₦airaland Forum

3. Lack of conscience on the part of policy makers in the country.

This one did not just start today. It has always been at the front burner of successive governments (military and civilians alike). During the Second Republic, everyone fought for how they could plunder the resources of this country to the interests of their ethnic constituents. Nigeria was never in the mind of any of them - from head to toe.

One of them (who was once the permanent secretary in the ministry of energy, mines and power) - Asiodu Philip, from Asaba, once said the Niger Delta people cannot benefit from the lopsided arrangement because we're numerically insignificant in the Nigerian scheme of things! Now Asaba people are claiming they're a part of the Niger Delta, because it's the capital of Delta State!

Awolowo saw all these resource control problem coming and decided to ''arm'' his ethnic group with education. Our leaders in the South South were completely left in the dark!

Well, this is good news for Ghana. I understand the discovery was made offshore the country's coast - in the Atlantic.  This will definitely help buoy their economy somehow. But the volume is not that much. They should step up their exploration activities in their area and prolly hit more volmes over there.

I would really like a situation where oil is discovered everywhere in West Africa. That will reduce militarisation and maybe help to persuade the leech currently sucking us dry in the Delta to back off.

Hmn Politics at its best.

debosky:
You see the FG as the defaulting partner? pray tell, who blew up sections of the escravos pipeline supplying gas to the egbin and other thermal stations necessitatiing the shutdown of the pipeline which is now affecting the project? Is it not the so called aggrieved youths who are just bent on lining their own pockets? sorry, the FG blew it up right? self sabotage is what your militants are doing

There you go again. That pipeline takes gas from our lands to Egbin in Lagos. The power generated by the thermal plant will first be used to power households and industrial plants in Lagos and surrounding states of Ogun, Oyo, Osun and Kwara; after this any other left over will be channeled to the switchgear at Oshogbo, where the remains will go to other parts of the country. And with the gas plant at Papalanto, I believe energy crisis will soon be a thing of the past in those areas.

So, if Egbin generates 100MW of electricity (hypothetical figure here, please, I don't know what's the power generating capacity of that plant) in Lagos, what eventually comes to Escravos, Warri, Effurun, Ekpan, and surrounding areas may be just 0.1MW. Now, is this right?

When Kainji Dam was built to generate hydroelectricity at Kainji, present day Niger State, did the FG not relocate indigenes of the area to a more comfortable, furnished and well decorated abode? Did the FG not supply power to those new areas? Did they not meet the social and financial needs of those dsiplaced people? why should that of the Niger Delta be different?

I have also said on several occasions on this forum that if the FG is truly willing and zealous of developing the Niger Delta, no amount of youths disturbance will stop them in anyway from achieving their aim. All their developmental mumbo jumbo are unreal. They're just on the pages of newspapers, and if we don't make much noise on what we want, none of them will ever wakeup to their responsibilities.

debosky:
Brass LNG a smokescreen project? so BP, BG and other international companies bought gas supplies from a 'smokescreen' company? also tell the people doing the FEED design that it is a smokescreen. you are just chasing shadows, Brass LNG is much bigger than the proposed Olokola project, and has proceeded much further down the line, in fact it was conceived long before OK came up, so I would suggest you lose this 'OBJ wants to underdevelop us' mindset, it is distorting your view on issues greatly.

The Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) for Olokola and other gas liquefaction plants have largely been completed. It's not just that of Brass. If you read my last post very well, I prayed that this project would see the light of the day and not end up as another white elephant project. You must understand that detailed as the FG lofty plan is for that area, most of them are still on the pages of drawing papers and other financial documents signed by the FG and their partners in the business. There is nothing concrete on ground, like that of Escravos to show that work is progressing as planned.

Well, OBJ is currently occupied with party politics. I heard they're about to dish out thesame treatment he meted out to other PDP memebers when everyone was at his beck and call. They're going to test how far he can go to claim the ''ownership'' of the PDP - now that he's just like any other Nigerian. That should keep him in the coolers for a while. I made reference to him in my write up simply because he was the person at the helm of affairs in the country.

debosky:
If EGTL is delayed it is because of OBJ, if Odili steals money it is because of OBJ, if militants bomb pipelines it is because of OBJ, if militants kidnap workers in Eleme petrochemical after resuscitating it after over 5 dormant years, it is OBJ's fault. that attitude will keep you as undeveloped as you are now, there are more concrete issues to be faced.

Show us 1 shred of evidence of this 'eerie policy not to develop the ND before other areas' - the 9 power plants being built there (which will ALL supply power to local areas before further distribution) or maybe they are all 'smokescreen' projects too!
http://www.lahmeyer.de/e/units/ge/ps_ge4_e_230340_niger_delta_2006_10.pdf

Once again, those are lofy plans that are in the pages of newspapers and other websites. The only two that's been completed so far is that of Papalanto, near Abeokuta and Geregu in Kogi State. Fine, there are other gas plants in the country, but are they functioning at full capacity? Why not expand these ones to accommodate high energy demand in the country - like Shell is already doing at Afam Umosi? Reason: OBJ wants one near his farms at Ota to ensure uninterrupted power supply -  Papalanto. I wager 80% of those plants on that map will never be built.

All said, we won't stop until we see true results as per development in the Delta.

I will talk on point no. 3 soon.

Esss, I'll prefer you tell us all where you come from. Don't just use Rivers state and keep mute. You see, folks from areas like Oyigbo LGA, I understand, are Igbos by ethnic affiliation. We also have people in places in Delta State - Asaba, Ogwashiukwu, Ukwuani etc, who claim they're niger delta indigenes. I have repeatedly explained to folks on this forum that because your area has oil/hydrocarbon deposit in the states that make up Niger Delta does not automatically qualify you as a Niger Delta indegene!

The geographical area called Niger Delta should be looked at from the technical (geological/geographical) definition of the word ''Delta'' and not through some geopolitics of the area. This is the reason why Abia state, though with hydrocarbon accumulations that can fall into the ''commercial'' range, is technically not a part of the Niger Delta; same for Imo state. The Nigerian state simply decided to class them as Niger Delta States for convenience. But this is a misnomer. Their action was geared towards addressing the yearnings of folks from other areas who said they have oil in their land, and as such they too should benefit from the ''largesse'' - crumbs actually, from the FG.

I have read through your six reasons why we remain underdeveloped. No hard feelings, I just want to know who I'm dealing with first. In any case, we've dealt with several people like you on this issues in the past on this forum. If you're truly a Niger Deltan, I see you changing your stance on issues in the area, after plenty of evidece have been shown you, in no time

Mingiix, welcome back.

@Outlaws,
Until we begin to practice true democratic norms. Until they (leaders) chase corruption, nepotism, tribalism, selfish interests and greed from the foundation of this country and look at issues objectively, until then growth and development will continue to elude us.

GNature:
OBJ didn't send the Nigerian Army after Odili because the Rivers State house of assembly has oversight function over the state executive branch. OBJ really shouldn't have to intervene if the Rivers State house of assembly was doing its job properly.

I have answered your question, so please answer mine:

What has the Rivers State house of assembly done about ex-Governor Peter Odili's looting of the Rivers State treasury ?

I honestly don't know how you want me to believe that write up there as the reason why OBJ did not send his armada in Portharcourt after Odili. Is it not this same OBJ who, after orchestrating the plan of reducing the number of loyal state HA members to a 'sizeable' 8 - using EFCC, in Plateau State, swiftly and blindly too, effected the removal of Dariye from office?

House of Assembly members were summarily detained, beaten up and treated like common criminals in Plateau, Adamawa, Oyo and Ekiti states by EFCC and the Police. In the case of Bayelsa, HA members were transferred from Abuja to Lagos and Portharcourt and then back to Yenagoa after series of drilling in the act of impeaching a sitting governor by OBJ and EFCC! This led to the emergence of one hooligan among them whom they know had some beef with Alams and will be a willing tool in their hands. That guy was the arrow-head that led to the removal of Alams. It's on record that the court proceedings that led to Alams' removal is one of the worst, barbaric, brazen, crudest, anywhere in the world! And we do not need to go very far to know that OBJ was the mastermind of the whole plot scheme.

Don't you think it will be foolhardy on the part of any HA member in Rivers to come and suggest on the floor of the HA, the removal of a man, who, even kids know is OBJ's stooge in the South South, from office? Given the track record of OBJ in swiftly dealing with opposition, do you think he will allow any yeye HA member to 'impeach' his godson in Rivers state?

debosky:
Olokola 'hijacked'? will Chevron, Conocophillips and the others put their money in an unviable project? I disagree totally, Olokola was designed and a suitable location selected, end of story. Ondo produces oil and gas too, so why shouldn't the plant be there?
All this story about 'jobs for the teeming youths' is a fallacy, what happened to the EGTL plant of CHevron that has been stalled for how many years because of wahala even when youths were employed? For them to now set up a new facility in such an unstable locale would be unwise, besides the export terminals and other facilities at that location are sufficient, all companies are looking for ways to spread out their infrastructure now so that every hiccup will not result in total shut down. You still haven't shown one thread of evidence that 'we all know it was hijacked'

you still didn't answer - why was Brass LNG not hijacked? or the AGIP power plant at Kwale? please stop chasing shadows

charges against Alams trumped up?? Did FG put the 1million pounds in his UK (bought with stolen money) apartment? Did they dress him up as a woman to flee london police? If you say selective justice that is a totally different story, but the truth is: Alams stole and is paying the right price for it, the fact that another thief is roaming free doesn't negate his own guilt.

who are the people ready 'to die' if the Delta people 'take control' of their resources? Please stop getting ahead of yourself. Fine the people have been dealt a raw deal by the State, but when they begin to sort things out at a local level, their legitimate cries will achieve more legitimacy and support. even western media have started reporting that Rivers and co get over $100m a month with little to show for it. you need to deal with the local problems while the larger ones are dealt with too, blaming Obj for every problem there is just unreasonable

the so called 'armada' sent to Bayelsa was to protect lawmakers who have the power to impeach and had decided to do so. simple, if the 'good lawmakers' of Rivers did not see it fit to remove a corrupt governor, who do you blame? don't you Delta people know your reps? why can't you get them to do what you want?

Well, we would really like that Ondo State use their gas/oil resources to feed that plant at Olokola. If we sight any pipeline carrying gas from any area in the Delta (Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwaibom), don't say I did not warn you, it will be blown up into shreds.

From my records, the Escravos Gas to Liquids (EGTL) plant is still very much in the dashboard of that company. And if it had not started yet, it's because OBJ decided to starve the project of funds meant for it's seccessful completion. Just the way he did for several other projects in the South South. He decided to divert state resources to the scheduled completion of projects in the South West.

From what I can see here, there's no story on how community youths in the area stalled any project implementation plan in Escravos.
http://www.sasolchevron.com/escravos_project.htm
http://www.hydrocarbons-technology.com/projects/escravos/
http://www.mbendi.co.za/proj/p0id.htm

The Environmental Impact Assessments and Socio-economic Assessments have been completed and project critical path site preparation activities commenced in early 2002. The first layer of sand has now been placed on the EGTL project site and placement of the second layer of sand on the primary site where the process units are going to be placed has commenced. Approximately 2,900,000 cubic meters of sand has been placed on the EGTL Project site, which makes this activity 82% complete. Nigeria Escravos gas-to-liquids plant is scheduled to come online in 2005.

From what I have up there, if that project slipped beyond 2005, it's because one of the partners have failed to live up to his bidding. And I see FG here as the defaulting partner. Don't blame it on any militant or community. So, why would the FG not want to support a project meant to bring development to the Delta and the country as a whole?: Please see point 1. An eerie and deliberate policy of not developing the Niger Delta until the other constituents of the country are developed.

As per Brass LNG, the shareholders of Brass LNG are: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (49%), Eni International (17%), Philips (Brass) Limited (an affiliate of Conoco Philips) (17%), and Brass Holdings Company Limited (an affiliate of Total) (17%). The project need not be hijacked. However, you must understand the politics behind this project. This project is just one of those smokescreen projects by OBJ to calm frayed nerves in the Delta when the people of the area got wind of the gigantic project at Olokola. I just hope it does not turn out to be another white elephant project in the Delta.

The Agip Power plant in Kwale caused a lot of heat when it was commissioned by OBJ. The plant was designed to feed electrical power to the centre - Oshogbo, from where the energy generated will now be distributed to other parts of the country. I have never seen such a disastrous design in my life! During commisioning of the project, the town of Kwale was in complete blackout. Imagine generating electricity in your locality, only for it to be ''piped'' to other places before it will now trickle down to you again! I wonder why you made mention of this project. Makes me want to really go and join the militants right away and help them anyhow!

GNature:
What about the Rivers State house of Assembly, don't they have oversight over the Rivers State executive arm of government ? What did they do about Odili's looting ? Or are you saying they are not aware of Odili's looting ?

If oil money is not coming in for the Rivers State people, it is the federal government's fault. If the money is coming into the Rivers State coffers but it is looted, it is also the federal government's fault.

Please answer this, what has the Rivers State house of assembly done about ex-Governor Peter Odili's looting of the Rivers State treasury ?

Just answer my question first. Then, I'll reply you: Why did OBJ not send the Nigerian Army Armada in Portharcourt after Odili when he was fingered by EFCC as one of the most corrupt Governor in the country?

debosky:
he is chasing shadows, every thing is Obj's fault, even Olokola LNG was 'carried away' from escravos and taken to an enclave.

but they didnt carry Brass LNG away did they? what about the Escravos GTL plant? was that also carried away?

so until OBJ or who ever the president decides to do things for the ND and control their state governments for them nothing will happen?

is he God? even if you can't control people in Abuja, the man stealing right under your noses, you refuse to stop that one and you blame Obj?

you are yet to recognise the true enemy of the ND in that case.

and also on the Alams case, is he not in the ND? was he not prosecuted to liberate the ND people from his greed? or is bayelsa located in the SW now

Odili and whoever else was corrupt will get their comeuppance in due time, it is up to the ND people to organise themselves and hold their local leaders accountable first, before then focusing on the FG, with the additional confidence that they have used what has come in so far judiciously.

As per Olokola, we know that the project was meant for Escravos. It was hijacked by OBJ and his kinsmen at the last minute. The original plan was wholistic in the sense that both technical and commercial evaluations were properly carried out to arrive at the decision to site the plant in that place (Escravos). The need to provide jobs for the teeming youths in the area was also incorporated. But all that went down the drains when OBJ decided to move it to an enclave.

You must understand that the charges leveled against Alamieyeseigha were trumped up.  Alams fell out of favour with the powers that be, the people who selected him to govern Bayelsa.

We indeed will not like to wait for the crumbs that falls from the President' desk. But will you and your greedy, lousy and lazy kinsmen in other places allow us to be? That's the question that's begging for serious answer. The fact that many of you are willing to die if the Delta people take full control of the resources in their areas.

While I will not condone laziness in any form, it is only in Nigeria that MOST of the hardworking people are never encouraged to develop in whatever capacity they find themselves.

                                                                                HOW

The one who works hard in this country is trampled on as a fooolish person. The other day, someone without the requisite qualification was elected into the post of councillor in one state in the South South. Somehow, he got there through thuggery and violence. But he got there anyway. Today, he's erected one big mansion in his village. He's bought so many lands in his locality - (well, at least in Nigerian parlance, such things denote ''success'' and a sense of fulfilment) that many of us who works hard and know we have better qualifications and exposure wonder where we went wrong in life. The only thing that kept many of us going is the fact that we know many politicians are corrupt people in this country and that he's one of them. But to think that hardwork will land you in a blissful place in this country is wishful thinking!

With all these mounting evidence, I'm beginning to think that the Yourubas, no matter how highly placed, have, as part of their DNA, the inherent nature of stealing. Apology to my Yoruba friends out there, but I'm just speechless.

Is it possible that Seun might want to pilfer something somewhere if given the opportunity?

That's OK. MOST of the governors of this country were corrupt during the time OBJ was President. Odili inclusive.

Like I said, the type of developmental efforts put up by people like Duke and Ibori with the resources at their disposal at the time, cannot be rivaled by any governor anywhere in this country. I have been to those states and I know what I'm talking about. Odili was very corrupt during his time as governor. Did baba do anything to bring him to book? Did he send the bulldog- EFCC after him to prosecute him? NO! capital no. He was treated with kid gloves and made to walk free in the country. Did Baba not send EFCC after Dariye in Plateau and the one of Adamawa for corruption?

And during Alamieyeiseigha's time, OBJ rolled out all the Tanks and munitions near the Delta to hole him in. Why did he not do the same to Odili, if not that there's something he stands to gain from the continued imposition of an incompetent person as governor of a state like Rivers?

Listen, OBJ is a pest and must be called such. He is the baba of all thugs.

Now, I think and I believe that my hopes can be raised again for a united Nigeria.

denex:
My dearest ono, as you know, my argument is never one sided. I always correct the party that is making a mistake.

Niger-Delta militants are vandalizing pipelines of petroleum products and few people are dying, though much resources are being lost. Do you know how many million lives will be lost if such a huge gas pipeline leaks into the south of Nigeria? Combine that with when the leakage will reach a naked flame. We're all dead!

All those misdirected investments in Nigeria are in the past.

I can only hope and pray that the project does not see the light of the day. And Denex thank you for not being one sided.

GNature,
The type of loyalty exhibited by Ibori and Duke cannot be compared to what obtains in Rivers state. Odili's own was criminal! There's no basis for comparison.

Let me quickly chip in here that I never believed people like Odili, Attah and company are the products of the will of the people of the Niger Delta. Evidence even points to the fact the Odili, the biggest looter of River State treasury, is an OBJ apologist, a godson and political toilet-roll. To say that Odili did anything in the Delta, with all of the white elephant projects in that place is the:

                                                                       [size=16pt]BOLD FACE LIE [/size]

With the exception of Cross-River State, and maybe Delta State, all the other stooge were either Atiku or Baba boys!

He did not do enough could be interpreted to mean the same thing as making matters worse. How? Before now, we don't have militants on the prowl in the Delta, at least the electricity situation is not this bad. There were plans to construct the biggest LNG plant in Escravos and provide job for the teeming youths, until it was hijacked and taken to one enclave called Olokola between Ogun and Ondo border by OBJ and his kinsmen. The list is endless.

Point number 2:
Lack of vision and political will by the present group of political leaders to correct the roguish conduct or policies of their predecessors.

An example will put this in proper perspective:

When OBJ came in as President of Nigeria (the second coming of OBJ) in 1999, he knew quite well that the problems of the Niger-Delta has accumulated over the past 20 years that he left power as a Military ruler. Instead of addressing this problem quickly, with the sense of urgency that it requires, he instead resorted to globetrotting, marrying several women, appointing several women, and above all amassing stupendous wealth to himself, party and bootlickers. We heard that the first visit he made out of Abuja as President was to Warri, where there were skirmishes between two feuding ethnic group - the result of local govt creation (divide and rule tactics). He promised to address the problem but never did. He apparently felt all that happened there was a fluke and went back to Abuja with the mind to wreak more havoc on the area.

He knew quite well that something needed to be done urgently to bring succour to the people in the Delta area, himself having been one of the main architect of the misfortune that engulfed the area. And insted of addressing them in the past 8 years that he was president, there is virtually nothing concrete to show that OBJ did anything to better the lot of the people in there. He did not correct anything in the area, rather he made matters worse.

We can only hope that the ''illegitimate'' govt of Umoru and Goodluck will take a clean break from what their godfather did before he left office.

Well, that's good news. Thought I heard something like the Supreme Court wants him to rot in jail.

@ Denex,
Thank you. We can all see the REAL bunkerers in the country from that your link. That should put paid to other loudmouths!

It is widely believed that both the President and the Vice-
President, as well as key members of the PDP, condone or participate
in the illegal oil bunkering (stealing of crude and refined
products) which represented almost 300,00 bbl/day in 2003. When a
real effort at anti-corruption was undertaken by the journalists of
the "Insider", retribution was swift and severe. The editor-in-
chief, Chucks Onwudinjo, and Janet Mba-Afolabi, both executive
editors of Insider, a weekly magazine, were picked up by men of the
State Security Services. Their arrest and detention were on the
orders of Atiku Abubakar, the vice-president. They were arrested on
Monday, November 24, 2004

Lets strike a deal here:

Let the FG quell any uprising in the course of their developmental campaing in the Delta, but let us see their zeal to really impact on the lives of the people of the area.

I-man,
We have not gotten to where we want to be in the Delta. I'm not hyperventilating -  LOL. True, I said there are peaceful places in the Delta in that thread. You see, things are not as bad as the outside world state it in terms of peaceful co-existence, and we pray it remain so. People are still doing business here. The common enemies of the Niger Delta people are now known to them. They are handling the situation the best way it should be.

Obong,
You know, I served in Bayelsa state for the compulsory one-year NYSC. At the last lap of our orientation camp, we were made to trek from the camp site in Kaiama to Odi - the supposedly military leveled town. You know, I asked to see the buildings that were destroyed by the army at the time to know how true the story of rampaging and destructing army is. The locals there told me no doubt, the presence of the military guys caused no small stir; but to say the town was completely leveled as speculated by the western press and even some of our dailies is pure lie.

Over reliance on newspaper publications is dangerous. For first hand information, if you're in doubt, go to the location and see things for yourself.

I-man, the Niger delta is a peaceful place. Have you heard about the Tinapa business resort, Obudu Ranch, Abraka beach resort, and recently, the world class golf course in Akawa-ibom state? Surely you have never stepped on the soil in the Delta to make such statements about the Delta. Much as the average conditions of the people of the area is like that of the average Nigerian, we believe this should not be the case given the enormous resources bestowed on us by God. The average niger-deltan should live in a much better environment, exposed to the best training possible, and live generally comfortably relative to other Nigerians.

McKren:
On the part of President Yaradua, he has to broaden his projects in South-South to other six geo-political zones as there is poverty in the land across all zones. Neglecting all other zones to deal with Niger-Delta issue alone is simply brewing youth restiveness of the future.
However as an alternative, Nigeria should be restructured to a confedration and let each zone manage its own resources so that no one blames anyone else for her problems.

It has been said time and again that the Niger Delta is the most disadvantaged among all the ethnic groups in the country. It wouldn't have made any impact to us if our lands are not the lifeblood of this country. We would not have made so much noise if we are not the ones sustaining this country. We would have silently accepted our fate as the ones at the receiving end. But it pains many of us to see that people from other places are the ones reaping from our lands in broad daylight.

The way things are now, I don't mind if other tribes feed on dust to survive. ALL attention must be focused on bringing the needed succour to the Niger Delta if we still want to remain as one country.

Jakumo, when I'm done cracking my ribs after laughing out so loud, you'll be invted to pay the bills for fixing them back.

I-Man, well, we will get back to you as regards the security situation in the Delta.

McKren:
You are back to the same issues, when I start defending them you start getting angry

The problem with Niger-Delta is the same as the problem in every other part of Nigeria.
The ruling elite class in the North held power for so long and this nation achieved nothing. As a matter of fact it will not even be very fair to blame the whole North for this because there are as poor as hungry people on the streets of Mina, Kaduna, Katsina, Ogun just like we have everywhere.

But I get tempted to blame the North sometimes because they tend to buy the deciet sold to them in the name of ethnic and religous interest. But they in all honesty don't believe in them. That is the major problem with Nigeria.

My annoyance with you is that you singled out the Igbos to discuss them because they are your common denominator in Nigeria. The only common culture accross ethnic and religous devides in nigeria is hatred for the Igbos.

Since 1970 there has been no Igbo as Nigerian leader, none as chief of Army Staff or whatever. Why can't you lay the blames on the tables of those who have been at the helm of affairs in Nigeria and leave the Igbos alone.

IBB, Buhari, Shagari, Obasonjo, Murtala Mohamed, Abacha, Abdusalanmi Abubakar, Yaradua, these were your leaders in the past 40years. None is Igbo.
The recent Rifinery sold to Femi Otedola and Aliko Dangote, they are not Igbos.

So why can't you guys learn to discuss your problems and the way forward for you and leave the Igbos out of it.

In the Present Government, Vice President, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Defence Staff, Inspectoral General of Police, are from the South-South. These are very vital positions, the igbos can not boast of any of the position yet people will not stop demonising the Igbos. Even the PDP Chairman they zoned to South-East has not even come to us meaning that at the instance we have nothing.
Yet people like you will not let the Igbos be.

All of the above positions started coming to us after we made so much noise. The noise was getting deafening and they needed to do something urgently, rite? After more than half a century of oil exploration, it is now that the other ethinc nationalities feel it's time to accord the Niger Delta people their right of place. Well, all of the above belated palliative measures are not comparable to the injury done to us and our lands in the last 50 years. We want more that that. We want thesame measure of will and effort put into making Abuja what it is in just 13 years brought to bare on the major towns and cities of the Niger Delta. Until then, no amount of official position allocation and other stuff will pacify us.

http://www.dawodu.com/okonta4.htm

Read the link above and understand that we know where we are coming from and going to. Also see this:

In February 1966, Isaac Adaka Boro, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, formed the Niger Delta Volunteer Service (NDVS), a militia comprising of several young and educated Ijaw men, and declared the Ijaw-speaking areas of Nigeria’s then ‘Eastern Region’ an independent ‘Niger Delta Republic.’ In an eleven-point declaration of independence, Boro stated that “all former agreements as regards the crude oil of the people undertaken by the now defunct ‘Nigerian’ government in the territory have been declared invalid,” and that “ll oil companies are commanded …to stop exploration and renew agreements with the new Republic. Defiance of this order will result in dislocation of the company’s exploration and forfeiture of their rights of renewal of such agreements.” [4]

Although Federal troops, directed from the regional capital Enugu soon quashed Isaac Boro’s uprising, the twelve-day revolt jolted the nation. It focussed attention on the travails of the riverbank communities of the Eastern Region, and re-opened debate about their demand (since the Willincks hearing in 1958) to be separated from the Eastern Region in an independent state of their own. At the time the Eastern Region was dominated by the more populous Igbo ethnic group, obliging the Ijaw, Ibibio, Ogoni and other smaller groups to band together and ask for a new ‘Rivers State.’

McKren:
You don't seem to understand that you started it by mentioning Igbos in your thread.
May be you don't even know when you abuse the Igbos because you guys have become so used to it.
You claim to have respect for your Igbo friends but I don't think you do, otherwise coming to the internet to initiate unprovoked attackes against their tribe will not be your pass time.
The first set of politicians who back your plight are Igbos yet they are the ones you are so happy to crucify for all your problems.

That's the problem. Could you please explain what's wrong in saying the Yorubas, Igbos and Hausas (Majority ethnic groups) are at the root of the problems bedevilling us in the Niger Delta. Is anything wrong with saying that, when we know that's the truth?

I think it's only natural for you to want to defend your past leaders. But do you honestly think that leaving the Igbos out of our present predicament will be right? You did not even tell us why Ojukwu carved our lands along with that of Biafra to create the Biafran State. And when I asked why this was the case, you did not tell. Well, it's very clear to us all that the Igbos cared less about the people of the Delta when the place was part of the South East region and that the Delta people wanted a region of their own. Ojukwu went ahead to carve the area as part of the Biafran State with the intention of making the place a[b] part of the booty of a war he thought he'll win[/b] And if this is not the case, Ojukwu's action only shows that, there must be some sinister motives behind carving our lands along with the SE states during the civil war. And if you read up the link I posted on Asiodu, you will see where it was clearly stated that the civil war was essentially an ''oil war'' a sort of battle for survival on the part of the ruling elite in the country.

And since the Delta people knew how the South East had treated them before the war, they know it will be worst when left alone with the Igbos as a separate country. But, by and large, people like Boro knew that remaining as one will be good for everyone. That's why he fought on the Federal side, for the unity of this country. But he was mistaken. Now we know better.

Anyway, I leave out the Igbos for now to concentrate on the Yorubas.

The Yorubas, under Awolowo set out to reap from the problems generated between the Hausas and Igbos. We learn't that Awolowo was even the mastermind behind the eventual defeat of the Igbos during the civil war. The blockage of supplies from the South that effectively terminated all of the munitions to help the Igbos was suggested by Awo. Isaac Adaka Boro was under the Command of Brig-Gen Adekunle Benjamin (Scorpion) who was the mastermind behind the execution of that man. The Yorubas are another set of people who benefitted immensely from the present quagmire in the Delta. All of the great infrastructural development we see in Lagos, Ibadan and other Yoruba cities were made possible via the proceeds from crude oil. The Yorubas will never support ''true democracy in the country''. They're only after their own selfish interest in the Nigerian state, just like their other ''brothers'' who thrived from the plundering of the resources of the delta.

I doubt the authenticity of this story.

McKren,
All these your rantings makes no tangible contribution to the issues at hand. See, I have many friends from your ethinic group, I respect them and I will not like you to turn this thread to another ethnic bashing one. And I observe, during the course of our discussion, that you veered off the main line of thought - like spinning out of control. You became very angry over nothing. It will be fruitless joining issues with you again on this one. Maybe when another topic springs up somewhere we can discuss reasonably. So, like I said earlier, if you don't have anything meaningful to contribute again, please back off.

McKren:
another 100years??
40years has gone and nothing has been achieved.

This country once exported Coal and its in other regions, the world is going green. Soon Uranium will be the world's hottest comodity. Nigeria's Uranium deposit is not in the South-South so I don't know why all the noise about oil.

We're gradually deviating, but I will make one last attempt to open your eyes. I started this thread for people who will like to discuss reasonably with us on the reasons why the delta was neglected in the scheme of things in Nigeria. I did not come here to darken the image of any tribe. True, in the course of my discuss, there's no way I will not mention the three ethnic groups that conspired to deprive us of our dues. But you suddenly came out of nowhere and started defending your ethnic enclave. The hausas and yorubas on this forum have been very quiet on this. But you come here to defend your people even when it's glaring to all that the Igbos wanted to take ownership of the oil resources (amongst other things) in the delta area and this led to the civil war of 1967, and subsequently their defeat and surrender in the hands of Federal forces in 1970.

If you feel so bad about the war, and the fact that your forefathers wanted to reap where they did not sow (which is one of the reasons your tribe is roaming all over Nigeria building castles in the air), try fighting the Federal forces again to prove them wrong!

If you know you don't have anything meaningful to contribute, please back off from this thread, OK?

McKren:
Was Nigeria divided when Isaac Boro started his struggle, everybody seems to be fighting for unity of Nigeria. God knows what that unity means.
The Igbos were fighting for oil, those who were not fighting for oil when the war ended the shared oil wells among themselves.

And your for fathers were so contended with the free properties they were given that belonged to the Igbos. They were not back stabbed they were rightly given their share. What else can a group of lazy fellows want.

Without oil you guys will die of hunger in nigeria.
Congratulations!!!!!!! It took you 40years to realise that, it will take another 40years to redirect your struggle against those who are marginalising you and leave the Igbos alone.

Firstly, you must know that the resources of the Delta are enormous. Indeed its non-renewable, but I can assure you that for the next 100 years we are still tapping the oil and gas resources in there. And talking about resources, you're very much aware that most of the littoral states in the country are in the Delta. Much as we have oil resources, we are blessed with enough aquatic resources, wildlife, forestry and a host of other sedimentary minerals that is the envy of other parts of the country. Indeed the delta area has been named an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) by Nigeria - for their selfish reasons. That we will die of hunger without oil is a childish conclusion from you,

The properties in Portharcourt was paid for by the FG. You guys willingly accepted the pennies and pounds given to you in return for all those 1930 - 60 buildings [ I doubt if any of such buildings still exists] Besides, Portharcourt has grown so large now, we can easily accept to give you guys some plots of lands elsewhere to compensate you for your loss - if you don't push too hard.

McKren:
The Igbos were fighting for oil, those who were not fighting for oil when the war ended the shared oil wells among themselves.

I like it when you now talk like this; exhibiting the double-speak attitude of the typical Igbo man. You were not fighting for oil but for your freedom, before now. But now, you're fighting for oil and others took over ''your'' oil. Abeg, make we hear word!

You must understand that Isaac Boro fought for the unity of this country. He was killed mysteriously, although evidence now points at his Commander at the time who wants to take all the glory for winning the civil war.

Anyways, the fact remains that the Igbos were conquered during the civil war. It's true that we went into that war with the intention of uniting the country. We have been stabbed in the back by those whom we thought have our best interests at heart. It's important to note that out of the three enemies of progress of the people of the delta, one of them (the Igbos) have been made to chill out for a while, after having been schemed out of the booty.

We pray the remaining two will be at each others' throat soon. Then, we shall be able to lay claim to what belongs to us.

http://www.cdd.org.uk/resources/workingpapers/niger_delta_eng.htm

Don't take that escape route. Read also some stuff about your brother: Philip Chukwedu Asiodu.

''The civil war was fundamentally an oil war, and the victor was quick to take control of the booty. Scant regard was given to the people on whose land the oil was derived, and all through the oil boom years lasting to 1980, they were conspicuous in their absence when it came to allocating infrastructure and sundry social amenities. Indeed, one of General Gowon's key advisers in the Federal Civil Service, Mr Phillip Asiodu, made the cynical remark that the people of the Niger Delta could do nothing to change this state of affairs because they were numerically insignificant in the Nigerian scheme of things. Little wonder then that when the storm broke in 1990 with the advent of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), it took everybody, including Nigeria's military government, completely by surprise''

McKren,
Questions:

1. Is it true that the Igbos carved the lands of the Delta along with their Biafran lands?
2. Why?
3. Is Kaduna Ezeogwu really a Niger Deltan - as you imply, or a kith and kin of the Igbos?

4.

McKren:
Yet you guys keep on thinking Igbos are your problem. I don't get it. Why can't you just leave Igbos alone

We don't believe in tacitly backing and arming criminals but yet denying them in the Open. That is cowardice
I don't know what you mean by Niger-Delta indegenes not backing MEND, when the first act of Newly elected governors is to call for the release of Asari Dokubo.
Is it not an insult on the sensibility of Nigerians that the newly elected Governor of River State Celestine Omehia is placing N1m bounty on any information on Militants when on the eve of handover May 29, he deployed Soboma George (Militant Kingpin) to assasinate Prince Igodo (another Militant Kingpin) for threatening to scuttle his handover. My brother better wake up!!!!

I never said the Igbos alone are the ones benefiting from the present parasitic arrangement. But I can recall saying something about the majority ethnic groups in the country, of which the Igbos are a major part.  As per the Igbos being the cause of our problems in the Delta, well, I think that statement should be credited to you in the light of the above explanation.

Asaba today is an Igbo enclave. And as far as geography and geology (technically speaking this time) is concerned, that place is not a part of the Niger Delta.

I think your people are fond of doing double-speak when the issue of Rivers and Delta States are being discussed. On the one hand you say the Ikwerres are your Kith and Kins in the Niger Delta. But when the chips are down and push turns to shove, you tell the whole world the Ikwerres are not Igbos. Omehia is an Igbo man. Go ask him and Odili (another Igbo man) why they're causing havoc in the Delta, if they don't have the mandate of their Igbo brothers in that regard.

As regards your claims on the innocency of the Igbos in the present quagmire we are in, please read up this site at your spare time: http://www.dawodu.com/omoigui13.htm So far, this is the only link that has a comprehensive details about what transpired between the forces that holds sway in this country and eventually led to the civil war in 1967 - at least all the sides Igbos, Yorubas and Hausa/Fulanis were discussed.

In Delta state, you say Asaba people are not Igbos - they are Bendel Igbos and now Delta Igbos.But we have the headquarters of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Asaba for Edo and Delta states there. Also it's on record that Chief Philip Asiodu, an Asaba high chief was amongst those who advised the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo to promulgate those draconian laws denying the Niger Delta people of their God-given resources. He told the man that the Niger Delta people are just a bunch of feeble group that can be conquered at anytime if they make too much noise. If you ask me, I will say the Igbos cannot be trusted with anything. You guys are like green snakes under green grass. At the slightest opportunity, you'll unleash the deadliest attack on anything, if not curbed.