Government is not serious with Niger Delta crisis’

Government is not serious with Niger Delta crisis’ 22/7/2008

The President of the Ijaw Youth Council, Dr. Chris Eyikor, believes the Umaru Yar’Adua administration is not doing much to end the Niger Delta crisis. Joke Kujenya met him. What were you into before you became the IYC President? I have been and I am still a practicing dental surgeon. I am from the Kpatari creeks in the Niger Delta region. I am livid about the dreadful underlying issues bedevilling the Niger Delta regions beyond the charade being presently exhibited by the Nigerian government. And a situation in which the sharing formula of the resources is in defiance of the constitutionally recommended 15 per cent of the national revenue is quite pathetic. I am lending my voice and life to cry against the levels of injustice being propagated by various Nigerian leaders; which unfortunately is upheld by President Yar’Adua in spite of his due process farce. People take all of you Ijaw-leaders as loafers that you just want to sip your part of the milk. What do you say to that? Yes, let any one say what they like, I really don’t care. And what is the crime in eating, sipping or sharing from whatever is accruing from the wealth of this nation? Is that not what our leaders are doing? I am not saying we should steal or siphon Nigeria’s wealth. I am not for that, please. I am saying that the money belongs to all of us and we should all benefit judiciously from it. All those saying we want to eat are just being petty brain box. The constitution allows 15 per cent sharing formula but they are giving us 13 per cent. Look around you, the Odua’s People Congress (OPC) in the South West of the country is helping a lot of youths by sending them to school. Something similar is also happening to a lot of people in the North. But in our own case, they have destroyed our ecology. Our fishermen cannot fish conveniently because our waters have been polluted. So, what we are defending in our region is restoration of justice and equity and nothing else. How do you think help can get to the region when the youths are constantly shooting and people will fear for their lives? Look, our youths will readily drop their arms for developmental ventures if the Nigerian government can create investment-friendly environment in the region and show more initiates with federal presence. And who says work is not going on there already? Go and see, Julius Berger is on with some construction works and there are other works going on too. These youths are sensible; they want development. The problems arose because they have felt deprived for so long and they are just seeking justice. That’s all. Specifically, how do you think the Yar’Adua government can right the wrongs and what’s your view on the planned summit? As far as I am concerned, that summit is a misplaced priority and another attempt at wasting Nigeria’s resources. There had been several summits and what have they produced? We don’t need any summit. What is required to help resolve the crisis is for the government to show more political will and initiatives that will bring significant development to that section of the country. Yar’Adua’s dispatch of military personnel to the area is an error of judgment. He shouldn’t have done that. It just shows that he is indifferent to the plight of the Niger Deltans who are bonafide citizens of this country. To me, that action is unnecessary. Yar’Adua should simply allow reason to prevail and withdraw the military men. He should engage the youths as key players in the development of Nigeria. Instead of making us suffer continuous deprivations, Yar’Adua if truly serious about due process can ensure equity, initiate business ventures in place of gun boats and warships. He should galvanise and redirect the strengths of the youths to meaningful means of livelihood and with this done, the hostilities will stop. If the president can change tactics and be diplomatic in his approach to the Niger Delta crisis, I assure you that agitated arms group will be disbanded and hostage taking will be relegated to history, among others.