By WILLY EYA
President General of Ijaw Peoples Assembly, Asu Beks, is not happy with developments in Nigeria. Contrary to the impression of many, he believes that the people of the Niger Delta are not getting a fair share of the opportunities they deserve. In this interview, he speaks on various issues, including the reasons for the emergence of the Boko Haram sect. Excerpts…
It was the leader of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun, who said a couple of days ago that the June 12, 1993 election was annulled because the Hausa/Fulani elites did not see any reason why a Yoruba man like M.K.O. Abiola would become president. The difference between President Goodluck Jonathan and Abiola is that while they succeeded in preventing Abiola from being sworn in, the forces within the local and international community did not make it possible for anything to happen to Jonathan’s position as president. Not many people have forgotten what happened during the June 12 saga and of course the Hausa/Fulani oligarchy were still very cautious not to allow a repeat of the June 12 saga. They were the masterminds of what happened on June 12, 1993. So, what you see playing out now is a clear indication that the North has sworn not to allow the presidency to come down to the South. Even if late Umaru Yar’Adua had done his eight years, they would have come with one gimmick or the order to take back power. This is because the only thing they have and which they know they can use is their so-called population. But do not forget that all those census figures they are brandishing are contestable. You can imagine a situation where cattles and cows are counted as human beings. We all go to the North. They have landmass but when you drive around, do you see people in those places? But come down to any part of the South and you see houses, communities and people from one kilometre to the other. The point I am trying to make here is that it has become obvious that we cannot continue like this. I still do not believe that this one Nigeria thing can go any further. Perhaps, as a nation, we are just going to confirm the prediction of America that by 2015, there would not be a country like Nigeria. Look at what is going on. Before the general election, they had said that if General Muhammadu Buhari did not emerge as president of Nigeria, they would make the nation ungovernable. People like us begin to wonder that if we are talking about democracy in Nigeria, we should not be talking about the likes of Buhari. This is a man who overthrew an elected government headed by his own kinsman, Shehu Shagari. We can only allow him if we have short memory of history. They had said they would make the country ungovernable and that is precisely what we are seeing today. But my worry is that my brother and kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan, is succumbing to their blackmail. If Jonathan was not doing that, there is no reason why a Sambo Dasuki would be preferred as a better candidate to General Owoeye Azazi, a world-acclaimed intelligence officer, as National Security Adviser.
Tell me, have we not had more violence under Dasuki than Azazi. Don’t also forget that Dasuki was former ADC to Gen Ibrahim Babangida. And however you look at it, an ADC is a glorified bodyguard. That is the only experience he has to be NSA. And you are talking of an Azazi that has been trained as an intelligence officer in all the best defence institutions in the world and a former Chief of Defence staff. I also know as a matter of fact that Dasuki’s allegiance is to the Sultanate and the likes of Babangida. It is only the information that he wants to give to Jonathan that he would give.
Of course, he would sieve the information before he gives it to Jonathan. But an Azazi would give Jonathan the information the way it is. And that is precisely what he was doing. But along the line, they felt that the position of the NSA is one of the offices that are the birthrights of the North. The Comptroller of the Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Capital Minister, Chief Justice, Inspector General of Police, Managing Director of NNPC, NPA and so on.
Now, they are blackmailing Jonathan to say give them to us so that we can support you in 2015. But the Jonathan I know is not after 2015 but wants to make sure that after these first four years, Nigerians would say yes, he did not disappoint. We know that it has been difficult in the past one year. People are still finding it difficult to say is it this man that would transform this country. But do not forget the security challenges the man has been grappling with. How do you contend with governing this country and a Boko Haram man pointing the man at you? In the recent past, I have not put on my generator. There is no doubt that the power situation has improved.
Look at the minister of power, Prof Barth Nnaji, a serious man who is ready to turn the power sector around. You can also see an aviation minister, Stella Odua that is working. You can see Okonjo Iweala, one of the best economists in the world. We have a few of them like that in the cabinet. And when people begin to talk about non-performing cabinet and about impeachment of Jonathan, do they mean that a president should take a horsewhip and begin to go from ministry to ministry. Obasanjo was there for eight years and what has he to show for the eight years? Abacha was there for only God knows when. Babangida was also there for donkey years and what did he achieve?
The only person from that part of the country I can still say he performed was Yakubu Gowon. So, Jonathan should remain focused because the Boko Haram thing is a distraction. I am also telling him that he should step on toes. Obasanjo sent soldiers to burn down Odi and heavens did not fall. So those states that have refused to accept democracy like Yobe, Borno and so on, Jonathan should declare a state of emergency there. And those you have identified as being sympathetic to Boko Haram that are in your government, remove them, the heavens would not fall. Do you agree with those who insist that the South South is still being marginalized even when their own is the president of the country? This is what I have just told you that Mr President is being blackmailed. And I want to tell you that the people of the Niger Delta would not forgive him if after four years( let us not start talking about whether he would come for a second term or not), there is nothing to show, there would be problems.
If the East-West road is not done, nobody would be happy with him. The Niger Delta issue is not only about amnesty. Amnesty is one small part of the entire package. We are talking about education, industrializing the region and also empowerment. How do you empower people if you do not put them in key positions where it would trickle down? If you go to the Nigerian Ports Authority today, the Lingua Franca is Hausa. If you go to NIMASA and Customs, it is the same thing. In the case of Customs, from 1986 to date, only for 12 months had the office of the CG been shared between the South West and South East. It is the birthright of the North. If you check all the key positions, they are in that region particularly the North West zone where the vice president comes from. They removed the Group Managing Director of NNPC, a man from Kogi State and gave it to the man from Kaduna State in North West.
They removed Azazi from Bayelsa State and gave the NSA to Dasuki from North West. They removed the Managing Director of NNPC, Suleiman from Adamawa and gave it to Habib Abdullahi from Kano. The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Managing Director of NIWA, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, are all from the North.
There is no Bayelsan that is the head of any parastatal even under a Jonathan presidency. It is a shame. In order of protocol, you have the Senate President from the North, the Speaker, Chief Justice of the federation, President of Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of the federal High Court and so on are from the North. And in the North West is where we have the likes of Buhari and IBB. Mr President has told us that he is not Goliath, that he is not a war monger and that he believes in constructive engagement. But President Jonathan should wake up because if after four years it continues like this, I am not sure that the Niger Delta people would forgive him. That is why I support my brother, comrade Joseph Eva who said recently that we need prayers. It is possible that the voodoo inside Aso villa has taken a better part of Mr President and he can no more see. This is because the Jonathan that I know as Deputy governor and as governor and even vice president is different from the one we are seeing now. The forces of darkness have taken over the villa. They have blindfolded Jonathan so that he would be doing only the bidding of the North. The case of the South West is even more pitiable. When you count the key figures in government up to 12, none is from the South West and don’t forget the massive support they gave to him in the last election. Where Jonathan got massive support were from the South South, South East and South West. As far as I am concerned, the North is reaping where it did not sow. They should wait until it is their turn.
And Jonathan, whatever mistakes he has made, he still has time to correct it. Board appointments are coming and some of the chief executives are also due to go and he should begin to correct it otherwise we are not going to forgive him. How do you reconcile your argument that the Niger Delta has not benefited from Jonathan’s administration even with the various programmes including overseas training being enjoyed by Niger Delta youths? The ones you have trained abroad who are back to the country, have you given them jobs? Where are the jobs? It is one thing for you to send your children to school and another to give them jobs. The Amnesty office under Kingsley Kuku does not manufacture jobs. Youths of the Niger Delta are entitled to education like other Nigerians. Awolowo used Koko money to grant free education in the west and why should we not have free education in the Niger Delta. Puzzles over FG/Boko Haram dialogue OMONIYI SALAUDEEN Without a doubt, the tolerance capacity of President Goodluck Jonathan to the insurgence of Boko Haram is again excitingly on trial.
A couple of days ago, when the Federal Government announced its readiness to reopen peace negotiation with the recalcitrant group, some enthusiastic Nigerians hived a big sigh of relief in the hope that it would put an end to the incessant loss of human lives. In a statement by Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, the Federal Government officially extended an open hand to parley with Boko Haram, saying: “it is our hope that this process will lead to restoration of peace, security and tranquility in northern Nigeria.” But the first shocker came when the group demanded either resignation of the president or outright renunciation of his religion as a condition for dialogue. Either way, the renewed peace process has already been literally aborted in-vitro. This is another way of telling the president that they are not ready for dialogue yet. Expectedly, the presidency has drawn the line between the limit of what the president can offer as a panacea for peace and the group’s insatiable quest for violence. The Senior Special Assistant to President on Media, Dr. Reuben Abatti, responding to the dreaded sect said,
The president cannot be intimidated by any group or individual. The President will never resign. He has the mandate of Nigerians to serve his father land and nobody should imagine that he will succumb to blackmail. When Nigerians voted overwhelmingly for President Jonathan in the 2011 general election, they knew they were voting for a Christian. He continues to enjoy the goodwill and support of the good people of Nigeria. As President, Dr. Jonathan is the leader of both Muslims and Christians; in fact; he is the leader of persons of all faiths. So, it amounts to sheer blackmail for any individual or group to ask the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to convert to Islam.” What exactly is the position of things regarding the peace talk is yet unknown. Neither the Federal Government nor the group has disclosed the form of dialogue that is ongoing and where. On one hand, there have been rumours of meetings between the two parties in a foreign the country.
And on the other hand, the group has continued to unleash terror on the innocent citizens. Rather than laying down their arms, members of the group have intensified campaign of violence in the northern part of the country. Indeed, it was like another missed opportunity when the leadership of the group in a recent statement said it had not engaged in any dialogue with the government. It described the purported press statement by one Abu Muhammad, who claimed to be the second in command to the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, as the creation of the media. It also stated that many people were using its name to get huge sums of money under the pretext that they would “arrange dialogue with us” There are several puzzles here begging for an answer. First and foremost, Nigerians want to know which of the group the authority is dialoguing with. They also want to know who genuine leader of the authentic group the government is holding talk with is. Questions have equally been raised as to the sincerity of the government in the whole process. In view of this, some critics have dismissed the dialogue as a ruse. Their skepticism is borne out the seeming lackluster attitude of the government towards stemming the rising wave of terrorism in the country.
The former National Publicity Secretary of the Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, in an interview with Sunday Sun, raised a number of posers. He said, “There are so many inconsistencies and contradictions in these things. Which of the groups are they dialoguing with? Anybody who has been following what is going on now will know that we are not dealing with one Boko Haram. There is original Boko Haram led by Yusuf, which many people believe could not have acquired the kind of sophistication we are seeing now.
There are also those who believe that there is political Boko Haram which is the one Owoeye Azazi was talking about that exists in PDP. There is also criminal Boko Haram which is the group behind bombing of banks and putting the stamp of Boko Haram to cover their crime. Even there is security Boko haram being masterminded by those who want to justify the N3 billion we are spending on security.” Recalling some of the botched attempts in the past to dialogue with the group, he added, “One day, the president will say they want to dialogue with Boko Haram but they don’t know their face. They next day, he will say they have infiltrated his government. You will recall that he said it at one time that they were in the executive, legislature, the police, the SSS and the military. At another time, they will say they don’t know who they are. When the United Nations’ building was bombed, they paraded three amputees as mastermind of the crime. Where are those amputees today? The other time, they arrested Kabiru Sokoto for the Madala bombing. He was in custody when Zakari Biu was said to have released him.
What have they done with Zakari Biu? Where is Kabiru Sokoto being tried today? Last year, Obasanjo went to Borno to meet with Boko Haram. Within 48 hours, the man who received him was killed. And Boko Haram said they did not kill him. Who kill him? If those who are sponsoring Boko Haram are now ready to come out for dialogue, they should tell us.” Also, the National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Shettima Yerima, corroborating Odumakin’s submission, posited, “For how long will government continue to dialogue with those who carry arms? It means the only language our government understands is violence. If you take arm, you are respected. If you don’t, nobody cares about you. If this continues, our generation yet unborn will make a lot of provision for arms.
In no time, other groups will spring up after Boko Haram. However, if the government is truly sincerely to discuss with the aggrieved party, they should sit down and find a way forward. At first, I was opposed to it because they were note even coming forward to dialogue. Now, if they are ready to come out and discuss with the government, I don’t see anything wrong in it. But I hope both parties are sincere.” However, despite his reservation for the sincerity of both parties in the purported dialogue, he maintained that peaceful resolution of the crisis would be an enduring solution to the incessant loss of human lives.
But he warned that government should not spare any sacred cow, if anyone is found culpable in the terrorist acts being perpetrated by some mindless individuals. “I actually can’t figure out what condition they are asking for. Are they saying that the atmosphere is now conducive for them to dialogue with the government? If the government feels that the best way to handle them is to dialogue with them, so be it. But where lies the sincerity of purpose on the part of the government and the Boko Haram? If there is sincerity in the dialogue that we are talking about, there will be no reason for all these violent attacks we see every day.
There must be sincerity of purpose that there wouldn’t be sacred cows. I will personally advocate that whosoever has a link with the group should be charged to court. Anybody found wanting for terrorism should be hung. If they can do that, Nigeria will come out of the crisis. I am saying this because the original Boko Haram cannot claim responsibility for all the atrocities that are going on in Nigeria. Today, we now have a situation where armed robbers kill people in the name of Boko Haram. Even when politicians want to cause confusion in one state, all they do is to kill one person perceived to be their enemy and put the responsibility on Boko Haram.”
In another new dimension to the whole issue, he suggested the possibility of external interest in the crisis. “You cannot also exonerate the western world from all these atrocities. Because of our oil, they are very much interested in what is going on in Nigeria. They may be out to do what they did in Libya. This gives me a lot of worry,” he lamented. Over time, President Jonathan has been criticized for lack of political will to deal with the threatening security challenge in the country. At different times in the past, President Jonathan had given different timelines that the crisis would soon be over. None has come to pass.
The two previous attempts by the authority to explore the dialogue option on the Boko Haram issue have been to no avail. One was the peace mission led by former President Obasanjo during his visit to Borno State. Unfortunately, it ended up on a tragic note. Some couple of hours after his meeting with the group, his host was mowed down. The second major move was later led by some Islamic clerics. Similarly, the peace process was aborted due mutual suspicion between the group and the authority. With the controversies trailing the fresh initiative, the question now on the lips of many Nigerians is: how far can government go?
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