BY SOLOMON ABUTOH

“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burnet ‘(Isaiah 62; 1)’

The above scripture aptly describes the perspective from which this piece is being put across at this time of our national.

At independence, Nigeria’s political structure rested on a seemingly okay but fragile tripod, inform of three regions; North, West, and East. On January 15th, 1966 however, the first military putsch led by Major Chukwuma Nzeogwu set the tune for other events that were to unfold.

February 23, 1966 saw Major Isaac Adaka Boro declaring Independent Niger Delta at Akaima, a movement that was swiftly crushed by federal troops within 12 days, Boro himself got killed in the process.

The ensuing 30- month civil war occasioned by the declaration of Republic of Biafra by Lt Col Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, a declaration that had the entire Eastern States, including now Rivers, Bayelsa, and part of then Mid –West Region under its purview , saw Ojukwu putting his Oxford, Sand Hurst education, and father’s wealth in pursuit, prosecution of an apparently misunderstood but just cause.

That Col. Phillip Effiong was second in command ,and Col. Victor Banjo was one of the key commanders,meant Biafra was not an entirely Igbo affairs. Though the war ended on January 10th 1970 with” no victor no vanquished “ the very remote causes for the secessionist bid stare us starkly in the face, even today!

After the civil war and further balkanization of the nation in the name of states’ creation, all seemed calm at least on the surface. On December 20th 1996, I dispatched a letter on state of the nation to late General Sanni Abacha, a letter which apparently necessitated the “Nigeria praise” programmed through out the country for the whole of the 1997, with General Gowon coordinating.

Late Pope John Paul ll was to visit Nigeria at the instance of the Federal Government at a cost of over 900 million Naira. At the end of the day, the man Abacha still died right in his fortress! Former CSO Al-Mustapha currently standing trial in Lagos, must still recall that letter. Whether they acted well by ignoring the author of such a letter is another matter.

On October 8th 1998, I dispatched another letter to General Abdulsalami Abubakar through his cousin,Umar Abdullahai resident in Minna, warning clearly that the Niger Delta region which seemed quiet was a time- bomb set to explode. Again, the author was ignored, with the Federal government preferring to set up the Popoola commission, at a whopping cost of 15.3billion Naira, money which went down the drain!

In November 2002, I published an article on page 27 in the Global Health –Link Magazine, which dwelt on the Niger Delta situation, with emphasis on Ogoni land, Odi.Sunday, December15th 2002, on page 20 of the Punch Newspapers saw my extensive interview on the Niger Delta question.

January 1st 2003, page 32 of the Global Health -Link Magazine , in my column entitled state of the world , I made specific reference to Nigeria as the “gathering of dark clouds”. On the 10th of June 2006, page 14 of the Punch Newspapers, I had another extensive interview on the Niger Delta question (four years from the first one)

That the Niger Delta region eventually exploded, with federal government losing an estimated 290.5 billion Naira in oil revenue daily , Warri and Port Harcout refineries closed down points, power supply down to 2,200 mw, from 6000 mw, the question now is where are we coming from, where are we now, where do we go from here? The Niger Delta region is populated by various ethnic nationalities including the Urhobos, Itsekiris,Edos, Ijaws, Ogonis, Efiks, Ibibios, Andonis,Kalabairis,Igbos yes, Igbos – a Swiss firm prospects oil around Owerri, Imo state .

Then came 14th of September, 2008, when late President Umaru Yar’Adua ordered 7000 troops backed by two warshipis,14 gunboats to execute the deepest military offensive ever in the Niger Delta region.

This JTF action saw militants in MEND and NDVF, with the Ijaws already assuming overlordship over every other ethnic nationality abandoning their camps, weapons, huge catches of arms, cash, and even their Egbesu shrines/ (of course our Ijaw brethren who apparently have been saying to the seer, do not see, and to the Prophet, do not prophesy to us right things, had to learn the hard way, that the Sovereign GOD will not give His glory to another, nor His praise to carved images-(Isa 30:8-10, Isa 42:8) The amnesty programme was to follow, this programme by my candid assessment remains epileptic, non-transparent and wasteful.

Recently, the Government of Delta state, on Saturday, August 27th rolled out the drums to celebrate 20th anniversary of the creation of this state, at the Grand Hotel Asaba, the state capital. One of the highlights of the celebrations was the honour of prominent citizens of the state.

The lopsided nature of the honours list however, portrays the organisers as either lacking adequate sense of history or deliberately mischievous. I wish to point out here, that Delta State has come a long way, first as part of Western region, then Mid-West, Bendel, and eventually Delta State.

As the MEND Aaron list comprised of people even outside the core Niger Delta region, so were people who made tremendous contributions and sacrifices to get us where we are today.

I am talking about HRH Oba Akenzua of Benin, HRH Oba M.A. Abutoh, JP, MFR, Orefe II, First Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, Chairman and Secretary General of House of Chiefs respectively, Mid-West, Pa, Anthony Enahoro, Samuel Jereton Mariere.

Mr.  Abutoh, a clergyman, wrote from Lagos.