In the words of the Niger Delta?

Author: Nimi Barigha-Amange Number of Pages: 80 Publisher: Amange Foundation Price: Not Indicated Reviewer: Aliyu S. Machika In all its five chapters, Road to peace in the Niger-Delta adopts a step by step approach to analysing and expounding the major problems that bedevil the south-south region of Nigeria, most especially the oil producing areas in […]

Author: Nimi Barigha-Amange

Number of Pages: 80

Publisher: Amange Foundation

Price: Not Indicated

Reviewer: Aliyu S. Machika

In all its five chapters, Road to peace in the Niger-Delta adopts a step by step approach to analysing and expounding the major problems that bedevil the south-south region of Nigeria, most especially the oil producing areas in the Niger-Delta. Its position is especially weighty when the stature of its author in the country’s political hierarchy is considered. The book’s author, Senator Nimi Barigha-Amange, points out that for the almost half a century that oil has been explored, the people of the region are still exploited, as nothing is done in terms of provision of social amenities and other infrastructure that could have transformed their lives positively.

To buttress this point, he gives the example of the people of Brass/Nembe, an area that generates more than one billion naira daily for the federation account, but there is no road to link Brass to the main land of Nembe.

“Where”, he asks, “is the sense of belonging for the people of Brass?”

Based on what he perceives as a deliberate attempt to undermine the status of Niger-Deltans as Nigerians, in spite of the fact that the region is the backbone of the nation’s economy, he traces the historical antecedent to the colonial era, referring to the Wilinks Commission of inquiry, which submitted that: “We were impressed by the arguments indicating that the needs of those who live in the creeks and swamps of the Niger Delta are very different from those of the interior. We agree that it is not easy for a government or a legislature operating from far inland to concern itself, or even fully understand the problems of a territory where communications are so difficult, building so expensive and education so scarce.”

On these premises, the writer emphasises the fact that there can be no peace without justice and equity, and that blood would continue to be shed until concerted efforts are made to heal the wound. Significantly, the writer says that all the hullaballoo about vandalisation of pipelines in the region and other crimes attributed to the youth who carry arms to fight for their right is absolute nonsense.

“The truth”, he argues, “is [that] such people are pre-occupied with worrying about whether they are safe with you. Nigerian government discharges its duty in the reverse order, owing to which Niger-Delta is grossly underdeveloped. And at all times successive Governments set up a number of commissions and other white elephant projects all in the name of developing the region. Even the 13% derivation fund is not meant to be used in ameliorating the suffering condition of the people in the region”.

He lambasts successive Nigerian governments for their nonchalant attitude towards ameliorating the suffering conditions of Niger Deltans. In particular, the whole of chapter three dwells on the “Federal Character Commission” which, he states, is an admission of government’s guilt, and through the operations of which the authorities hope to address the anomalous distribution of the wealth and opportunities offered by the country. The commission, empowered under section 153(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria “to work out an equitable formula for the distribution of all cadres of posts in the public service of the federation viz: Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies; corporate bodies owned by the federal or state governments and extra-ministerial departments, and parastatals…as well as to promote and monitor proportional sharing of all bureaucratic, economic, media and political posts at all levels of government.”

He also argues that Niger-Delta is short-changed and excluded from the benefit for which Petroleum Development Fund (PTDF) is set to achieve. This is glaring, seeing that the management of the fund has since inception been under the control of persons outside the Niger-Delta, to the extent that the people of the region are strangers in this important establishment, which is being funded from oil revenue generated within the region.

To drive home his points, the author refers the reader to the Vanguard newspaper of June25, 2008, where a list of candidates shortlisted for PhD programmes was advertised. Out of 102, the whole of south-south was given only 14 slots, while Bayelsa had only one candidate. And the north beats all other regions in the number of the shortlisted candidates. “Does this not contradict the talks of an educationally disadvantaged North?” he asks.

A critical analysis of the content of Road to Peace in Niger-Delta reveals some shortcomings of the writer in chapter four, where he depicts pipeline vandalisation, illegal bunkering of oil and youth restiveness as retaliatory measures against oil producing companies and the Nigerian nation. To him, it is wrong for the government to adopt the strategy of an ‘eye for an eye’ in dealing with illegalities perpetrated by the armed youth. He has also forgotten to include rampant kidnapping in the region. This is either an oversight or a deliberate contradiction that can easily distort a masterpiece.

One would expect the author to use his professionalism in different fields to furnish the government with the nitty-gritty of how it can find a lasting solution using stick and carrot. However, he suggests genuine dialogue as the most potent solution to the ever lingering problem. Another important issue not to be kept aside is that the author is of the view that the federal government should make the producing communities share-holders not stake-holders. This too may not be possible owing to the fact that the government invested heavily in oil exploration even though, whether by commission or omission, it is to the detriment of the people of the region. This issue needs to be reframed in such a way that it will be acceptable by all and sundry.

In spite of these lapses, Road to Peace in Niger-Delta can still be cherished as a good work on how the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) would be restructured if at all it must exist. According to him, “…producing communities [should] be part of the board and management of the Commission; it is also advisable to reduce the personnel cost of the NDDC by reducing the directorates…. The Federal Government should at all times release the total money accruing to the NDDC at the beginning of each year or quarter.”

Perhaps, in anticipation of criticism such as provided here, Barigha-Amange points out that “The foregoing should not be considered as an exhaustive list of grievances that have turned the Niger Delta struggle into a spiritual one with the knowledge of the utter neglect spreading like wild fire.” As a matter of fact, he sees eye to eye with some government interventions; he only disagrees with the way they are implemented.