Niger Delta we know today in Nigeria is the economy base of the Nation, as it supports the Nation in her dependence on oil and gas sales in the global market. In this area, there is a very significant portion known for her beauty and culture. This portion is called the TREASURE BASE or the GARDEN CITY.
This area has grown from developing to devastating landmass not because of the struggle for the rights of the indigenous states as intellectually fought by some heroes like Ken Saro-Wiwa. The shift of struggle from intellectual to the use of arms shows the devilishly devalue of brains in Nigeria. The arms’ display in this area took the stages of a rainfall to develop to a full blood stream, where it started with the sound of thunder, to a dark cloud which is followed by rain droplets. These problems were the hex of bad governance both of the so-called democracy and the then military for power.
Looking at the world map today one would hardly found Rivers State, as her colours of blue and white (which signify love and peace) have been taken over by the violent colour of red (blood). Then where is the “treasure base” of Nigeria? The base known for her hospitality to all human race of the world is now the base for slaughter, hostage taking and all manner of ills to humanity. The place had degenerated to the point where both very old and young ones are hunted for money, not minding the life lasting psychological effects on the young victims.
Who do we blame? Do we blame the military rules of the past or the present civilian rules? Come to think of it, are these rulers aliens? No, they are Nigerians in Nigeria ruling their fellow Nigerians. Oh! What a shame that they had turned the beautiful state enriched by God to what we are facing today. A devastating state; a place where people can no longer live (even the so-called owners of the state cannot sleep in their own lands) and people now walk with their hands up in the air or their head. This fine land had become a land taste for blood per seconds of the day.
This taste for blood had made the occupants of garden city to change their prayer point from the known Lord’s Prayer to “Oh Lord don’t make me part of the blood stream” and this is because of the various killings they see or hear every day on the streets of Port Harcourt.
These killers are not invisible, they are people known to us. We are all aware of how they started and matured to perilous monsters. Microscopic view show that the genesis of these monsters acquisitions of arms started during the communal crisis between the Ogoni and Okirika, Eleme and Okirika, Andonni and Ogoni, and that of Tombia, with many others. To worst things the military boys were posted to these areas to maintain peace but there were records of mischievousness (where the uniform boys end up raping women, looting and exchanging arms for things). Just like to add salt to injury, the politicians hired some of the frustrated boys from these areas and groomed them to what they are today in Nigeria (not only in the Niger Delta).
The present war in Rivers State, we hear started as the present Governor- Sir Celestine Omehia refused to pay these cultists what they claimed to be “protection fee”. With this claim of protection fee by these killers, one began to think of how the immediate past Governor used the State’s money to be warded himself the name MR SHARER. The demand for protection fee did not start now and this nonsense is not peculiar only to Rivers State, as such we hear is been done in some states in the west, east and few northern states, thus giving room for embezzlement of public funds by the givers(the people in Government).
An in-depth look at the crisis in Rivers State will show that majority of these monsters are not real indigenes of the state but those around the Niger Delta (though Nigerians) who came to the state due to the ways of governance in and outside their own state. Like I said earlier, the Government is the mother of these monsters, feeding them with people’s money. If not, how should these bozos demand money from the Government? And how come MR SHARER with his judicial wife could not bring these cultists to book even with the enacted anti-cultists law in the state on 15/06/2004. I think this shows that there were something wrong, which signifies in a way that they were all involved in the business. It a shame to hear that the Government (both the Federal and state) are having dinner discussion with the arrow heads of the cultists, acclaiming to be fighting for the Niger Delta people (which supports that the cultists are not invisible).
How shocking it was, to hear that some groups of these cultists operate in military uniforms. This is also the cause of the Government who makes laws and funds the military. The people we have in Government today had use the military uniform in one way or other (given to these boys) to work for their political interest ( a clear case of such is that of Oyo State where uniforms were given to thugs for political interest).
The Bayelsa Government should be viewed properly as she claimed that one Mr. Africa gave them information on the hostage case of one late Mr. Hana Dalier, who was transferred from Port Harcourt to his camp (known to Government) in Bayelsa in a sick condition on the ground that he (Mr. Africa) does not want any problem. But I think he did that because he saw the bad condition of the man and the poor responds of the man’s company. And also a shame, that the VP on behalf of the Federal Government should be having discussion with these monsters in their camps. Is this a way of knowing their camps for further “Government actions”? Who knows? Well I don’t blame them as the Yar’adua’s Government is a benefactor of these cultists directly or indirectly.
With all these problems at hand, it is high time that the sources of this matter are faced, knowing that the perpetrators and their political masters are not invisible to us, should be brought to book. And the ASO Rock should stop comforting and dining with these Cultists. There should be an open forum where these acclaimed Niger Delta rights fighters should come to tell the world, who and whom they represent, and how they represent the Niger Delta people? Also lets the innocent neighbours to these monsters join hands to expose them and their hide out, with total protection from the Government. The Rivers Government should be very careful with the use of these kharki boys in maintaining peace, as they were part of the sources to this present problems (dem dey change any how, any time). It a shame that they left the causes of the problems in Rivers State and Nigeria at large to name NAS as one of their cultists, forgetting that NAS had been there before some of them were what they are today (forgetting that NAS was born before some of them ).
Let’s help ourselves, as who knows the next victim to the BLOOD STREAM in Niger Delta. Let’s block the sources to this blood stream once and for all to have the known peace and hospitality of the GARDEN CITY- the TREASURE BASE of the Nation. It is time we stopped these inhumanity to human. God help us all (AMEN).
By Jaja, Ibisha Imoh
Uyo, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria.
