By Donu Kogbara

THREE men who are extremely dear to me and belong to three different generations celebrated their birthdays yesterday, May 25. One is my darling son, Oliver Poage Suage Midgley, who turned 28. His name reflects his mixed English and Ogoni heritage. He doesn’t like me writing or talking about him because his buddies tease him whenever I shine a spotlight on him in public, so let me just say that he lives in Los Angeles where he is pursuing his acting ambition…and that he is amazing and the best thing that ever happened to me.

The second birthday boy is Dr. Bobo Agava, a veritable Renaissance Man who possesses multiple talents. A sixty-something poet, composer of songs, literary critic, documentary producer and university lecturer, he comes from my village, Bodo City, was very close to my late father and has written the forward to Daddy’s book, which we will posthumously launch in Port Harcourt on the anniversary of his death next January.

Bobo and his lovely wife, Celia, have been pillars of strength to my family; and I wish Bobo many more years of intellectual and creative stimulation, inspiration and success. Last but certainly not least is Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR, an iconic Niger Deltan who turned 96 yesterday and is still in fine fettle. Several dignitaries and activists from our South-South region and other parts of Nigeria attended a thanksgiving service at his Abuja residence yesterday…and made heartfelt speeches in which the grand old man was showered with deserved praise.

Vanguard cemented its reputation as the voice of the Niger Delta by being the only newspaper that presented him with a cake – a personal gift from our proprietor, Uncle Sam Amuka. It was a joyful occasion; and I thank God for Chief ’s long and fruitful life. He was known as “the stormy petrel” when he was young; and he still makes trouble when protest is necessary. Despite being nearly a century old, Chief is still going strong mentally and still active politically. He is the main driving force behind the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum, SMBLF. 

SMBLF speaks for many

SMBLF stakeholders met in Abuja two days ago. Chief chaired the meeting, which was

attended by representatives of component organisations – Afenifere for the South-West, Ohanaeze Ndigbo for the South- East, Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, for the South-South and the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, for the Middle Belt. Delegations of the constituent organisations were respectively led by Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader of Afenifere; Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR, President-General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; Dr. Pogu Bitrus, President of the Middle Belt Forum and Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, FNSE, National Chairman of PANDEF. Delegates to the meeting included former governors, ministers and legislators, community leaders, top professionals; and so on. Extensive discussions about the state of the nation took place.

A few highlights of resolutions reached: SMBLF restated its position that the future of Nigeria can only be sustained on the basis of true federalism and respect for the autonomy of the federating units. Shock was expressed by the elders present at “the escalation of killings, pogroms, total destruction of entire communities and means of livelihood in several targeted areas in select states since the 2023 General elections, mainly in Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Kebbi, and various states of the South East, where hundreds of armless citizens are being slaughtered daily.”

SMBLF also “noted with grave concern” that “the nation’s security agencies have continued to show unwillingness to decisively deal with the perpetrators of these monstrous acts, or rather, deliberately turn a blind eye to the atrocious occurrences, thereby exposing the country to a seeming state of war. It is shameful that non-state actors are allowed to openly tote dangerous weapons about and rampage the country unhindered.”

The ”cavalier and totally nonchalant attitudes of the outgoing governors of some states over the collapse of security in certain parts of their states” was condemned.

SMBLF “ warns that the continuous abdication of Government’s primary and abiding constitutional responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of its citizens is an irresistible signal to Nigerians to exercise their inalienable rights of self-defence, by all means [and] deplores the inhuman plight of thousands of indigenous people in the Middle Belt states who have been driven out of their homes and have now become Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, for years as well as several other Internally Displaced Persons in different parts of the country, left to live in conditions that impinge on their human rights as citizens of this country.

“With regards to the 2023 General elections, SMBLF commends Nigerian youths for their courage and astuteness in expressing their interest in the future of this country and calls on them not to become discouraged by some of the seeming outcomes [because]…the struggle for the needed change has just begun. SMBLF strongly urges the Nation’s Judiciary to be aware that all Nigerians are watching with very keen interest the ongoing judicial processes at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as well as various election tribunals across the country. SMBLF notes with serious concern, the continued snowballing level of indebtedness being incurred by the Federal Government, particularly the recent request for $800 million World Bank loan, and calls on the Federal Government to rescind that request. SMBLF decries the rising cost of living in the country and the hyper inflation rate, confining a vast majority of ordinary Nigerians to a dire state of survival. Implores government at all levels to take urgent, practical steps to rejig the economy, check inflation and help improve citizens’ well-being and prospects.” 

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