We will open talks with Colombian rebelsWe can assure Mr. President one thing: that on the same day that the United Kingdom armies shall set their feet on the Niger-Delta, the country shall witness uncontrollable violence and we have been praying for such a day.
We must keep fighting against injustice and insist that Niger-Delta must develop.The MEND has an advice for him, and it is to the effect that the United Kingdom army alone may not be enough to handle the Niger-Delta situation.
He should as well visit the United States of America, Germany and France to seek their support and military expertise. I wish to reaffirm our stand that we are ready, and in fact, in a hurry to contain any coalition of sorts.
We do not need any assistance from any individual or group. However, because Mr. President has started it, we shall commence talks with Colombian rebels and others in Africa, who, have for a long time, indicated interest to work with us.
Ending the crisis
Resolving the Niger-Delta problem is as easy as a snap of the finger. Rather the federal government has not only gambled with the situation but has displayed so much injustice and insensitivity to the Niger-Delta problem, which is the sure cause of escalation we experience today.
Majority ethnic groups are Nigeria�s problem
The problem Nigeria has is with the majority groups, especially the Hausas, they run the affairs of the country as if it is their private estate. They oppress, suppress, intimidate and do anything to kill the aspirations, cultures, languages and dreams of the minorities, especially the Niger-Delta.
An example at hand is the unpatriotic Nigerian currency, the naira note, which should ordinarily portray our unity and oneness as a people. Yet these �owners� of Nigeria, shamefully and boldly without fear, inscribed their various languages on our national currency, that has led me to ask, �are they the only owners of Nigeria?�
Why crisis is escalating
The problem in the Niger-Delta has escalated simply because these so-called owners of Nigeria have not deemed it necessary that the Niger-Delta deserve any form of compensation, whether just, equitable or commensurate or whatever name it is called. They think that the Niger-Delta people are asking for too much, despite all the good the region is doing for the country, especially as the goose that lays the golden egg.
Our sufferings
It goes without saying, therefore, that the attitude of the federal government and the majority tribes is simply borne out of envy. One may ask: Do they also envy our plights? Do they also envy the fact that we have for years been exposed to hazards ranging from oil pollution from oil wells, blowouts, oil spills, tankers and ship discharges, ballast discharge, atmosphere pollution from gas flares, gas and oil well explosions and fires? Do they also envy the fact that radioactive carcinogenic materials used in the drilling process affect our hopeless, helpless and defenseless local populations?
And their progenies are at the risk of cancer and other neoplasm? Most times, I wonder, are we (Niger-Delta) equal partners in this enterprise called Nigeria? If yes, why then do we drown in all the risk without being part of the profit?
Cost of keeping Nigeria one
My heart is full of pain, despite massive sufferings of my people, due to gross disrespect and neglect by the Federal Government. We still share our resources just to keep Nigeria going, and yet, you cannot find roads in the Niger-Delta, no hospitals, no schools, no electricity and in fact, nothing. We live in utter penury and squalor and experience the height of pollution.
Gas is flared at close proximity to the host communities, and this has increased the level of heat in the region, which results in constant sweating and dehydration. Even the rain, which is meant to be a blessing to us has now turned poison, as it is simply acidic due to the gas flaring, and this leaves our lands withered and parched.
British government was better
There is so much injustice within the Nigerian state; it is so difficult to believe that even a colonial government will be more reasonable than a so-called democratic government. If a Commission during the colonial period could appreciate the efforts of those who produce resources, and give commensurate compensations accordingly, why can�t a democratically elected government do better?
Take for instance the Hicks-Phillips Commission of 1951, which recommended 50 per cent derivation to the area generating the revenue. Also, the Chicks Commission of 1953 recommended 100 per cent derivation for resource-bearing area. These and other well meaning Commissions in the past have appreciated the fact that commensurate and equitable compensation should be given to the resource bearing area.
Other Commissions include the Riasmen Commission of 1958, the Binn Commission of 1964, and the Dina Internal Revenue Allocation of 1968. It is interesting to note each of these commissions kept derivation principle at 50 per cent to 100 per cent. Except for Decree13 of 1970, which after the civil war, pegged derivation at 45 per cent, how much more now that the Niger-Deltans produce more and suffer more hazards.
Where and how N-Delta crisis started
It is, however, important to note that at the period when we had indigenous persons heading some Commissions such as Prof Ojetunji Aboyede Technical Commission of 1977 and Dr. Pius Okigbo of 1979 was when problems started as they both recommended that derivation principle should be abolished.
This goes a long away to tell us where and how the Niger-Delta problem started and why the Federal Government is reluctant to resolve it.
Stop maltreating the Niger Delta
Is Nigeria not funny country, where people who do not know what the creeks look like own oil blocs? Yet you have those who live in the creeks, earn their living in the creeks and die in the creeks, but do not know what oil blocs look like. Look at the Petroleum Development Trust Fund (PTDF), where thousands of youths are sent abroad for petroleum development training, year in, year out.
This system has been hijacked by the North. Recently, 1,200 persons have concluded arrangement for the PTDF training.
It is, however, most painful to note that out of the total of 1,200 persons, we have just one from Bayelsa state and two from Rivers state. God knows how many we have from other Niger-Delta states. This nonsense must stop.
Why we will not stop hostility
We are tired of dramas in the name of resolving the problem of the Niger-Delta, from one summit to another. If I may ask, what was the outcome of the various stakeholders summits held by the previous administrations? No implementation, yet the stage is set again for another drama in the name of summit.
We cannot be fooled for life. Another question to ask is whether the federal government is not aware of the Kaiama Declaration, could it be that they are also not aware of the Ogoni Bill of Rights, how about the Ogomudia Panel report or even the NDDC Master Plan, which they approved, and other such documents, which are capable of killing the Niger-Delta problem if implemented. Injustice cannot take anybody anywhere, which is why we shall not stop fighting against it. The North thinks that we are slaves.
No wonder all they can do is to add salt to injury just the way they did in 2005 via their delegates at the National Political Reforms Conference (NPRC) where they made certain unguarded utterances such as:
The Niger-Deltans should be relocated in view of the much complaints of environmental despoliation; and the threat to reduce the 13 per cent , which they have already given to us, until we explain satisfactorily what we have done with it.
South-South has suffered enough
Statements like this find their way, right into the nerves of the people of Niger-Delta. This type of statement cannot move Nigeria forward at all. The Niger-Deltans are considered second-class citizens of Nigeria. Look at the issue of politics, which other regions can tolerate as much as we have tolerated.
The South-South is the only zone that has not produced a president in a nation, which should be everybody�s country, but the majority, especially the North has turned it into their private business.
One day, justice shall prevail over evil.
Why we have militants today
Do you know why we have what you call militants today? It is simply because we don�t have leaders, our governors are meant to be militants themselves because the same agitation, which the militants agitate for should be their primary duties.
FG, principal foe of N-Delta
The federal government is the biggest enemy of the people of the Niger-Delta. Federal Government thinks that we are afraid of the zombie that they call military, we can never be afraid of them. We only sympathize with them and their families.
We, therefore, call on family members who have their relatives as military men in the Niger-Delta to call them back home, as the federal government is only using them to achieve their selfish aim, which is not in the best interest of Nigeria but just to protect their loots.
How can a reasonable government approve N444.6 billion for security and just N69 billion for development when you have security threat as a result of lack of development, does it make sense?
Have they bothered to consider how much can be done with N444.6 billion in terms of development in the Niger-Delta. In fact, they did not even consider giving part of that money to NDDC to support their activities; rather they said the NDDC money has expired.
We have not started with oil companies
As for the multinational oil companies, we are not ready for them yet. All we have done is just to wake the federal government, we have painfully observed that the companies are not interested in the development of the region in any way, not even by way of human capital development or even by giving scholarship to our youths to either study or acquire skills abroad. In fact, even the statutory three per cent, which they are meant to pay to the NDDC, has not been complied with; we shall soon face the oil companies and then decide on which companies to stay on our lands.
Criminals turn militant camps into companies
Recently, I saw in the media, whether it was the Chief of Defence Staff that met with militants in the camp, may be they want to convert each camp to limited liability company. Can�t you see it is madness (laughs).
That is total madness (long laughter). If you look at all these things, let me tell you, one thing you need to know, one thing about militant camp nowadays is that it is not every camp that is in the struggle. One, some people open camp for criminal activities, to tarnish the image of the MEND.
And two, many people felt that we have gone a long way on this struggle, and when they saw that government is begging people to keep peace, they just rushed and opened camp for them to liaise with government to make money. That is what you need to know. I know the number few persons that started this struggle, upon all the whole camps you are seeing.
The brains behind this MEND are just three persons and I know the three people. And the three people know themselves. I am included. The other two persons know themselves. So, the rest is after other things, many people just came, opening camps and all the rest and the militant camps have been turned to companies in the Niger-Delta. Money-making company, you understand.
So, I see all these things as madness. Different communities will be opening camps on their own. There is this community camp, there is that and that community camp. I don�t know, don�t you see this as madness? They don�t know what they are doing.
They don�t know the implication of all these things they are doing. People will have two to three rifles. They will open camp. So when people are talking about camp, camp, camp and militants.
I am just laughing at them but one thing I believe on my own is that I am alive and people call me second-in-command to Henry Okah. I don�t talk to people and I know I will fight this cause to the last.
That is my belief. If anything happens to me, I believe somebody will take over because as I am talking to you, I have already possessed so many young boys in different types of operations. We can attack you without you seeing us, without us visiting you or anybody. We can attack you anyhow we want to attack you, inflict destruction and everything, that is the truth. So for me, I believe Nigeria is in a problem because they have not seen the real brutality of the real MEND. That is my own thinking but I believe that in a very short time, they will see it.
Am happy that you see this issue of people just waking up and opening camps as a kind of madness.
How do you see the degeneration from attack on oil installations and kidnap of hostages to abduction of kids on the streets of Port-Harcourt not too long ago, is that part of the militant struggle?
If you look into the real people that started this MEND, you will not see any of them in the system.
That is why I told you that many people opened camps just to make money.
Like all these kidnaping of children and women, it is done by cultists. It is not done by the MEND but at the end of the day, they will tarnish the name of the militants and the real MEND. In fact, some people in Rivers state are into this as a means of livelihood, some people kidnap and keep the victims in their house in Port-Harcourt there (laughs), you can imagine that and you call them militants.
That is their own company; they want to make money through that way, which is the truth. So, those people are not in the struggle at all. They are on their own (laughs again), they are on their own, that is the truth.
What are you people who are the brains behind the struggle doing to sanitize the system for it is clear, as you rightly stated, there is madness in the system now?
Like me, as you see me so, this government is looking for a way… government has called these type of people, they are looking for a way you will have problem with your own brother so that they will capitalize on that and stand on it to delay the struggle.
Like me, if such thing happens within my territory, I will call the people within the territory for them to release whoever they have kidnapped in order not to spoil the name of the struggle. But what I believe is that when the time comes, when the chips will be down, we will know who is who in this struggle. And I believe when that time comes, when the river will be hot, all those people that are kidnapping children and women cannot withstand the battle, they will all run away, that is my own belief, so all those things will calm down.
There is a pointer that the Federal Government would want to hire militants to guard oil pipelines in the Niger-Delta. Do you think this will help in the protection of oil facilities in the region?
I have told you that this is all madness. I told you that this government is taking the Niger-Delta people as primitive people. Look, let me give you an instance. You can build a house. They will lease your house and ask you to do security in your own house and at the end of the day, your rent will be paid to another person. How will you feel? You know one thing, we need to know why they did all these things. Many of the people in the system need money so much because as I told you earlier, the government has spoiled the psyche of Niger �Delta with poverty. So as they throw this proposal, so many people will go for it. They need the money more than anything but it won�t work. The highest thing: if any militant guides pipeline, the militant won�t last. That is the truth because there is no way we can be security in our own house, where we are supposed to employ a security. We cannot be guarding our property for the people that ought to be exploiting it for our benefit, which is real foolishness. It won�t even work; it is just a stupid idea.