Arewa To Commence Oil Exploration
August 18, 2008 by 
Felix Ashimole · 2 Comments
As a sequel to the position of the 19 Northern States governors that the region can survive without Niger Delta, the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Engr. Abubakar Yar’Adua has revealed that NNPC will soon commence exploration in the North to ascertain if there is oil deposit in commercial quantity in the region. According to the GMD, the NNPC will use 3D seismic technology as against the 3D that was used in the Niger Delta. The GMD said that the 2D technology was prone to error and can only be used where the base rock is accessible.
The GMD made this disclosure while briefing newsmen on the activities of the NNPC over the past one year. It will be recalled that the GMD drew the ire of MEND when while testifying at a Senate Committee that the NNPC paid about 12 billion naira to the militants in the creeks of Niger Delta to secure oil pipelines.
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Peter Odili Celebrates 60 Years In Abuja.
August 16, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The birthday bash of Sir Dr. Peter Odili, immediate ex-governor of Rivers State in Sheraton Hotels Abuja on Friday 15th August, has put an icing on the allegation by the incumbent governor that those who ruined River State have relocated to Abuja.
For a governor who testified at the Justice Eso led rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Panel that he was generous to a fault while serving as governor of Rivers State for 8 years, one would have expected Sir Dr. Peter Odili to celebrate his birthday in Port Harcourt where he claims he touched lives and has a strong following.
It is a shame that Nigerian Politicians are like the proverbial sheep that soils her sleeping stead and prefers to sleep on all fours. It was during the tenure of Sir Odili that the local communities’ agitation against the oil companies grew fangs and gangs believed to be armed by the PDP ahead of 2003 General Elections introduced criminality into the peaceful struggle for resource control.
Sir Odili, whose wife is a judge of the Court of Appeal got perpetual injunction restraining the EFCC from investigating or and prosecuting him or his activities as governor of Rivers State. I think Mrs. Waziri Farida should brief a SAN to appeal this questionable injunction if she is serious about running after ex-governors.
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Bakassi: Does she want to be a Nigerian?
August 14, 2008 by Felix Ashimole · Leave a Comment
All African Countries are a product of colonial administrative convenience. Cameroon and Nigeria are no exception. Cameroon in fact has an interesting history of having three colonial masters. First it was a German colony and became a spoil of war for Britain and France after the defeat of Germany in the First World War. (1919 League of Nation Mandate)The English speaking part, not wanting to be assimilated by the French culture, tilted towards Eastern Nigeria and expressed their political desire via: NCNC-National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons.
Ever since the South-West of Cameroon has been deemed Nigerian no political analyst asks, do these people whose ancestral land was invaded by European marauders after the Balkan Conference of 1885 want to belong to any of the geographical expressions?
As a child growing up after the Nigerian Civil War, I was told that Biafra lost the war because a part of Cameroon refused to allow arms meant for Biafra to sail through and as a reward, Gen. Yakubu Gowon returned that part of Cameroon back to Cameroon.
Now as an adult, I read of The Green Tree Agreement, wherein it is agreed that instead of washing African brotherhood’s dirty linen in the International Court, Big Brother Nigeria, agreed to hand over Bakassi to Cameroon on 14th August 2008. At 11 am today, the ceremony begun with the Nigerian Attorney General and Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa leading Nigerian pack.
What I make of all these is that a great injustice has been done to the people of Bakassi. Over the years they have been pushed around like ping-pong at an Olympic tournament. All the groups claiming Bakassi have not the interest of the people at heart. All they are after is the mineral deposit in the peninsula, which I read has a large commercial quantity of crude oil.
It is this discovery that makes me sad. In all the African countries where crude oil has been discovered, that country has never known peace. The expatriate oil companies exploit the oil without corresponding development for the people and the areas where this black gold is scooped from. The lingering environmental problems in the Niger Delta of Nigeria are an example. Seeing the “battle” raging on in the Niger Delta, would Bakassi still want to be part of Nigeria?
Paul Biya. Did I hear you say who? He has been president of Cameroon as long as I can remember. His long stay has eclipsed Ahmadu Ahidjo’s tenure. Am sure the people of Bakassi will not want their resources to be used to further fuel the life presidency project of Paul Biya.
Poor people of Bakassi. If a plebiscite was conducted, except supervised by Nigeria’s INEC, I am sure Bakassi in conjunction with her English speaking “brothers” in Cameroon would have voted to be in an independent sovereign country.
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NDDC Offers An African Insurance Solution To Development
August 9, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
The Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Mr. Samuel Edem was last night arrested by the Nigeria Police Force in connection with allegation of conspiracy to murder the Managing Director of NDDC Mr. Timi Alaibe. According to the Police, his arrest is also in furtherance of the investigations into the missing N800M meant for developmental projects in the Niger Delta.
According to Mr. Edem he was hypnotized into paying huge sums of money to a spiritualist, one Mr. Perekabowei a.k.a Mathew Sanoma about N350M. The spiritualist in his response to the Police claimed that Mr. Edem consulted him to make good luck charm (juju) and other incantations that will kill the NDDC Managing Director; make the Vice President Mr. Jonathan favourably disposed towards him and secure his tenure at the NDDc.
Things fell apart when the spiritualist’s incantations did not kill Mr. Alaibe on the guaranteed date. Mr. Edem blew the whistle and reported the spiritualist to the Police claiming he is a victim of 419. In the course of investigation, the Police smelt conspiracy to murder and quickly turned the complaint to a suspect.
As bizarre as this story may sound, there is nothing new to it. A good number of Nigerian elite have one spiritualist or a full fledged native doctor working for them. From anointed handkerchief to abracadabra during Election Day, a high percentage of Nigerian politicians are guilty.
Chris Ngige made Okija shrine popular in a bid to get assistance from the “gods” to win election, even if his manifesto is not people orientated.
The Election Tribunal sitting in Umuahia Abia State ruled against Governor Theodore Oji reading that he is a member of a secrete cult.
Most recently, the 18 Ekiti State lawmakers who impeached their Speaker needed African Insurance before they could sit on the legislative seat believed to have been laced with juju during the battle for the impeachment.
In deed Nigeria, should review the place of African Science in our daily lives. The Nigerian Penal Codes, fashioned after that of colonial Britain, has no provision for admissibility of juju evidence.
As hurt as the image of Nigeria will be from this lack of evidence will see Mr. Edem walking away.
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MEND Apprehends 9 PDP Gunmen in Ondo State
August 4, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
Members of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) over the weekend paraded before newsmen 9 chieftains of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ese-Odo LGA of Ondo State. The apprehended PDP supporters were in possession of AK 47 and claimed according to MEND that they were armed by an official of the state government.
In a quick counter attack, the Secretary to Ondo State Government, Mr. Isaac Kekemeke, accused MEND of blackmail, stating that MEND having failed to extort money from the PDP government, is employing blackmail to cow the government. According to the SSG, those paraded are PDP youths who refused to join MEND in their economic sabotage and other criminal activities against the federal republic of Nigeria.
This apprehension and counter accusation is coming on the heels of a protest in Akure believed to be organised by the government, to protest the annulment of the April 2007 election of Governor Olusegun Agagu. The Tribunal had ruled that the Labour Party candidate, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko be sworn in, having polled the highest number of valid votes counted.
The PDP has appealed the judgment.
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Arewa Replies Niger Delta
July 30, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · Leave a Comment
♦We can survive without oil
Rising from the first Northern Agricultural Summit held in Kaduna, the Chairman of Northern Governors Forum (NGF) Dr. Muazu Aliyu Babangida of Niger State said that the NGF said that the northern region of Nigeria is not parasitic on any region of Nigeria and can the survive without the her southern counterpart.
The 19 northern governors said this in a reaction to a press interview where the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, Asari Dokubo accused the north of being parasites and feeding fat on the oil from the Niger Delta. Asari’s sweeping comment came on the heel of an advice from Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) that the militants should hold their leaders responsible for the underdevelopment in their region. According to ACF, governors from the Niger Delta, receives more than their counterparts without corresponding developmental projects in the creeks.
Furthermore, the 19 governors of the NGF, blamed the collapse of their industries on international economic conspiracy against the region. Dr. Aliyu Babangida went ahead to list industries that have belched their last billow of industrial fume. They include two tractor assembling plants in Kano, and Styre Tractor plant in Bauchi, numerous textile factories in Kaduna and grain processing factories.
Another member of the NGF, Governor Nyako of Adamawa raised the issue of decaying infrastructure in the north and declining educational level in the north.
We at whichwaynigeria, recognises the right of the north to bring to the fore their perceived backwardness, such should not be used as diversion to the environmental and economic robbery going on by the Nigerian state against the people of the Niger Delta. A careful x-ray of Nigerian leadership, shows that the north has produced more head of states than any other region. That these sons of the north failed to develop the region, is not due to any international or internal conspiracy. Arewa Consultative Forum, should also apply the yard stick she is welding at the Niger Delta leaders on the past leaders of the north from independence to date.
It is a welcome development that the north is thinking of reviving agriculture as alternative means of revenue and employment in Nigeria, but they should perish the thought that any part of Nigeria can survive without the other.
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Niger Delta: The Burden Of Appellation.
July 21, 2008 by Che Oyimnatumba · 2 Comments
The Niger Delta is older than the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria. But as a political force, Niger Delta is the youngest of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. Her teeth were sharpened by the Abacha government, when rotational presidency was a thorny issue and consequently, South-South was born to differentiate them from the South East and position them from for a slot in eventual rotational presidency that never got constitutional blessing.
South-South, as an encompassing name for the peoples of the South of Nigeria (Edo, Delta, Rivers, Bayelsa Akwa Ibom and Cross Rivers State), did not adequately represent the interest of the peoples, whose environment have been degraded by oil exploitation. Furthermore, South-South, especially, the nomenclature South-South Peoples Assembly, was sponsored by the sitting governors of that region to anoint themselves as the sole presidential candidate. Being anchored on the ambition of the political class, the people felt alienated and the erstwhile foot soldiers of the South-South, armed by the politicians, turned against each other. To give relevance to the gang clash, these “soldiers” dusted the lukewarm struggle of the Ogoins over Shell’s abuse of the environment and gave it a broader nomenclature called Niger Delta Struggle.
This new name in content alienates some states of the South-South. Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross Rivers were sidelined and the theatre of the “struggle”, Rivers State becomes the alpha and omega of the expression Niger Delta. Their younger brother Bayelsa, gets peripheral mention by virtue of her Ijaw ethnic tribe content. The question smothering in the mouth of many Nigerians is; Is the Ijaws the only peoples of the Niger Delta? Check the content of MEND, defunct Asari’s group and Ateke Tom.
Agreed the Ijaws a on water living people, are the most affected by the careless oil spillage by these oil multinational pirates, who cares no hoot about their environment, so long as their home country gets fat return. If the Niger Delta struggle is to have a lasting solution, the word Niger Delta should include all the peoples of South-South. If not any solution in the present “Niger Delta”, will spark up a “Niger Delta” kind of struggle in another South-South state. The inland oil producing states of Imo and Abia, will also take up arms.
It is the non-understanding of the true Niger Delta that has made the problems of the Niger Delta appear unsolvable. When Ken Saro-wiwa staged his fight, he narrowed it to the Ogoins. Had he expanded the struggle to incorporate other peoples of the South-South, there may not have been any sector of the people left out for the foot soldiers of the politicians to fall to after falling out with their godfathers. If you can remember, these modern day soldiers for the emancipation or defence of the Niger Delta, never set out to do so. They were purely political thugs, who ran out of favour with their sponsors and became over night champions of the Niger Delta struggle.
As a result, different names have been appendage to them. First they were labelled cultists. Then their clashes were against each other, in order to deliver their area of control at the next election to the ruling party or any party that dropped the weightiest Ghana-Must-Go. When it appeared to the other groups that a group, is getting more government attention, embarrassing the government by kidnapping oil expatriates became order of the day. These kidnapped expatriates were released to governor(s), to give the impression that the governor is in charge. In the process, the governor gets international applause and a nod from Aso Rock, without anybody asking how much was given to the boys in the creek to release the onyibo.
If the federal government is serious about solving holistically the Niger Delta crisis, the nomenclature must be apt. But the government is as confused as ever. The backward march of Yar’Adua’s government bared its nakedness last week, when the Vice President, Jonathan Goodluck, announced that the government is dropping the name Niger Delta Summit (NDS) for Niger Delta Dialogue. By this act of cowardice, the government has shown that she has no understanding of the issues in the Niger Delta. There has been dialogue about oil exploitation and its environmental impact since the first exploration in Iho North West of Imo State in 1951 and in Niger Delta since oil was discovered in commercial quantity at Oloibiri in 1956. Rather than creating tension with Gambari, who did not understand the Niger Delta struggle and called Ken Saro-wiwa and Co. Common criminals, the government should have quietly dusted the files of ageless documents on the Niger Delta and implement them. The NDDC for starters can be given a patriotic face lift to meet the needs of Niger Delta and not a source for job for the boys.
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