[allAfrica.com] [Bishop_John_T._Walker_Memorial_Dinner_November_5] Why FG Is Indifferent to the Plight of Niger Delta People, by Joeseph Evah Vanguard (Lagos) INTERVIEW October 20, 2004 Posted to the web October 20, 2004 By Azu Akanwa, Deputy Chief-Sub Obasanjo. Evah, Co-ordinator, Ijaw Monitoring Group and former Publicity Secretary of Ijaw National Congress, was in Abuja to offer advice to Ijaw youths and new sensations of the Niger Delta struggle, he spoke to Vanguard on the Abuja Peace Talks and other issues close to the heart of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. You have just returned from Abuja accompanying Dokubo-Asari to the peace talks. As an insider, what was the outcome of the talks between Asari and Tom Atake? Well, Asari did not travel to Abuja for peace talks with Atake Tom. He was in Abuja to talk with President Obasanjo over the problem of the Niger Delta people and the condition for peace in the region. He stated this clearly through the armed wing of the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force (NDPVF) communique of last week and a copy was given to the President (showing same to reporter). In that communique, there are three fundamental issues: the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference, self determination and resources control. Asari and Atake are brothers and their family matter has been put to rest in Port Harcourt before the second round of talks. Atake was also part of the Abuja talks because he too has agreed that the Niger Delta people are really suffering and he will join hands with other progressives to tell Obasanjo that enough is enough. The discussion was between the youths and the President. Some of us only accompanied them to give advice on how to go about it. Our youths still have regard for the elders. Some Nigerians are saying that the president inviting Asari who described himself as a rebel to Abuja for presidential talk shows the weakness of the state. So, they are not aware that the Nigerian state is committing environmental crime in Niger Delta? So, they did not say that it shows the heartlessness of the Nigerian state? Those making such comments are not aware of the foot soldiers on ground who are ready for the battle. All the idle brains and frustrated youths were ready to take-up arms because life means nothing to them. The international community has seen that America with all her power and might cannot subdue the Iraqis in their homeland. Let me tell you there is no power in the world that can subdue the fire-power of our youths who are fighting for survival. Meeting President Obasanjo is not a Father Christmas party for Dokubo-Asari. In fact, he had made up his mind that he won't go to the Abuja talks because the government according to him wanted to discuss the issue of secret cults and since he is not a cult member he said he would not attend. Visiting the presidency is not a big deal for Dokubo Asari, after all he has met the President five times one-on-one before the crisis. So Nigerians should tackle the fundamental issues raised by the youths instead of diverting the real matter at stake. Look, let me tell you, no reasonable person from the Niger Delta wants to see Abuja. If people can turn our environment to hell and change a desert like Abuja to London with our resources; so an environment like Abuja makes sane person from Niger Delta sick. If you go and examine the medical records of those Niger Delta people living permanently in Abuja, you'll realise that they visit hospitals frequently because of one ailment or the other. Psychologically, they are depressed because their homeland where the money used to develop Abuja comes from is like a lepers' colony while they are living false lives in the London called Abuja. We also found out that some Niger Delta activists are also saying that Dokubo Asari cannot speak for them? The issue of who and who should speak does not arise. It means we are running away from the fundamental issues raised by these patriots of Niger Delta. Look, today everybody knows that people like Gani Fawehinmi are ready to lay down their lives to set Nigerians free from bad governance, yet some human right activists who claim to be interested in the welfare of the people can say Chief Fawehinmi is not speaking for us. They can say, he is on his own. These are petty jealousy and greed. Some of us want only our names to appear on the pages of newspapers as champions of the people. They don't want others to do same and feel threatened by the popularity of Asari. Even during my River Niger Dredging Court suit, some elements wrote press releases that I am from Ghana. Can you imagine that? It is the level of Nigerian madness. I expect our people to come out from such madness. Are you not worried that some activists of Ijaw extraction would be closely monitored by the security agencies because of this latest rebellion? Was there any time that they had not placed the Ijaw nation under security watch? Presently, every part of Ijawland is under military occupation and we are not worried; if they felt that instead of using our oil money to provide industries in our area to engage our idle brains, they prefer to come and cage us with guns and war boats, they will soon know that they have been deceiving themselves all these years because if the situation does not change, there will be an eruption like volcano as the idle brains and hands continue to increase by the day. During the last meeting between President Obasanjo and youths of Niger Delta in Port Harcourt, you were one of those who addressed the gathering, and you said that very soon suicide bombers would emerge in the region if the situation in the region remains the same. Don't you think people will say you have fore knowledge of the last rebellion? Because I'm on ground in the region and know the feeling of the people. I have discovered that the frustration in the region has reached a point where people are talking of committing suicide because life means nothing to them. And so I have warned the nation. Let me tell you, if Abuja had not intervened when it did as quickly as it did, all the idle brains in the jungle were ready to fight to the last man. And I think the oil companies also put aside their fake pride and advised Obasanjo accordingly because they will be forced to run away. There is a difference between those that fight for survival and those that are fighting because of their salaries at the end of the month. So Obasanjo has done the right thing but he should move ahead immediately to meet the conditions placed before him because starvation is killing our people in the creeks. There is no means of livelihood for the natives as a result of oil and gas exploration. Unleashing the military against the restive Niger Delta only hardens our hearts because we have conquered fear. How will you describe Asari as a person? Asari is the re-incarnation of Isaac Boro, the symbol of the Izon (Ijaw) struggle when the Nigerian government killed Dr. Dennis Fiberesima. We asked God to give us anther Fiberesima, Asari made us not to weep for Fiberesima again. The re-incarnation of Eastern Ijaws with other Ijaws started with Fiberesima, Asari completed the project. He is the consciousness of the Ijaw. What happened with that peace talks is the third victory the Ijaws got since Nigerian independence. First was the day Isaac Boro declared the Niger Delta Republic; the second was the day God gave vision to this generation of Ijaw youths to proclaim the Kaiama Declaration while the third was the day Abuja bowed down to an Ijaw rebellion for injustice against our people through Asari and other patriots. I am happy that the Ijaw nation was behind him in prayer and fasting; that was why he was able to subdue Abuja. He is a pride to every Ijaw man living and dead. What he did was even for the interest of the children of the traitors among us. I'd said that nobody or government can declare Asari who was the President of IYC wanted. It is an abomination. And as far as the spirit of Isaac Boro is moving to and fro across Ijawland, victory is sure. The crisis in Rivers State was gradually taking the form of a war situation. This is not the first time when a group of people who are dissatisfied with happenings in the country resort to carrying arms to express their anger. There are many ways of expressing concern for unacceptable situations in the country. Some people respond to unacceptable condition of life in the country through strike or court action; press conferences, public demonstration with placards or hostage taking while others go the extra mile with the use of arms. Aggrieved Nigerians have used all these steps I have mentioned to demonstrate bitterness against government policies or conditions of life. This is a democracy. Dialogue should be the best option. You are aware that immediately after independence, the Ijaws through Isaac Boro became the first to carry arms against Nigeria. Boro was the first to declare a Republic within Nigeria even before the Igbos declared their Biafra Republic. It is there in history that Niger Delta Republic was declared before Biafra was born. Through Isaac Adaka Boro, the Ijaw became the first to enter the armed struggle age in Nigeria like I said even before the Igbos and after that we have witnessed several other cases where armed struggle was used to protest marginalisation. What do you mean by that? Yes, I mean that Northern officers used arms against Igbo officers to retaliate the killing of their prominent sons during the January 15, Coup of 1966. And when General Gowon was overthrown Middle Belt officers were aggrieved so they carried arms against the Murtala Muhammed government and failed; which led to the elimination of some Middle Belt officers in 1976. When Niger Delta Military officers were dissatisfied with the situation of the region, they carried arms during the April 22, 1990 Coup. Although Orkar was the head but Ninety-nine per cent of the plotters came from the Niger Delta. Although in Nigeria if you succeed in arms struggle and form a government you claim to be law abiding or even become the law itself but if you fail like Orkar or Dimka, you are considered as a rebel or criminal. Even if you are talking about democracy or dialogue, armed struggle is not synonymous with Military government. There are many examples but let me give only one. Our son and daughter Mr. Ben Bruce and Miss. Agbani Darego, former Miss World, they are both Ijaws. They felt there is need to promote Nigeria's image. They decided to stage Miss World Contest in Abuja and the whole world focused on this country. Some people felt the contest is against their way of life and (saw an opportunity) mobilised themselves and carried arms against the organisers; a lot of people were killed and maimed. The ceremony was put off and their demands were met. So if others had been using armed struggle to meet their desires why not the Ijaw people? Do they have two heads? Armed struggle is different from coup plotting. Coup plotting is targeted at overthrowing a government in power. It is a very serious case with equally very serious implications. Carrying arms against the state in any disguise, is that not a criminal act? You can call it any name. But unfortunately because Nigeria is a mad country, so Abacha who took part in several armed rebellions against Nigeria executed Ken Saro Wiwa who was harmless but was merely protesting the destruction of the environment by multi-nationals through a Kangaro- judgement that has no legal precedence whatsoever and the government as usual told a lot of lies to cover- up such a crime against the Niger Delta region. During the June 12 struggle, I was coordinating demonstrations from Maryland to Mile 12 area of Lagos. We blocked all the roads in Lagos and shot down commercial activities. You are aware that many protesters were killed by soldiers. We thought it happened like that because it was a Military regime but since the coming of this so-called democracy, all the peaceful demonstrations we have carried out to protest increment of fuel price by Obasanjo were suppressed through the barrel of the gun. Many were killed by the Police. So I don't know which form of protest is acceptable in Nigeria. You were in Abuja as an adviser during the talks between President Obasanjo, Dokubo Asari and Atake Tom. Do you have faith in the Abuja peace deal? Well, if Abuja is sincere, there is no problem. They should not play foul games. I know the international community will warn Abuja to be sincere. I believe that Abuja is aware that the Ijaws have woken-up from their slumber. You see, since the coming of this democracy, the Ijaws have seen hell. During this period we lost some of our best brains to politics. Chief Marshal Harry, Chief Dikibo and from Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo and Rivers as well as Akwa-Ibom states, our communities are under military occupation and during this period the economic indices of Ijaw nation are worse than what they were six years ago as a result of ecological problems and deliberate misplacement of priority. Odi and Opia as well as Ikeyan were destroyed. From time immemorial, the Ijaws believe in dialogue. Some genuine elders should advise Governor Odili to save his name from the destruction of Rivers State and his people by setting himself on the path of honour.   =============================================================================   Copyright © 2004 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). =============================================================================