We wish to thank the organizers of this august conference for giving us this unique opportunity to share our thoughts with a vast audience of the Ijaw community present here on the challenges facing the Ijaw nation today.  A little historical digression is appropriate on this sort of occasion, as this brings necessary perspective to the dire condition that we find ourselves today as a people.  At the ending decade of the 19th century into the early part of the 20th century, a vast segment of Ijaw nation was engaged in a war against British interests in the fight for the control of one of the main resources of our community.  Then this resource was palm oil.  Unfortunately, the British succeeded in subjugating our forbearers in this war for the control of the palm oil trade.  This certainly had several devastating consequences from which we are yet to recover; as this set the precedence for the external control of our resources, our dignity and our lives.  Today, we are engaged in a more sinister and far more dangerous conflict that has as its predetermined outcome the extinction of our communities as we know it.  This outcome can only be a possible if we fail to acknowledge our situation for what it truly is, and act accordingly to reverse the situation.  To reverse this horrendous possibility, we must commit ourselves to a deliberate, vigorous and concerted struggle to reclaim our birthright and recover our humanity.  We have said more sinister and dangerous to describe the current conflict because the agents of our destruction are individuals and groups who claim common kinship with us within the nation-state called Nigeria.  Today, the naked truth is that Ijaw nation is a colonial territory within a brutal Nigeria state, hell bent on appropriating the resources within Ijaw territory for the benefits of distant lands.  Given this reality, what is far more cynical and sinister, is that in cohort with these agents are our kinfolks within the Ijaw nation.  For crumbs from the looted wealth of our community these kinfolks, have connived to engage in the continued subjugation of our peoples.  The truth is the Ijaw nation is all too aware of these saboteurs in our midst.  The valiant pre-independence struggles of some of our Elders here today and the gallant revolt led by the late Isaac Adaka-Boro in the mid-60's, reminds us that this struggle for freedom has been ongoing for a very long time.  With these historical antecedents, the critical question facing the Ijaw nation remains thus: Why do we continue to succumb to the machinations of those saboteurs masquerading as leaders who continue to be agents of our collective destruction?  It is this question that leads logically to one of the major challenges confronting the Ijaw nation today and which is an internal imperative that must be resolved for Ijaw nation to progress.  This imperative is one of leadership within Ijaw nation.  Are we going to allow ourselves to be led by individuals whose agenda is selfish, narrow, and continue to perpetuate a slavish relationship with the powers of the Nigerian state?  Or are we going to use the opportunity of this gathering to strategize and develop a platform to enthrone and sustain a leadership that is bold, progressive, community-oriented, and seeks to liberate the latent energy of Ijaw people for the self-sustaining growth of our communities?

By its very definition and essence, a leader is one that sets a vision and directs the group or community into accomplishing the objectives agreed upon.  Even with the democratic space what can we say of our political leadership across the board?  After four years of democratic dispensation, what can our political representatives say they have accomplished for our people?  Can anyone of them present here today stand up and speak with gusto enumerating any of their accomplishments?  It is a very sad commentary on the State of Ijaw nation that after the very recent pronouncement of the epochal Kaiama Declaration (KD) coupled with the heroic and brave struggles of our youths against our oppressors in its aftermath the Ijaw nation is still engaged in a battle to chart a self-sustaining course for liberation.  Today, the language of resource control that has been appropriated by our political leaders is more of rhetoric and cliché.  In all three states - Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers - with significant Ijaw representation, and also the National Assembly none of our Ijaw representatives initiated legislation to address the significant issues raised by the struggle for resource control.  Even in the area of environmental degradation and pollution afflicting our communities as a result of crude oil exploration and exploitation, an area in which significant redress can be achieved by way of legislative initiatives at the various State Houses of Assemblies, we are not aware of any bill that was sought to tackle these problems.  Currently, the Nigerian constitution is being reviewed by stealth at the National Assembly: what is the input by our legislators in this process to protect the interests of the communities that they serve?  Rather than confidently enumerating their accomplishments, our elective leaders have been engaged in a maniacal struggle for re-election.  We must use this opportunity at this point to state that we unequivocally reject the rumored deal between the President and the Governors of the South-South region on resolving the onshore/offshore dichotomy.  The deal is nothing but another manipulative exercise by the Obasanjo administration to further consolidate the present status-quo of iniquity and injustice against the peoples of the Niger-Delta.

Another issue that must challenge this august conference is the fate of our Ijaw kinfolks in Edo and Ondo states.  It is no news to all that there is a deliberate campaign of calumny by the majority groups in those states to illegally appropriate the lands and deny the rights of citizenship to our people.  What political strategy do we have as a people to fight for the protection of our brethren?  Given the pronouncements of leaders of the majority communities in these states and the possible implosion of the Nigerian state, what strategy does the Ijaw nation have to protect our kinfolks from the possibility of forcibly ejecting them from their lands?  This is an immediate and urgent reality facing our peoples in these states.

Just as we are confronted by a very challenging political environment, made worse by a failure of leadership, so also is the Ijaw nation confronted by daunting circumstances in the socio-economic realm.  As a result of environmental pollution, the self-sustaining capacity of our lands and rivers to feed our people have been severely degraded.  Coupled with the criminal neglect and failure of the Nigerian state to provide necessary infrastructural facilities in our communities, the daily existence of our people have become nightmarish, leading to a state of despondency and a collective sense of doubt in our ability to sustain ourselves.  Our communities have been worst affected by the maladministration of the Nigeria nation.  This is evident in the large number of our unemployed professionals and non-professionals.  Even in the oil and gas sector that dominates Ijaw landscape, our people are still discriminated against when it comes to employment.  As a consequence of these conditions, the prevailing circumstance of abject poverty further puts a strain on our already weak fabric of social connectivity and collectivity.  Social values that have long sustained our peoples are severely being challenged if not completely being eroded.  At this juncture, we cannot fail to mention the health problem of monumental proportion that is gradually decimating our communities.  This problem is the growing HIV/AIDS epidemic.  By anecdotal accounts, the occurrence of this pandemic disease in some communities has reached a crisis level.  We must start developing strategies to deal with this problem in all its ramifications.

Having enumerated some of the numerous challenges facing the Ijaw nation, we wish to make a few recommendations.  These recommendations are pointers for action which we believe if accepted and executed will begin the process of redressing the socio-economic morass the Ijaw nation finds itself today:

1. Of foremost importance is for us to acknowledge the true nature of our existence in the current Nigerian state.  This is important as it enables us to formulate the proper strategy for dealing with the problem.  Therefore, we must see Ijaw nation as a colonial outpost of the Nigerian state seeking liberation and independence.

2. With this acknowledgement we must urgently initiate a process to prepare the Ijaw nation for the eventual convocation of a Sovereign National Conference in order to renegotiate our relationship with the Nigerian state.

3. We recommend that a group of dedicated Ijaw professionals be commissioned to prepare a holistic economic blueprint for Ijaw communities.  The cornerstone of this policy should be focused on grassroots socio-economic mobilization.

4. We hereby state that there is an urgent need for a political code of conduct for elected public servants from Ijawland.  This code of conduct should also guide the nature of political activity within Ijawland with a primary goal of eliminating violence in our political activities and empowering the people.  One of the essential features of the code must also be to orient Ijaw public servants that their primary responsibility is to serve their immediate constituencies.

5. There is an urgent need to revive the Ijaw Youth Council's Peoples Parliament initiative that has been suspended.  This is to continue the process of grassroots political and social mobilization.

6. We call on this gathering to mobilize community groups to start a massive and aggressive campaign against HIV/AIDS, thus educating people on the dangers of the diseases as well as creating an avenue where people infected with the disease can have a safe haven.

We hope this gathering will critically review these recommendations.  With the eventual adoption of these recommendations, we as a people can start charting a new course and deal with the current unacceptable situation of having externally implanted leaders decide our fate. We further hope that initiatives and strategies to identify and empower individuals with progressive vision for Ijaw nation will commence immediately.  Having identified our problems, future generations yet unborn will not forgive us, if we fail to act decisively to address and find lasting solutions to these problems.

Thank you,

Signed

Rowland Ekperi
Francis Ebikefe Porbeni

Both on behalf of Ogele Club and INCUSA

Communique issued at the end of the 7th council meeting of Ijaw youths held at Kalabiama community in the OPOBO clan of Ijawland on the 20th day of March 1999

From Ijaw Youths Council, organ of the All Ijaw Youth Conference, C/O Ijaw National Congress, # 1, Aggrey Road, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. 6 April 1999

INTRODUCTION

Delegates and council members from the 67 clans of Ijawland met at the ancient town of Kalabiama in the Opobo Clan of Ijawland on Saturday the 20th day of March 1999. This is the 7th paliamentary meeting of Ijaw Youths since the Kaiama Declaration. Other paliamentary sessions had taken place in Bomadi (Bulu-toru Clan)twice; Oloibiri (Ogbia); Minama (Kalabari Clan); Ogu-Bolo (Okrika); and Kongho (Akassa).

The Opobo session saw an examination of local, national and international issues and interests which borders on our march to our self-determination as people. Council reviewed and approved the work of the collegiate leadership as mandated from the last meeting at Akassa and agreed as follows:

(1) The period set aside for the mourning of our slain colleagues officially ended on the 24th of March and agreed that the collegiate leadership should take all necessary steps to immortalise all those killed for the Ijaw cause. Council, however, urged all Ijaws to prepare for greater challenges ahead because the hearts of our oppressors have been hardened against our struggle for freedom and justice.The mourning period we declared should have been a period of sober reflection for them but we can now confirm that they are bent on killing more as the recent deployment of troops and armaments in the Ijaw area have shown.

(2) COUNCIL noted the refusal of the military dictatorship and the oil transnationals to enter into dialogue with the elected representatives of the Ijaw people saying it is a sign of intolerance and avowed faith in the gun. Council brushed aside their refusal and empowered the collegiate leadership to engage in genuine dialogue that would lead to:

(a) The release of all bodies of Ijaw youths killed between December 30th and February 28th 1999 for proper burial in accordance with our custom and tradition.

(b) Realisation of all aspects of the Kaiama Declaration.

(c) The de-militarisation of Ijawland.

(d) Peaceful co-existence among the Ijaw people and also between the Ijaws and their neighbours.

(e) Development and for our collective self-actualisation.

(3) COUNCIL vigorously kicked against the rumoured implementation of the 13% Revenue allocation formula; the allocation of 11 oil blocks in the deep waters to some so called indigenous oil companies; the recent posting of some 41 ambassadors to countries around the world and the recommendation by the panel of generals headed by one General Oladayo Popoola on the matter of the Niger Delta. The council said what the Ijaws want is a control of their natural resources with which we as a people can carry out programmes and projects which suit our culture, our custom and our aspirations as human beings. Gone are the days of Father Christmas of that distant, disinterested and corrupt federal dictatorship. We urge those who have been allocated oil blocks to reject them. We urge all the OIL ALLOTEES not to pay the 20 million dollars to the ruling generals until the issue of ownership of resources in Nigeria is democratically resolved. We Ijaws are fishermen and women in the main. Whoever that must do business in our land must have the capacity to protect our collective heritage. Our waters are our source of survival. Ijaw Youths will take necessary political action to protect our people, our waters and our land as the economic colonisation advances Sea wards. The ambassadorial posting is insensitive, unfederal and provocative. We reject it.

Similarly, the recommendation of the General Popoola panel is very insulting. Our suspicion is that like all such ambitious contract-inspired development plans, it may be designed to give opportunity for the perpetuation of ten per centers and other forms of corruption. We the Ijaws know what to do with our resources and our money. What we expect the generals to do is to cancel all the obnoxious decrees that they fashioned to impoverish us and to quietly vacate from the governance of our Country.

(4) COUNCIL challenged the Abubakar regime and the incoming civilian government to put all the issues concerning control of resources; obnoxious decrees; Environmental protection; Revenue formula; type of federation etc to a referendum in the Niger Delta.

Council is convinced that the oppressed and deprived people of the Niger Delta will reject all the oppressive policies that have been fashioned against her these past 42 years.

(5) COUNCIL commended the unity of he Ijaws in their demand for justice from the federal military dictatorship and the oil transnational companies. Council, particularly commended the role some of our elders have played in the ongoing struggle for self-determination for our nation. Despite the tempting torrents of carrots ferried from house to house and from office to office by agents of the ruling Generals and corporate bodies, our elders have remained resolute for justice. They have refused to succumb to the lure of lucre. Under intense pressure from the controllers of state power and the corporations some nearly sold their Ijawness for some ridiculous recognition. Council now welcomes all such prodigal kings, Elders and opinion makers saying:

The Youths of Ijawland will never betray the cause for which our liberation is tied. The future belongs to us all, whether as ancestors, elders or youths. There is a great life after the pain of every struggle. Let us learn from history of other struggles where internal conflict could stunt giant strides towards freedom and justice.

(6) COUNCIL called for investigation into the submissions from Ijaw scholars, historians and nationalist to the effect that the British betrayed, abused and ignored the pacts the Ijaws had with them to LET US BE. In particular, council was called to look at the TREATIES signed by the Delta, particularly as it relates to the Ijaw Nation. Council was informed that the Treaties were Treaties of protection and self-determination but that Britain and their successors and assigns, the military dictatorship, have abused these Treaties and there is therefore the need to take every step to reclaim and reposses our possesions. The collegiate leadership was empowered by council to make adequate representation to Her Britannic Majesty, the Queen of England, Queen Elizbeth II, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the House of Commons. Council empowered the ASAWO-OPU and CLUB 67 of Opobo Clan, the Nembe 1895 Movement and the Bonny Protection Organisation to work with the collegiate leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council on this diplomatic Initiative aimed at attaining self-determination for the Ijaw people.

(7) COUNCIL once again dissociated itself from the alleged incidents of kidnapping, hijacking and hostage takings, noting that undue emphasis has been placed on these criminal acts ostensibly to discredit the legitimate struggles of the Ijaw people for self-determination.

(8) COUNCIL observed with approval the near cessation of hostilities among various communities of Ijawland and also between Ijaws and Itsekiri and between Ijaws and the Ilajes. Council noted that such hostilities were rife between the Ogoni and the Andoni and between the Ogoni and the Okrika in the heat of the Ken Saro Wiwa led popular struggle of the Movement of the Survival of the Ogoni people. Council commended the people for heeding the call for peaceful co-existence and directing their energies on the real enemies-the oil transnationals and the military dictatorship. Council observed that joint struggle can give birth to the sweetest victory. The agent of disunity and exploitation are united in PROFIT. We must be united in our aspiration for freedom and justice.

FOR THE COLLEGIATE LEADERSHIP:

Felix Tuodolo
Oronto Douglas
Kingsley Kuku

THE KAIAMA DECLARATION 

  by 

IJAW YOUTHS OF THE NIGER DELTA 

BEING COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE ALL IJAW YOUTHS CONFERENCE WHICH HELD IN THE TOWN OF KAIAMA THIS 11TH DAY OF DECEMBER 1998.

INTRODUCTION

We, Ijaw youths drawn from over five hundred communities from over 40 clans that make up the Ijaw nation and representing 25 representative organisations met, today, in Kaiama to deliberate on the best way to ensure the continuos survival of the indigenous peoples of the Ijaw ethnic nationality of the Niger Delta within the Nigerian state.

After exhaustive deliberations, the Conference observed:

a. That it was through British colonisation that the IJAW NATION was forcibly put under the Nigerian State

b. That but for the economic interests of the imperialists, the Ijaw ethnic nationality would have evolved as a distinct and separate sovereign nation, enjoying undiluted political, economic, social, and cultural AUTONOMY.

c. That the division of the Southern Protectorate into East and West in 1939 by the British marked the beginning of the balkanisation of a hitherto territorially contiguous and culturally homogeneous Ijaw people into political and administrative units, much to our disadvantage. This trend is continuing in the balkanisation of the Ijaws into six states-Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, mostly as minorities who suffer socio-political, economic, cultural and psychological deprivations.

d. That the quality of life of Ijaw people is deteriorating as a result of utter neglect, suppression and marginalisation visited on Ijaws by the alliance of the Nigerian state and transnational oil companies.

e. That the political crisis in Nigeria is mainly about the struggle for the control of oil mineral resources which account for over 80% of GDP, 95 %of national budget and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. From which, 65%, 75% and 70% respectively are derived from within the Ijaw nation. Despite these huge contributions, our reward from the Nigerian State remains avoidable deaths resulting from ecological devastation and military repression.

f. That the unabating damage done to our fragile natural environment and to the health of our people is due in the main to uncontrolled exploration and exploitation of crude oil and natural gas which has led to numerous oil spillages, uncontrolled gas flaring, the opening up of our forests to loggers, indiscriminate canalisation, flooding, land subsidence, coastal erosion, earth tremors etc. Oil and gas are exhaustible resources and the complete lack of concern for ecological rehabilitation, in the light of the Oloibiri experience, is a signal of impending doom for the peoples of Ijawland.

g. That the degradation of the environment of Ijawland by transnational oil companies and the Nigerian State arise mainly because Ijaw people have been robbed of their natural rights to ownership and control of their land and resources through the instrumentality of undemocratic Nigerian State legislations such as the Land Use Decree of 1978, the Petroleum Decrees of 1969 and 1991, the Lands (Title Vesting etc.) Decree No. 52 of 1993 (Osborne Land Decree), the National Inland Waterways Authority Decree No. 13 of 1997 etc.

h. That the principle of Derivation in Revenue Allocation has been consciously and systematically obliterated by successive regimes of the Nigerian state. We note the drastic reduction of the Derivation Principle from 100% (1953), 50% (1960), 45% (1970), 20% (1975) 2% (1982), 1.5% (1984) to 3% (1992 to date), and a rumored 13% in Abacha's 1995 undemocratic and unimplemented Constitution.

i. That the violence in Ijawland and other parts of the Niger Delta area, sometimes manifesting in intra and inter ethnic conflicts are sponsored by the State and transnational oil companies to keep the communities of the Niger Delta area divided, weak and distracted from the causes of their problems.

j. That the recent revelations of the looting of national treasury by the Abacha junta is only a reflection of an existing and continuing trend of stealing by public office holders in the Nigerian state. We remember the over 12 billion dollars Gulf war windfall, which was looted by Babangida and his cohorts We note that over 70% of the billions of dollars being looted by military rulers and their civilian collaborators is derived from our ecologically devastated Ijawland.

Based on the foregoing, we, the youths of Ijawland, hereby make the following resolutions to be known as the Kaiama Declaration:

1. All land and natural resources (including mineral resources) within the Ijaw territory belong to Ijaw communities and are the basis of our survival.

2. We cease to recognise all undemocratic decrees that rob our peoples/communities of the right to ownership and control of our lives and resources, which were enacted without our participation and consent. These include the Land Use Decree and The Petroleum Decree etc.

3. We demand the immediate withdrawal from Ijawland of all military forces of occupation and repression by the Nigerian State. Any oil company that employs the services of the armed forces of the Nigerian State to "protect" its operations will be viewed as an enemy of the Ijaw people. Family members of military personnel stationed in Ijawland should appeal to their people to leave the Ijaw area alone.

4..Ijaw youths in all the communities in all Ijaw clans in the Niger Delta will take steps to implement these resolutions beginning from the 30th of December, 1998, as a step towards reclaiming the control of our lives. We, therefore, demand that all oil companies stop all exploration and exploitation activities in the Ijaw area. We are tired of gas flaring; oil spillages, blowouts and being labelled saboteurs and terrorists. It is a case of preparing the noose for our hanging. We reject this labelling. Hence, we advice all oil companies staff and contractors to withdraw from Ijaw territories by the 30th December, 1998 pending the resolution of the issue of resource ownership and control in the Ijaw area of the Niger Delta

5.. Ijaw youths and Peoples will promote the principle of peaceful coexistence between all Ijaw communities and with our immediate neighbours, despite the provocative and divisive actions of the Nigerian State, transnational oil companies and their contractors. We offer a hand of friendship and comradeship to our neighbors: the Itsekiri, Ilaje, Urhobo, Isoko, Edo, Ibibio, Ogoni, Ekpeye, Ikwerre etc. We affirm our commitment to joint struggle with the other ethnic nationalities in the Niger delta area for self-determination.

6. We express our solidarity with all peoples organisations and ethnic nationalities in Nigeria and elsewhere who are struggling for self-determination and justice. In particular we note the struggle of the Oodua peoples Congress (OPC), the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (Mosop), Egi Women's Movement etc.

7. We extend our hand of solidarity to the Nigerian oil workers (NUPENG and PENGASSAN) and expect that they will see this struggle for freedom as a struggle for humanity  

8. We reject the present transition to civil rule programme of the Abubakar regime, as it is not preceded by restructuring of the Nigerian federation. The way forward is a Sovereign National Conference of equally represented ethnic nationalities to discuss the nature of a democratic federation of Nigerian ethic nationalities. Conference noted the violence and killings that characterized the last local government elections in most parts of the Niger Delta. Conference pointed out that these electoral conflicts are a manifestation of the undemocratic and unjust nature of the military transition programme. Conference affirmed therefore, that the military are incapable of enthroning true democracy in Nigeria.

9 We call on all Ijaws to remain true to their Ijawness and to work for the total liberation of our people. You have no other true home but that which is in Ijawland.

10 We agreed to remain within Nigeria but to demand and work for Self Government and resource control for the Ijaw people. Conference approved that the best way for Nigeria is a federation of ethnic nationalities. The federation should be run on the basis equality and social justice.

Finally, Ijaw youths resolve to set up the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to coordinate the struggle of Ijaw peoples for self-determination and justice.

Signed for the entire participants by:

Felix Tuodolo
Ogoriba, Timi Kaiser-Wilhelm.