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Former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga has urged the Federal Government to withdraw soldiers deployed to the Niger-Delta region in the wake of a threat by the Niger-Delta Avengers to resume bombing of pipelines and other oil installations over alleged failure of the Federal Government to implement the agreement signed with leaders of the region last year.
In this interview with TUNDE THOMAS, Nkanga who is a leading chieftain of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), described the deployment of soldiers as unnecessary and a wrong step which may heighten the tense situation in the region. He also spoke on other national issues.
Tension is being heightened in the Niger-Delta following the threat by the Niger-Delta Avengers to resume bombing of oil facilities and installations over the alleged failure by the Federal Government to show sincere commitment to the development of the Niger-Delta, what’s your reaction to the new development?
The Niger-Delta Avengers’ threat to resume hostilities by bombing oil facilities is a serious one which gave all the stakeholders in the region some concerns. But thank God, leaders and elders in the Niger-Delta have intervened by reaching out to the militant group and that’s why we now have relative calm in the region.
You will recall that a similar thing happened last year when the militant group issued a similar threat, but last year, the group carried out its threat, and we all know the effects of bombings it carried out as there was a sharp drop in Nigeria’s oil production. The economy was seriously affected.
The situation prompted the Federal Government to hold series of meetings with PANDEF leaders. At some of these meetings, the President was often represented by the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. One of the outcomes of the series of meetings was the 16 point agreement which was mutually agreed upon by PANDEF leaders and the Federal Government. The 16 point agenda was supposed to be the roadmap for the development of the Niger Delta.
But unfortunately since last year when that agreement was agreed upon, nothing has been done by the Federal Government even to kick-start the 16 point agenda. This seemingly lackadaisical attitude by the Federal Government annoyed many people in Niger-Delta, and for some, especially the youth and these militants, the Federal Government’s seemingly nonchalant attitude gives them the impression that it was not being sincere in its promise to implement the 16 point agenda for the development of the Niger-Delta.
I strongly believe like other PANDEF leaders that the Federal Government should walk the talk by implementing some parts of the 16 point agenda plan aimed at bringing development to the Niger-Delta. The Federal Government can even start by doing it piecemeal. If that is done, restive youths, militants and other people will see visible signs that the Federal Government is truly committed to the development of the Niger-Delta.
If the Federal Government can start undertaking some developmental projects in the Niger Delta today, people will be happy and there won’t be any need for all these Avengers and other militants’ threat.
I will also advise the Federal Government and the militants to embrace the dialogue option. Violence does no good. It only has negative consequences.
If the Federal Government think it can subdue the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups through the use of force by deploying the military to the region, that would be a great mistake, even as the Federal Government has deployed the Army and military hardware to the region now is a big mistake. It amounts to nothing but intimidation and harassment of the people. Deploying the military is an anomaly – those soldiers should be immediately withdrawn. Militarisation of the Niger Delta is not the answer. The solution lies in dialogue. Thank God, the Federal Government and PANDEF leaders are already talking, and PANDEF leaders are also talking with these militants and that’s why the Niger Delta region is calm for now.
Did the Federal Government not deploy troops last year, but did it work as the militants in spite of the military presence still went on bombing spree which resulted in serious economic crisis for Nigeria.
The Federal Government should continue to work with PANDEF so that the ongoing dialogue will remain on track, but not only that, Federal Government should start immediately the implementation of the 16 point agenda plan it agreed with PANDEF leaders. This is very crucial if we are to have enduring peace in Niger-Delta.
Without implementation of the 16 point agenda by the Federal Government, enduring peace will continue to elude the Niger-Delta. Not only that, Nigeria may also slide back into economic recession if bombings of oil installations by the militants resume in the Niger-Delta. This is why it is imperative for all parties involved to embrace dialogue, and allow peace to reign.
The issue of PANDEF being the middleman between the Federal Government, the militants and people of Niger Delta has also come up with some individuals and organizations in the Niger Delta disowning PANDEF and even with some of them saying that the forum lacked the legitimacy to speak or act on behalf of the entire Niger Delta, what’s your take on that?
I’m not surprised or shocked by the attitude of some individuals or groups in the Niger Delta towards PANDEF. In a situation where you have several organizations and militant groups, you don’t expect all of them to speak with one voice.
But where you have the majority asking you to speak on their behalf, PANDEF leaders then have no alternative than to serve as the voice of the Niger Delta people. That’s how the people want it, and PANDEF has lived up to expectation. We elders in PANDEF have been trying our best to ensure that the interests of Niger Delta are well protected.
One fact people must accept is that PANDEF has become a stabilizing factor in the Niger-Delta. PANDEF has become the voice of the Niger Delta just like you have the Area Consultative Forum, ACF speaking for the North, and the Ohanaeze speaking for the Southeast geo-political zones. Without PANDEF, there will be pandemonium in the Niger Delta.
The deployment of troops to the Niger Delta by the Federal Government has been attracting mixed reactions just like it did when Operation Python Dance was carried out in the Southeast. What’s your view on this?
It is very unfortunate that the Federal Government had to deploy troops to the Niger Delta. Part of the 16 point agenda PANDEF agreed upon with the Federal Government was demilitarization of the region.
But sadly, the recent deployment of troops to the area is a clear negation of that agreement between PANDEF and the Federal government. Militarisation of Niger-Delta as done now by the government is counter productive.
All over the world, conflicts are resolved through dialogue. There is nowhere militarization has solved any problem. Even take Niger Delta as an example, has the killing of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Isaac Adaka-Boro and destruction of Odi by government stopped agitations in the Niger-Delta? No. Rather, the agitation has been on the increase.
Deployment of troops will only aggravate and not help matters. Agreed there is a need for adequate security to be put in place in the Niger-Delta, what is the police there for? What is the DSS there for? What about the personnel of Nigeria Civil Defence Corps? Can’t all these agencies be drafted to maintain peace instead of dragging the military into it?
By their training, military personnel are trained only to deal with external aggression, to fight the country’s enemies and aggressors; they are not meant to be drafted for matters relating to internal security. Deploying military for such operation that is taking place in Niger-Delta now doesn’t portray the military in good light.
In other countries, you don’t see the military being deployed anyhow or to different parts of the country. Deploying military all over the place, in different parts of the country connotes chaos and anarchy. All these Operation Python Dance, and Crocodile Smile where soldiers are being deployed gives the impression of a nation under siege and this does our country no good. It is not good for the image of the country. They should be withdrawn. We are not in a war situation, the troops should return to the barracks, while dialogue option should be embraced in resolving conflicts.
How can the lingering problems of Niger Delta be resolved?
Niger-Delta is a peculiar terrain, and I don’t think people are being unreasonable in their demands. What they are asking for is meaningful development. Oil exploration over the years has caused monumental damages to the region. People’s source of livelihood, farming and fishing has been destroyed as a result of ecological disaster caused by oil exploration. Not only that, Niger-Delta despite being the country’s biggest revenue earner has been lacking in infrastructural development.
It is ironical that while oil wealth being got from the Niger-Delta is being used to develop other parts of the country, Niger Delta itself has remained stagnant, lacking in development.
If we are indeed a nation where leaders have conscience, this should not be so, and this is why you have different militant groups rising up now to fight what they perceived as injustices being meted to the region.
To make matters worse, the present unitary system we are running is a clear negation of federalism which our Constitution prescribed. If we are to be practising true federalism as enshrined in our constitution, growth and development of Niger-Delta would not have been stagnant and retarded. True federalism would have ensured that the people of Niger Delta have control over their own resources, which they can now use to facilitate development of the region.
It is not only in Niger Delta that you have series of agitations against one perceived injustice or the other. It is all over the country, and that’s why the clamour for restructuring has been on the increase. The reality we must face is that the present system we are running is nothing but a mockery of true federalism – the earlier we do the needful the better for all of us.
All these agitations here and there will not go away until justice is done. The military intervention truncated federalism, but now that we are back to civil rule, we should jettison unitary system we inherited from the military and return to federalism as enshrined in our constitution.
Some people have been saying that it is not only the Federal government that should be held responsible for under-development of Niger-Delta, they are saying that Niger-Delta leaders especially state governors between 1995 and today also have questions to answer, and that they should be asked what they have been doing with huge allocations they have been collecting from the Federal Government including the 13 percent derivation?
Whoever is saying that is being unfair to the governors of Niger Delta. That question you asked should be thrown at all the 36 state governors. What have they been doing with the allocation they have been collecting all over the years? Otherwise, why are some states still owing workers and pensioners? Why are the states asking for bailouts from the Federal Government?
Again, what Nigerians should realize is that the Niger Delta region is a difficult terrain. The development of the area is capital intensive. Where you require to spend N10 million for construction in the hinterland, the same may go for N100 million and above in the Niger-Delta because of the swampy nature of the area, and this is why governors capability may be limited. To develop Niger Delta is capital intensive.
On the issue of restructuring, some are suggesting that another national confab should be organized to determine the shape the nation will take, what’s your own stand on this?
Another confab? I say a big no. Why are we organizing another national conference? There is no need for it. It will amount to nothing but a waste of resources for President Buhari’s administration to organize another confab. It will amount to another jamboree.
What is wrong with Jonathan’ confab of 2014? Or the one organized by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and even the one organized during General Abacha’s time. Why can’t we take some of the recommendations from the previous confab, and then Buhari can add his own.
To organize another national conference doesn’t show us being serious. Government is supposed to be a continuum. Why can’t President Buhari’s administration take some of the recommendations from 2014 confab? Over 600 recommendations were made by the conference, and the beauty of it all was that these 600 recommendations were by consensus. About 496 delegates drawn from the nation’s six geo-political zones were at the conference, so various parts of the country were well represented, and if that is the case, why can’t we take some of these recommendations and implement them in order to move Nigeria forward.
But the northern delegates to that confab have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to dump the reports and recommendations, how do you see that?
It is very sad and unfortunate. These northern delegates are not patriots. It is unfortunate that somebody like Senator Ahmadu Ali and others have openly come out to disown the confab reports after they had earlier approved it. Ali, Mantu, Useni and other northern delegates are hypocrites. They are not talking in the interest of Nigeria. They are not patriots. These northern delegates are not interested in a united Nigeria where there is equity, fairness and justice. Politics is about give and take. You can’t have it your own way all the time.
Some people should not think that the situation will continue like this forever in Nigeria, and like I said earlier, the earlier we do the needful the better, otherwise we are all sitting on a keg of gunpowder which can explode any time.
Chief Edwin Clark’s leadership of PANDEF has been a subject of controversy with some describing him as a political merchant unfit to lead the group while others back him, what’s your view on his leadership of PANDEF?
Chief E. K. Clark remains our undisputable leader. We respect and rever him at PANDEF. Clark is like the biblical Moses of our time. My appeal to Chief Clark is that he should not be discouraged by the criticism against him by some people. Naturally, you can’t please everybody, and nobody is also 100 percent perfect.
Chief E. K. Clark should take the insults being hurled at him by some people as part of the price he has to pay for leadership. Clark is already an old man but yet he has not relented in his quest to ensure that the Niger Delta region is not denied its dues. Clark has been sacrificing his time, knowledge and experience for the benefit of the Niger Delta people. We really appreciate him.
What’s your reaction to the disruption of PANDEF meeting recently in Port Harcourt by security agents …
Cuts in … We don’t want to be dwelling on that again. We want to be forward looking. However, what is important is that where the federal security agents have been misinformed, they should have endeavoured to carry out independent thorough investigations. I strongly believe that some people misled security agents, otherwise they have no business or reason to disrupt the meeting. PANDEF has been carrying out its meetings without any harassment or having issue with any individual or group until that unfortunate Port Harcourt incident.
Again let me say this clearly, Buhari should beware of sycophants. They are all over the place. They will not allow him do what he wants to do but continue to feed him with wrong information just like they are telling him now to dump the 2014 confab reports.
It is not in Buhari and Nigeria’s interests that the 2014 confab reports should be thrown inside the waste basket.
If they organize another confab, who are going to participate? Are they not Nigerians? Are they going to bring delegates from another planet? Buhari should strive to write his name in gold by doing what is best for Nigeria. He should see the entire Nigeria as his constituency.
The reality of the situation in Nigeria today is that we need to restructure. Without restructuring, Nigeria will continue to be in bondage. Not only that, it will continue to be mere wishful thinking if anybody believes that agitations here and there and clamour for justice will die a natural death. Rather, the clamour for equity, fairness and justice will continue to increase, and there won’t be peace until justice is done.
