of communities, infrastructure like roads, bridges and houses around the sites, as well as the long term future of the residents of the area. The lack of regulations has resulted in the ease with which every Dick, Tom and Harry is getting involved in the extraction of sand.
Experts express worries
Experts who spoke with our reporter said that although the activities of these operators pose grave dangers in most parts of the country, the Niger Delta region is the most susceptible to disasters and damage to its fragile environment which has been exposed over time to the effects of oil exploration and exploitation.
In Delta State, a former Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Frank Omare, banned unrestricted sand dredging in the state in 2012. The lead was followed by his Bayelsa State counterpart, Dr Sylvanus Abila, who read the riot act to dredgers in the state, following unmitigated dredging.
In Delta, Omare’s directive was part of the recommendations of an ad hoc committee of the Delta State Environment Protection Agency (DELSEPA), headed by a renowned geologist, professional dredger and former staff of the Nigerian Dredging Company, Chief Ken Iwhewhe. Sadly, compliance did not last long before it became business as usual again.
The Association of Sand Miners and Quarries in the state, Mr Adelabu Bodjor, claimed that “members of the union operated under strict ‘internal rules’ and with strict adherence to industry regulations to guard against unhealthy practices that could lead to damage to the environment.”
Iwhewhe
Iwhewhe, who spoke exclusively with our reporter on sand dredging, lamented the lack of compliance and implementation of the recommendations of the committee, which he led. He warned that continued utter dredging poses grave risks to the region. Explaining the processes of safe dredging, Iwhewhe says it is obligatory for an engineer to visit the site and obtain samples of the soil for laboratory analysis.
He said: “The engineer should be able to confirm the suitability of that burrow pit, depending on the volume of extraction. If you don’t do that, the bank could collapse, because when you dredge too deep, you have to be mindful of the angle of declination.
“The collapse of the bank can affect the vegetation. The houses and everything (around it) will be affected. When you dredge close to civil structures, you are also impairing the lifespan because what they are doing can undermine the integrity,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, an environmental activist at the Niger Delta-based Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, decried the nonchalant attitude of the ministries of environment both at the federal and state levels.
Like Iwhewhe, Mulade remarked that there is need for comprehensive test of mining site before commencement of operation, adding that environmental impact assessments (EIAs) should be imperative before permits for large scale mining are given.
He said: “You cannot carry out the magnitude of dredging that is going on in some parts of the region without proper investigation of the land structure and texture, because when you continue to dredge the sand you are opening up gaps in the underbelly of the earth, and over a period of time it can lead to serious problems, including erosion and even earthquakes.
“The menace of this business, coupled with the attendant effect of crude oil exploration and exploitation in the region, poses a time bomb that could explode and bring with it a devastating effect not just for the next generation but the present generation. This is a clear and present danger, but unfortunately, nobody is doing anything about it.”
He particularly lamented the unbridled excavations going around the East/West highway by contractors working for Setraco and also by the Lebanese company.
He said: “You can see what is happening at the ongoing construction of East/West Road. Setraco is dredging everywhere and some (burrow pits) are very close to the road. This can lead to erosion that can easily cut off the road within a short time. Dredging activities are done within and without any responsible manner,” he noted.
Chief Iwhewhe and Mulade’s concerns are in tandem with an international report on the effects of unchecked sand mining on the environment by the Ojos Negros Research Group, San Diego State University, Southwest Centre for Environmental Research and Policy. It noted that “excessive instream sand-and-gravel mining causes the degradation of rivers.”
The report circulated at http://threeissues.sdsu.edu/ further declared that “Instream mining lowers the stream bottom, which may lead to bank erosion. Depletion of sand in the streambed and along coastal areas causes the deepening of rivers and estuaries, and the enlargement of river mouths and coastal inlets. It may also lead to saline-water intrusion from the nearby sea. The effect of mining is compounded by the effect of sea level rise. Any volume of sand exported from streambeds and coastal areas is a loss to the system.”
For Mulade, the risks highlighted in the above report are much higher in the Niger Delta region because of lack of initial examination of mining sites before mining operations.
He remarked that “relevant information on the topography of the site, hydrologic and hydraulic materials obtained from the location are needed to know how much sand can be safely removed from the stream or site with very minimal effect on the environment of the area. Without that information, what we have at best is a jump in the dark and because those mining are doing it for profit, they can continue to mine until there is nothing left to extract. They cannot be allowed to regulate themselves as claimed by the union in Delta.
“Some of the effects can be serious erosion, washing away of the riverbank, and even earthquake because coupled with the oil exploitation and exploration activities, the risk is there.
“What is an earthquake really? Earthquake is caused by tremor from underneath the earth and it is also caused by a sudden shift when there is a void. As they are dredging, they are creating space, which needs to be filled by something. When it gets to the extent that the upper crust cannot hold due to the void underneath, it would have to cave in to fill that void and you will have an earthquake.”
Nevertheless, Iwhewhe played down fear of possible earthquake, describing the threat as “remote”. He said: “If you ask me if dredging can lead to earthquake, I will say yes and no. Yes, if you are in a seismic area. There are certain regions where the earth structure is not very stable, so the earth is still likely to slide on each other. So when that tendency is there, you have to be careful. When you dredge in these kinds of area, you are enhancing the possibility of plate tectonics to occur.
“Extraction of oil from the bowels of the earth, yeah, that is a very interesting study because of the earth structure. It is interesting to know that underneath this ground, there is liquid molding, hot liquid under the earth. Before then you have layers. Your oil is in a kitchen that is protected by stratigraphic traps.
“Aquifer are widespread; they don’t have that kind of trap or else oil will flow all over the world. It is the evidence of underground oil traps that leads to oil in some parts of the world. When you extract, there is the possibility that what you are extracting from a particular horizon, you are causing depletion of the composition and components therein and it could lead to collapse. And if it collapses, of course, it leads to land mass movement and that is where there is possibility.
“But it is very remote because as you are extracting, it is being replaced because nature does not allow vacuum. That is the beauty of it. The filling is naturally from the bowel of the earth. All the water, peculations and dirty waters go into the earth; they fill the voids,” he added.
Nevertheless, the renowned geologist conceded that the absence of regulatory bodies and agencies, which have led to sand dredging being done with careless abandon, could unleash serious environmental degradation and flooding.
“The indiscriminate siting of burrow pits is leading to land loss; land that could have been used for some other things are converted to burrow pits, which could become isolated lakes because they have taken away the lands and it could take millions of years for the land to come. In our lifespan it is not possible for the land to come back.
“The ecosystem is destroyed and this is not good for the environment. We can talk on and on but not until government comes up with stiff penalties, guidelines and principles to guide operations of dredging people, we will keep on degrading the environment. In (looking at) the pros and cons, the negative aspect is far more debilitating,” he added.
Taking up the analysis, Mulade called for a probe into how Setraco and others chose burrow pits where oodles of sands were extracted. He said the company should be sanctioned if it is discovered that they did not carry out EIAs.
“If you travel along the road from Warri, Yenagoa to Port Harcourt, you will see that dredging has affected ecosystem, farmlands are destroyed. There will be flood in the area and it will affect communities there. You will see buildings will be affected and their livelihoods damaged and destroyed.
“The life span of the road cannot be guaranteed. I believe within the shortest time there will be erosion on that road and it will not be a durable project. On the long run it will affect the road users and there are instances where there will be loss of lives because of the craters they are opening by the roadside.”
Mulade’s claim could not be independently ascertained and our reporter’s efforts to get the company’s reaction were futile. A request for clarification sent through the company’s website and email was yet to be answered two weeks afterwards.
However, our findings revealed that fishing around the Agbarho River in Ughelli, Delta State is now no longer as profitable as it used to be since dredgers have taken over the area. Fishermen who spoke with our reporter said the humming of the dredgers and the force of dredging probably killed the fishes or drove them out of the area.
Meanwhile, the Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, Dr Moses Beckley, recently listed Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa among states that could experience coastal flooding in 2015. He was quoted by NAN as advocating attitudinal changes and measures to help reduce flooding hazards in the states.
But environmentalists and other experts who offered professional advice on the development, said the government must take proactive measures to address the trend of risk putting the entire region and other parts of the country where illegal bunkering are carried out at risk.
Mulade cautioned that apart from flooding and ecological degradation, intra and inter-communal crises could erupt in the future due to land shortage owing to sand dredging.
He said: “There are economic and social effects too. For instance, with farm lands gradually eroding, there could be shortage of land for farm and even building. The cost of refilling lost land would be enormous when it is time for development.
“Look at the land around Osubi Airport near Warri. The land was excavated some years ago, today the land is now a river. It is a choice land and people would eventual need to develop it. But the cost of the land would reduce because of the enormous amount of money needed to reclaim it.”
The executive members of the Niger Delta Youth Forum (NYF) were in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State recently. They came all the way from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Led by their President, Mr. Emmanuel Goodhead, the leaders were on a mission to honour the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, Mr. Udens Eradiri. They came to bestow on Eradiri an award of excellence for his leadership qualities.
Indeed, Eradiri has distinguished himself as a young, vibrant and proactive leader of the Ijaw race. In the history of IYC leadership, Eradiri has made a difference. He has refocused the council and repositioned it to actualise the dreams of its founding fathers as encapsulated in the Kaiama Declaration.
Goodhead said: “We have been following your track records of achievements. It is for your quality leadership lifestyle. We have even following your strides in ensuring the development of youths in the region.
“We have come to appreciate you for toeing the path of founding fathers of the Niger Delta struggle. You are one of the charismatic personalities in the region that have made things easier for the youths. Keep up your good work. You have taught us how to cross our Is and dot out Ts.”
But Eradiri said he was receiving the awards with mixed feelings. He attributed the successes of his leadership on the cooperation of the Ijaw youths. He dedicated the award to them. He further used the occasion to comment on current issues bothering the region.
Topping the list of his concerns is the current condition of the Amnesty Office. The IYC boss urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reactivate the office by quckly appointing a Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). He asked the President to separate the office of the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta from that of PAP’s coordinator.
He added: “The programme is dear to us. It is building the capacity of our people. There are a lot of Niger Delta people scattered around the world and they are receiving qualitative education in various countries of the world.
“So, leaving the office vacant is a problem. We know what we are doing in trying to manage our youths in order not to carry out activities that will draw the attention of government because we may not know the repercussions that will come. But the truth is that you cannot leave that office vacant.
“Our people have not been paid for close to two months now. This style may lead to breakdown of law and order in the region. Therefore, we urge Buhari to quickly appoint a Coordinator of PAP This is because the office of the Special Adviser on Niger Delta is different from the coordinator of the amnesty programme.
“In the past, the two offices are one, that is why it is being political. The office of the SA to the President on Niger Delta is political but the coordinator of the amnesty programme is not supposed to be political.
“So, Buhari should demarcate that office, share it and let there be PAP coordinated by someone who understands the process while they can play politics with whoever that will advise him on amnesty programme.
“I think if he quickly does that, it will reduce the pressure some of us are carrying in terms of trying to maintain the orderly conduct of Ijaw youths in the region.”
He further lamented the travails of over 6,000 Niger Delta students on amnesty scholarship of the Federal Government in some universities abroad following the vacancy in the office.
He said the management of the universities had started delisting the students because of the failure of the Federal Government to pay their fees. He urged Buhari to intervene to save the students and the country from embarrassment.
He said the students’ problem was worsened by the vacuum in the Presidential Amnesty Programme office because of absence of an administrator for the programme. He said the programme was no longer functional following the absence of an administrator and urged the President to either fill the vacuum in the amnesty office or invoke his executive powers to save the students.
He said there was intense pressure on him to maintain the peace in the region because stipends for ex-agitators had not been paid for two months. He stressed that they had been appealing to them to give Buhari an opportunity to run government.
He said: “I want to use this opportunity to call on the Niger Delta leaders, well-meaning Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari to the fact that the cause of the vacuum in the presidential amnesty programme is as a result of the change in leadership.
“It has begun to tell on the lives of our young ones that are undergoing university training as a result of the amnesty programme in various countries – America, United Kingdom, London, South Africa and other African countries where we have young Nigerians.
“These young Nigerians who are undergoing education and training scattered round the world, because of the bureaucratic nature of the programme, the funding used to be month by month, most of the upkeep of the students is usually on a monthly basis.
“But for two months now, the students have not been paid; the financial obligations to the institutions have not been met because the Federal Government is to do that on a monthly basis and so we have the shocking news that some of the institutions have started delisting some of the students studying there.
“As for the UK, we know that rents are paid monthly and when the stipends are paid, these students also pay their rent. As I speak to you a lot of them now are being thrown out of their accommodation; they are all on the streets.”
“We have been doing that with just the word of mouth and the goodwill we enjoy as leaders. But when government fails to do their own part, then very unfortunately, we will not be able to maintain the peace as it was in the last few months.”
On the alleged random bombings of some areas in the Niger Delta by the military, Eradiri urged the soldiers to seek better methods of combating criminality in the region.
He said: “Very unfortunately the military, (I do not know if they are doing eye service), in recent times, there are a series of bombings of the region to fish out pirates.
“The Nigerian Navy is there, a lot of money is spent on the Navy. There are a lot of blockades in the waterways, yet pirates and kidnappers still have their ways, abducting people on the main routes manned by the military.
“I think there is complicity. So, this pretext of looking for pirates and begin to bomb randomly is not accepted by us. We see it as a ploy to begin to move towards bombing people in the Niger Delta region.
“We are saying that inasmuch as we condemn criminality in the region, the approach as experienced in the recent weeks is not acceptable because there are statutory organs – the Joint Military Task Force, the Navy that have been funded over the years to secure the waterways.
“But when we begin to bring in the Air Force, then there will be colossal damage and at the end of the day our innocent communities will suffer for it.”
He warned the youths to desist from criminality. According to him youths should not give the military any reason to attack the region.
“So, if your a kidnapper, don’t use our environment to kidnap, if you are pirates, leave the Ijaw environment because we do not want a situation your activities which are not sanctioned by our people will begin to bring calamities to the Niger Delta.
“I have been talking to many youths, we must give the current administration in the country the opportunity to express themselves and we begin to take them on their actions accordingly.”
Military operatives are studying series of threats to peace and other security breaches in the Niger Delta region.
It was gathered that the Defence Headquarters was evaluating threats emanating from various youth groups, including ex-militants under the Amnesty Programme of the federal government.
The military is said to be bothered about rising economic sabotage, kidnapping, pirate attacks and other forms of criminality in the region despite the ongoing amnesty.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh, who was in Bayelsa State at the weekend, expressed concerns over security breaches in the region.
He warned war mongers and perpetrators of criminality to desist or be ready to face deadly gun battles.
Badeh was in the state to inaugurate the permanent complex of the Headquarters of the Joint Task Military Force, Operation Pulo Shield, along Igbogene/ Okolobiri road in Yenagoa.
He regretted that oil theft, kidnapping and other criminal activities were still on the rise in the region despite the previous peace agreement reached with former militants.
He said: “Criminalities in the Niger Delta, we thought, have stopped but now they are on the rise again. But I know that our gallant men and women are equal to the task.
“We are after the bad men. We are good men and darkness can never overtake light. No nation can develop in the presence of so much criminality.
“Now we are hearing that people are taking up arms here and there; kidnapping is on the rise, oil theft is on the rise, going by the last seizure of a ship loaded with 15,000 metric tons of illegal properties.
“The military was here before and we reached a simple agreement to down tools to work together for the benefit of our nation.
“We want to tell the criminals that they should not allow us to turn our guns back to the Niger Delta. Please, do not let the Armed Forces turn its arsenal on the Niger Delta.”
Badeh said the military has received major arms for the Navy, stating naval operatives were already stationed in the blue waters.
The CDS urged youths in the region to operate within the ambit of the law, adding that the JTF had been empowered to combat all manner of criminalities in the region.
He commended the JTF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, for his foresights, saying the permanent complex would save the JTF from spending huge amount of money on rented apartments.
He thanked the government of Bayelsa State for being a hospitable host.
At an interactive session with Journalists, Moses Siasia, 35-year-old governorship aspirant in Baylesa State, revealed his plans to transform the state. He also lamented the interests of the old folks for the younger generations. David Lawal was at the session for The Nation Newspaper.
Excerpts:
Kindly give us an insight into your background
Well, you are welcome. I believe that the redemption of this country that we call our own lies with our generation; we the youths. I lived in an environment where we had no food, no toilet, I almost lost my life but God was the one that intervened.
They would not give the younger generations the chance, they would continue to come up with strategies that would further undermine us and ensure that the youths do not speak in one voice. In the programmes that we have been able to carry out, none of them have supported us, except very few that believed in us.
How were you able to transform yourself despite the challenges you faced in your younger age?
I fend for myself 17 years ago. I was in the street of Port Harcourt hawking oranges, selling Ice Blocks but at that time I told myself that I wasn’t going to be subservient to my situation. I am going to work hard because I believe that there is a deposit of potentials in me.
That was how I started from that humble background. I washed rugs, plant flowers and today the story is different. Today, I have built a business of a group of companies, Mosilo Groups . We have interest in various sectors. I have employed many persons, mostly youth. We started what is called the Nigeria Young Professional Group and in two years today we are in 15 countries. We are the only young group in Nigeria that is registered in USA and United Kingdom. We are about finalising our registrations with the United Nations.
I founded the Young Professionals Group to give voice to the youths. There is no young man in Nigeria today that has been close to power like I have. I can beat my chest to say that the elites are not interested in the youth.
How do you rate Bayelsa State as at now?
Bayelsa state is less than one million in population and we have received over N2 trillion from 1999 till date but if you come to Bayelsa today, you will cry because there is no concrete work on ground, our educational system is in a state of decay, our women do not have that sense of belonging again because they cannot sell again, our people are used to fishing but cannot do that because of oil spillage. The leadership had not been fair to our people. The sectors are down.
Do you know that there are a lot of Bayelsa students abroad who are stranded and cannot pay their fees any more, they are frustrated, the females have gone into prostitution, the government keep responding that there is no money but when the money comes they share it amongst themselves, it doesn't trickle down to the people.
For instance, we have had successive government in Bayelsa who placed embargo on employment; there is no critical investment in Bayelsa that can employ massively.
Everybody sees government as the only employer of labour in Bayelsa. Now you need a leader that can think outside the box, that is innovative and creative to bring about the investments required in Bayelsa state.
I have been in the private sector, I have business, I have partners and I have the will to do that. You cannot give what you do not have, I have employed people, I have grown a business from scratch to where it is today, I have helped people in my community, I have not bought education material for two years; I have been supplying them.
I have eight children from my community studying abroad, on my mill. So, let all those who have ruled Bayelsa come out and tell what they were able to achieve before they got to that position.
What is your disposition to Youths development in the Country?
The lowest funded ministry in the history of democracy in Nigeria is the ministry of youth. Meanwhile, we gave them the mandate. When I was younger I used to see government development craft centers, skill acquisition centers, sport development institutions, look at the education sector, it suggest that there is no hope for the young generation.
When you canvas for the inclusion of young people in governance, they would say what level of experience do you. So we have found ourselves in a state of dashed hope and opportunity.
I have so much belief in the younger generation that why I am offering myself to liberate my people from the suffering and hardship that they are going through. This is the first time in the new Nigeria democracy that someone of my age group would come out for a position like this, and as a governor being a member of the Council of state; I am going to represent the interest of the youth. This is my will.
We must put an end to political imposition and create a sustainable future for our people. My heart bleeds whenever I am asked ''where are you from?'' Sometimes my friends and associates from abroad say they want to come to my state and I wonder what they would see there.
Meanwhile, Bayelsa state has a huge tourism potential. We have 75 per cent of Nigeria's gas reserve and the level of political gain that Bayelsa has enjoyed has never been enjoyed by any state in this country.
Bayelsa has had a President, a Petroleum minister, a National security adviser all from a state that is not up to one million in population, eight local governments but this political positioning have not been translated into gains to benefit the people.
It will therefore take a will of grace that can bring about the needed change and that is what I am bringing to the table. I am not going to the state house to sell pride but to sell humility, to serve my people, if I have been able to achieve what I have achieved in the private sector, then I can bring the much needed development in the public sector to our people.
Considering your age, would you not need party elders’ support to secure the ticket?
While some remain myopic and wouldn't love to let go because that is where they get their pay from, there are some of them that are positive minded. And we must convince them that it is time for us take care of them and to take the interests of our people serious. And I believe that God will give us the grace to champion this course to the next level.
You should be aware of the level of debt in the state which successive administrations have incurred, how would you run a successful government with the high level of debt?
If you do not take up the challenge you will continue to allow people to accumulate debt for the state. My will is to put a stop to debt owing. We must create investments that would boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue of the state which is currently less than N1 billion.
We are going to diversify the economy and concentrate on sectors like tourism, agriculture. I would increase investment enough and create environment to attract investors.
We would tax the rich and the big hotels in the state and complete the abandoned five-star hotel project that former President Jonathan started so that people can come and see.
Bayelsa is where oil was first discovered in Nigeria. We would create a museum, a city out of Oloibiri, then develop Akasa and create a beach there. The environment in Akasa in Bayelsa is better than Miami in the US. If you sit in Brass at night you can sight Guinea. Bayelsa State is central to the Gulf of Guinea. You can get to Equatorial Guinea under one hour through boat from Brass. Hence, we can build partnership and build seaport.
We can use the opportunities to create wealth for the people. I am not going to run a debt owing state. There won’t be need to borrow to execute any project. Some of my partners are currently supporting some states in building infrastructures.
We would also team up with them. There are a lot of my partners who are looking for real business environment to invest; we can create that. The current administration created Bayelsa Development Centers in the United Kingdom and South Africa but not many investments have come to the state through this means.
In one year, we can bring about 500 companies in Bayelsa. We can create massive employment under one year, in fact about 50,000 jobs, viable jobs, not N10, 000 jobs or street sweeping jobs. We are going to create job that comes with job security. Wealth to me is not about how much I have in my account but how many lives I have been able to touch and that is why I want the people to vote for me. I have done that in the past.
Majority of the militants from the Niger Delta regional are from your state, what is your plan for them?
I do not see them as militants, rather, I see some of them as professionals. For example, on a high sea and on a very high level of water pressure, someone uses a speed boat to kidnap somebody and still uses the speed boat to escape with his victim. It requires a lot of technicalities to do what they are doing.
We would try to ensure that they channel their energy into productive ventures. We would show them the light to enable them use their potentials rightly and this will further strengthen the state.
That is where human capacity development comes in. I have started meeting with some of them and they have been impressed that someone within their age bracket is coming out for a post like governor, while some of them have not responded.
Well, but we would keep them informed about the dynamics of contemporary politics which largely involves youth participation.
How realistic is it for you to run the state without borrowing funds when elected as governor?
My business is not in debt. You must take loan to fund massive projects but the strategy we have used to run our business is to build partnership and that would be adopted too.
See, running a state is not so different from running a business. Some state governors were able to leave office with good reserves without debt. What we have is enough to sustain the state.
For instance, most investors have it in their business plan that they are going to get gas from Bayelsa and this makes the state very strategic. And we are going to build investment around this with the support of the Federal Government to ensure that we create massive wealth for our people. Our aim is that we transform Bayesa to a point that everyone would become proud of it.
Considering the current level of threat to life in Bayelsa due to kidnapping and hostage taking, how do you intend to ensure the safety of foreign investors and provide basic facilities which they are used to from where they are coming?
We would use Bayelsa as example for modern facilities by Optic fibre network. You would have access to internet from anywhere you are. There are companies that are willing to come and do this and thankfully people are beginning to key into this.
For security, I believe that once the people have a sense of belonging, the state becomes secured. This strategy was used in Borno and it is working. The environment becomes safe once you build confidence and the people are part of the projects.
We must transmit values that would sensitize the people so they would know that they are critical stakeholders in the system. People will be able to access me as this would help to build their trust.
How do you intend to dislodge political heavyweights like the incumbent governor, Dickson and Timipre Silva who are currently rumoured to be interested in the governorship race?
It is not about me, it is not just Moses Siasia, it is a movement. The people's will is more important in politics. This was evident in the last general elections. Power is going back to the people and this is what would happen in Bayelsa too.
Former President Jonathan is from Bayelsa and is expected to be the Godfather in the state. Do you have his support already or hoping to?
People's perception of godfathers in politics really worries me some times. I understand that there is need to gather the support of the heavyweights. I will consult the former president.
I know he is open to the voice of the youth as seen in his works while in office and this is the time for him to show again that he believes in the youth.
Does the ethnic game on ground in Bayelsa favour you? And how would you ensure that you are accepted at the grassroots?
I strongly believe in professionalism so I don't discuss matters like ethnicity or zoning formula. The incumbent governor is from my part of the state, he has used for years and I will also use four years. The choice is there for the people to make and they would make it rightly, I believe that we do not have buy people's vote because the people are wise now.
