By Dele Sobowale

The PANDEF agenda revisited

“Brute force without wisdom falls by its own weight.”

Horace, 65-8BC. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 63).

When Amaechi’s political antagonists went after him, after the altercation with Mrs Patience Goodluck they least reckoned with two factors – the man’s resilience as a politician and the shifting sands of Nigerian politics. They brought all the powers that the Presidency could muster against him. The former Commissioner of Police in Rivers State and the force under his command were deliberately rude and hostile. On two occasions the wife of the President stormed Portharcourt with all the armed forces represented; Amaechi was literally locked into the Governor’s mansion. The scenes reminded me of the early years of the Second World War when Hitler’s armies overran the French and marched triumphantly through Paris. They thought the war was over. So did Jonathan, Mrs Jonathan and the Rivers State PDP. As Ambassador Cabot Lodge said, “Power is the chief weapon of the ignorant.” (VBQ p 197). Even when the 2015 election ended with Rivers State as the most bloody; when television stations carried live stories of ballot boxes being snatched and the judiciary ignored the evidence, the man stood resolute.

Meanwhile, he plotted his own strategy. He knew that the PDP was cracking up; that the former President had alienated millions of Nigerians and that a new coalition of politicians would succeed. He was ready when the chance came and he took it with both hands.

Former governor of Rivers State and Ministerial nominee Rotimi Amaechi

The All Progressive Congress, APC , which emerged in 2013-14 stood on a tripod, each personified by one strong individual – Buhari in the North, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in the West and Amaechi in the old Eastern Region. Without struggling for it power had fallen into his laps and his former tormentors are afraid of what he would do with it. The campaign of calumny that they have mounted is their response to changing fortunes. The Governor of Rivers State was a Federal Minister who with the full backing of the former President gave Amaechi hell. Today, the situation is reversed. Amaechi is the Federal Minister with the full backing of the President. The Governor will have to endure two and a half years of what will happen. Perhaps now, people like the Rivers State Governor and Mrs Patience Goodluck will now understand that in any sort of war (and politics is war) “the only battle that counts is the last one.” The outcome of conflict is not determined by who is first to pick up the weapon; but the last to lay it down.

Finally, they might as well forget all the attempts to separate Buhari and Amaechi. Jonathan didn’t understand the uses of power. Buhari does. He would not part with one of his best “generals” just to please the opposition. Their noise is all the evidence Buhari needs to know that the man is effectively dealing with his (Buhari’s) own political antagonists. It will be politically suicidal to get rid of Amaechi and repeat Jonathan’s costly mistake……

GIVING PANDEF A BAD NAME IN ORDER TO DESTROY IT –2

“Power and money, of course, do drive people crazy. So why shouldn’t people also gain power and wealth through being crazy.”— Saul Bellow. (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS, VBQ, p 195).

Last week, the first part of this series of articles ended by indicting the print media in general for publishing falsehood with regard to Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF. Let me briefly substantiate the charge against my colleagues who have violated the first principle of responsible journalism. Two examples from two leading newspapers will illustrate the point. One ran a cartoon which showed the leaders of the Niger Delta carrying bowls on their heads with the labels reading “oil blocks”. The same paper on its second page in one day asked selected people if it was proper for the leaders of the Niger Delta to ask for oil blocs. The assumption in both cartoon and opinion page was that PANDEF members asked for oil blocks.

The other one, styling itself as leader of the pack, even went a ridiculous step further. In its editorial of Sunday, November 13, 2016, in one paragraph, it indicted the leaders for requesting for oil blocks from the President. Other newspapers made the same allegation. But, was it true that PANDEF representatives made such a request? The answer is NO; capital NO.

The editors of all the newspapers who had based their views and columnist who followed them have been guilty of spreading BIG LIE as news report. One is compelled to ask if any of their reporters were in Aso Rock when PANDEF met with Buhari and if they tried to collect a copy of what was submitted to Buhari.

Below, please read some in abbreviated form, as well as verbatim, all the sixteen demands PANDEF submitted to the President. Let the editors of all the newspapers who have been publishing falsehood as news point to where there was a request for oil blocks by the patriotic men and women who went to dialogue with the President.

1. The Presidential Amnesty Programme…asked for a review of the programme to provide a robust exit strategy.
2. Law and Justice Issues…a number of pending law and justice issues regarding some aggrieved groups and individuals…
3. The Effect of Increased Military Presence in the Niger Delta..
4. Plight of Internally Displaced Persons…
5. The Ogoni Clean Up and Environmental Remediation…
6. Maritime University Issue. The Maritime University, Okerenko, is largely regarded, by persons from the Zone, as symbolic and deserving..
7. Key Regional Infrastructure…Complete the existing East-West Road
8. Security Surveillance and Protection of Oil and Gas Infrastructure
9. Relocation of the Administrative Headquarters of IOCs
10. Power Supply…most communities in the Niger Delta still remain unconnected..

11.Economic Development and Empowerment..The Federal Government needs to clearly signal its interest in sustained economic development in the region..

12. Inclusive Participation in Oil Industry and Ownership of Oil Blocs.

(This will be quoted verbatim because of the mischief makers, the lazy editors and know-nothing commentators).

The sense of alienation of Niger Delta indigenes from the resouces of their land, will continue, until there are affirmative actions that guarantee the involvement of the Communities in the ownership and participation in the Oil and Gas industry. We therefore urge the Federal Government to enunciate policies and actions that will address the lack of participation as well as imbalance in the ownership of Oil and Gas Asstes.

We similarly urge the institution of Host Community Content…

13. Restructuring and Funding of the NDDC..
14. Strengthening the Niger Delta Ministry..
15. The Bakassi Question
16. Fiscal Federalism…

“A journalist should be pursuing a fair rendition of truth without regard to popular moods…Malvin Kalb, VBQ, P 109.

That is all. I challenge any editor of any newspaper, any cartoonist, any commentator to publish any document in which PANDEF asked for oil blocks for those who met with President Buhari. The Nigerian print media had disgraced itself and if the editors have any honour, they should apologize to the people they have defamed – deliberately or inadvertently.  This is not journalism; this is garbage!!

Perhaps the editors should ask their State House correspondents if they were on duty that day and why they failed to collect a copy of the document – without which they have made fools of themselves. They will search in vain for any request for personal oil blocks.

That said, there are other related matters which need to be addressed. The first is easily disposed off and it starts with a question: Having proved beyond reasonable doubt that PANDEF members did not request for oil blocks for themselves, one should ask if they are not entitled to ask. One of the largest oil blocks was granted to a General from the Northeast, another to the hairdresser to the wife of a former Head of State – among others. They are not from the Niger Delta. If it is a crime to ask for or receive oil blocks then those people should be made to surrender their own to the Federal Government immediately. If not, what stops indigenes of the Zone from asking for the same privileges? Apparently, to them it is acceptable for Malams in Kano to own oil blocks but not the traditional ruler of Degema or Ikot Abasi or Forcados.

The second addresses the question, often asked: why were the leaders in Aso Rock? The simple answer is: they have a stake in the outcome of the conflict and most of them have a lot to lose if disaster occurs. They have a right and duty to seek to avert calamity for themselves and their people. In fact, it would be irresponsible of them not to act as they did. Given a chance to talk to Buhari, I will seize the opportunity with both hands irrespective of what others might think of my submissions to him. They will be my views and there will be no apologies to anybody. Permit me therefore to explain the reasons why I think they had to move.

One of the unintended consequences of the Amnesty Programme introduced by the Yar’Adua administration was the legitimization of heinous crimes – mass murder, kidnapping, arson and treason. In the eagerness to bring about an end to the war waged by Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, Atake Tom etc and their gangs of mercenaries, we not only forgave all the atrocities they committed, we rewarded them with billions of naira and made them extremely wealthy. Crimes which, if committed by two or three men, would have drawn down on them the wrath of the entire country; people who would have been regarded as crazy were suddenly having lunch and dinner at Aso Rock. Meanwhile, those who offered, and have been offering, a peaceful solution, to the issues about justice for the people of the Niger Delta were ignored. By paying off the former militants, we sowed the seeds of the current crop of militants and they have started by repeating the same set of atrocities – mass murder, kidnapping, arson and treason. They expect their own pay-off.

And, just like before, responsible citizens, elder statesmen, former and existing elected officers, recognised fathers of their ethnic groups, traditional rulers, leaders of thought etc, have come together to embark on a rescue mission; to save their people and their land from the destruction which the activities of the militants will bring. These leaders know many things which the young gun-wielding people don’t know. Few of them were alive when the Nigerian civil war occurred. They actually delude themselves and others gullible enough to believe them that what they are doing right now is fighting a war. Nothing could be further from the truth….

To be continued