Cross sections of Nigerians both from and outside the Niger Delta have been expressing their divergent views on the ongoing offensive by the Federal Government’s Joint Military Taskforce against militants/criminals in the oil-producing region. While some people outrightly supported the attacks, some vehemently condemned the invasion. However, there has been a glaringly common attribute of most, if not all the divergent opinions. Almost all such expressions have been made in the hearts and minds of the people or at worst within the confines of opinion groups not for fear of persecution but for the love of the corporate project called Nigeria at least as perceived on the surface. Therefore, this is where the recent comment by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) gives cause for serious concern.
The National Working Committee of ACF, at an interesting meeting in Kaduna deliberated on some “contentious national” issues, including the influx of foreigners into Nigeria in the North; the pathetic state of textile mills in the north; and the ongoing military offensive in the Niger Delta that supplies oil and gas to the entire nation.
Here is an extract from the statement signed by ACF National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Anthony Sani: “The ACF observed the increase in the insurgent activities of the militants in the Niger Delta region and the corresponding responses by the JTF of the Armed Forces. Nobody with his right head, with a heart and with patriotic courage, can withhold support for JTF, and thus, for the Federal Government over the current campaigns against the militants for the express purpose of bringing the situation under effective control.
“No responsible government can afford to fold its hands and watch a few misguided elements of its citizens hold the nation, including their own people and communities, to ransom.
“More depressing, the will of the Armed Forces is being challenged when their members are killed in the course of their national assignment. In such circumstances, government cannot reasonably be expected to shirk in its responsibility of maintaining law and order. Hence the recent campaigns by the Operation Restore Hope by the military, aimed at ridding the Niger Delta region of criminal activities of the militants.
“The campaigns must necessarily come with collateral damages, the JTF must maintain at its possible minimum.
“This is how the current actions of the military in the Niger Delta should be viewed by all ‘fair-minded’ individuals with ‘patriotic courage.”
As fairly minded as ACF portended to be in its patriotic courage, the group failed to suggest drastic measures to curb the influx of aliens from the north even into the nation’s military service. But this is an aside.
The very interesting aspect of the Arewa’s open call for war or rather expanded military offensive in the Niger Delta was that it came few days from a resolution sought by Hon Bala Ibn Na’Allah of Kebi State (Arewa) and passed by the House of Representatives. The resolution callously implored the Federal Government to extend the carnage in Delta State to Rivers and Bayelsa states the same theme ACF sang in its mantra of patriotic courage.
Bala Na’Allah is an Arewa man. Though it may be a mere coincident, it will be very difficult for anybody in the Niger Delta to believe that the public outburst of the ACF and Hon Na’Allah was not an expression of the mindset and believe of the entire north. And this is where the problem lies.
Arewa’s proclamation and Na’Allah’s parliamentary joke were unnecessary and could best be described as insensitive drive for political recognition. Of what use was it when the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Umar Yar’Adua, the only figure empowered to speak and authorize such activity, had ordered the operation?
At this stage in our national development and considering the fragile relationships among the federating ethnic nationalities (tribes), it would obviously be in the interest of every Nigerian to build on what binds the nation and its people (s) together rather than what pulls them apart.
How patriotic can Arewa claim by playing politics with issues that can snowball into huge national crisis of inter- tribal (ethnic) antagonism? Whether the ACF accepts it or not, this mindset was part of what fuelled the crisis that led to the destructive civil war which the nation is yet to be healed completely.
The Federal Government and its military would have been let alone in the decision to uproot the insurgent groups in the Niger Delta and in the marketing of the justification for the operation rather than some tribal patriots signing –in to help do the job.
The sensitivity and impact of ACF’s proclamation and Na’Allah parliamentary joke may be very difficult for people outside the Niger Delta to actually appreciate. But in the region, there is only one interpretation- the north is only interested in free access to the abundant oil and gas resources in the Niger Delta even if it means killing everybody in the region to achieve that- whether they are criminals, militants or even the harmless natives.
From the standpoint of the people of the Niger Delta, the ACF was only stating what the region had known for a very long time.
Manifest of the people directing the military offensive region shows that the Commander of the JTF operation is an Arewa man, the propagandist for the military operation is an Arewa man and the President that authorized the attack is also an Arewa man. This is in addition to another Arewa man that pushed the bill at the National Assembly asking the JTF to go for a thorough kill. Also, Majority, if not all the serving mobile police officers and soldiers currently in the Niger Delta are Arewa (including the aliens).
Na’Allah was even very clear in expressing this worrying mindset when he said something to the effect that since Nigeria is a populous country with over 140 million people he will not mind so much if the 20 million people of the Niger Delta who are giving the rest of the nation so much ‘headache’ in the exploitation of crude oil in the place are exterminated so that the rest of Nigeria can have peace.
And as if his statement was not damaging enough, the Kebbi-born lawmaker when prevailed upon to recant this unfortunate outburst, made an even graver mistake. He said what he said was a “parliamentary joke.”
It was really a parliamentary joke and the people of the region are fully aware that the likes of Na’Allah and members of ACF may just wake up one day and jokingly wipe out the over 20 million people of the Niger Delta before facing elsewhere.
This same theme has been running in the Plateau State issue where a simple matter that could have been handled ordinary as a government decision to maintain law and order was upgraded into a full blown inter-tribal and maybe religious crisis by some evil-minded political class and even media outfits looking for cheap popularity as representing northern or maybe religious interests.
The worst culprits in this Arewa mindset are the journalists (media houses) that even ran editorials and commentaries supporting the fighting killings and even calling for genocide across the states of the Niger Delta. Shame! Because this represents a capital offense in the ethics of international journalism practices. The Media does not support war, killings or any sort of fighting no matter how justified. All that is required from the media is an unbiased reporting of events as they unfold in such circumstance.
The ACF in the spirit of their patriotic courage should make definite efforts to reach out to their “brothers” in the Niger Delta for damage limitations and maybe repairs. It may not mean anything now to members of ACF and the people they represent but tomorrow is far greater than today. A word is enough for the wise.
Let us advice ourselves because, that thing your mama teach you, my mama teach me also o!
IFEANYI IZEZE IS AN ABUJA-BASED CONSULTANT ON POLITICAL STRATEGY AND CRISIS COMMUNICATION ([email protected])
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