RANDOM POLITICAL THOUGHTS OF ABELS ON THE NIGER DELTA HIS HOME!!!

Author: Eugene Abels

First published: 28 May 2009 · 

I.We Niger Deltans must agree that the current strategy has EXPIRED and we must develop strategies and a psyche to see “Resource Control” as a "BONUS" & not as condition precedent to developing ourselves. Even if we are cheated ,We owe ourselves the primary responsibility of developing our families, homes, villages, towns, and region with what we get..NO OTHER ETHNIC GROUP WILL DO IT FOR U. 

II.Niger Deltans , we blame everybody and everything but ourselves and create the impression that once we control the receipts of oil that all will be well with us...and until we get resource control we will not make our local & state governments accountable and ensure that what we have now should be used for the benefit of our people. 

III.Our Political office holders do not see themselves as representatives of the people but of the Federal Government ( except for Lagos State Government Officials) thus they carry the federal Coat of Arms and Colors on their call cards and letter headed paper. While States have their Colors and Coat of Arms or Logos. 

IV.As Niger Deltans : (i) where do we want to be in (ii) what do we want to be known for by the world in the next 5years. 


V.What is happening in creeks was predicted and the IYC( an elected group) asked all groups to close their camps and MEND questioned them publicly instead it being done indoors ..it revealed our disunity..did the IRA ever challenge Sinn Fein or Insizwe Inkarta ever challenge ANC? Nobody brings the enemy to fight in his living room where his parents and family are domiciled. 

VI.When Ken Saro Wiwa was "fighting" he spoke to the people regularly and meetings were held, has the IYC , INC or MEND ever called for a meeting to carry everybody along particularly the non-ijaw speaking Niger Deltans? We must stop, change and reappraise the struggle & its objectives and ensure not to alienate , we the people, the non-ijaws, & build bridges outside the region. OUR HEAD NOT OUR MIGHT MUST LEAD. 

VII.A lot of self appointed spokesmen for the region will become unemployed as happened with the civil rights movement in Naija when the military left..this RUBBISH will be encouraged by these charlatans so as to remain relevant..DOES THE I.N.C KNOW THE SPOKESPERSONS FOR FINIMA, BASSAMBIRI, ORIJE, OFONI, AKPOR, SAPELE, EGI ,EKPEYE and what the aspirations of these nationalities are? WE MUST CHANGE! 


VIII.Let us create a PLAN (the north have vowed to be the food basket of the nation and they are currently exporting food) of where we want to be with what we have in 5yrs and show how to achieve it. Do we want to take over SHIPPING, OIL, COMMERCE,MEDIA, CONSTRUCTION or become the airline hub in West Africa et.al ? 

IX.As Niger Deltans where do we want to be and what do we want to be known for by the world in the next 5years? There must be a PARADIGM SHIFT from seeking development from the Federal Government and Resource Control to maximizing RESOURCES (HUMAN & MATERIAL) within our control to achieve our set goals. 

X.Imagine our losses: the petroleum economy, tourism, real estate, shipping, internal generated revenue, credibility of our struggle, foreign and local investments, state revenue, death of our youths, kids, aged. Let us stop the blame game, get all domiciled in the Niger Delta to buy in and prepare for TOMMOROW. ALUTA CONTINUA! 

XI.All these (Militants versus the Nigerian Military) would not happened if the Nigerian State apparatus had not failed. We have nine (9) intelligence units and to date photos of the actors have not been published, No convictions of sponsors of bunkering and gunrunning. Why did we Ijaws not protest and publish names of the actors and their sponsors in Thisday newspaper instead of daily threats to publish. If at the end of this military exercise there are no convictions it would be a major embarrassment to the FGN. An internal purge of its agencies must be done for anything positive to be achieved and we (Ijaws) must not condone illegality in our domain. Imagine our losses: the petroleum economy, tourism, real estate, shipping, internal generated revenue, credibility of our struggle, foreign & local investments, state. 

XII.Simon Kolawole, I just read your Sunday Thisday insert and wish to say that you are wrong to suggest that the Odi massacre led to further militancy..odi, okrika, warri actors were not agitators but political creations attributed to former governors and ethnic wars . And due to the failure of the Nigerian state they became strengthened and became useful when we (ijaws) needed to shout about marginalization and the boys needed legitimize themselves. It will continue until the state cleanses itself and deals internally with illegal bunkerers & gunrunners, ineffective intelligence, collaborators and political sponsors. 

XIII.Our revered Adaka Boro even changed strategy and joined our oppressors to liberate the Niger Delta in the civil war..WE MUST CHANGE OUR WAYS! 

XIV.To save us from our children (militants) Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwai Ibom, and Delta states spend our scarce resource at an average of N2.4billion ($24millioon) monthly to fund the armed forces (JTF) to enable us enjoy "this relative peace" we have.. if you were them(JTF) will you end the problem??

XV.The world is broke (the UN inclusive) and nobody is willing to spend scarce resources on wars ..ask the people in Congo.. ask the Tamil Tigers who were abandoned.. 


XVI.The least Local government in the Niger Delta receives a minimum of $100,000 monthly..Ask Tanzania, Congo, kenya, Rwanda and Niger what they go through to get this amount from the world bank or IMF. 

XVII.One of the ways is to begin to force all tiers of government in the region to account for expenditure of our resources held in trust for us, and also make them account for price & quality of projects embarked upon, emphasize strategic importance of projects and hold our elected officials ,Youths, Elders, NDDC, Rivers Basins et.al accountable. Stop all forms of illegal business in our domain (oil theft, kidnapping, Gun running, Narcotics, private armies, white elephant projects). 
XVIII.