SEPARATION OF THE NIGER DELTA FROM NIGERIA: RESPONSE TO ARGUMENT ADVANCED BY CLARK Vs EVAH in VANGUARD. 31/8/05

Chief Clark, Evah disagree on armed struggle in NIGER DELTA was the heading of a news report published in the Vanguard of Wednesday August 31, 2005. Then again, the report continued as follows: We cannot be saying that we want to produce a President in 2007 and at the same time balkanizing the country. This last statement is extremely nonsensical, and needs to be shown as such. : Being President of the Niger Delta which has been a well known part of the Trans Atlantic Community through several centuries, and including historical landmarks such as Old and New Calabars, historic Benin, and the ever glorious Grand Bonny, and several other such landmarks, on the Atlantic coast, is a thousand times more honourable, more rewarding, and more prestigious, than being the President of the most corrupt ex- colonial country, dishonourably and most recklessly created by forcing several incompatible tribal conquests and warring religions together to form a colony and given the meaningless name Nigeria; only less than a century ago. By contrast, the Niger Delta is one of the most idyllic and charming places on the central Atlantic coast of West Africa. And it comprises hundreds of rivers, creeks, streams, lakes, islands, mangrove forests, wonderful fishes and an exciting maze of nature’s gigantic mangrove plants. Of the more than six sea ports in monster Nigeria, only one, situated in Lagos, is outside the Blessed Niger Delta. Its ever jolly people are among the most aesthetic in Africa; and scenes of dances and plays of the Niger Delta adorn the entrance of the new British Museum in London. We its sons and daughters must end its being vandalized by philistine tribes from far away on the fringes of the Sahara desert who know neither beauty nor art. And they have never shown appreciation for our contributions of blessings and endowments to them

In the first place,  the issue that strikes any one is not whether armed struggle is to be used ; but that armed struggle is not necessary in every struggle, particularly in this our struggle, where the justice and the argument are all on our side. The desire for the separation of one or some of the conquered ethnic communities that were forcibly merged together by a colonial power to become a colony and then a country ought not in any way require any form of armed struggle. We have no obligation whatsoever, to remain in Nigeria. And we can leave Nigeria provided that we do not take along any one community against their will.

So in 1963, Singapore peacefully separated from Malaysia. Earlier in the last century, to be exact, in 1947, at the independence of India, the great Islamic scholar Mohammed Jinnah insisted that the Muslims in India could not live with the Hindus and develop as one country, and for that reason, there must be separation so that the Muslims would have their exclusive nation in which they can develop. In consequence Pakistan was formed as an exclusive Muslim nation with its capital at Karachi. Later, urged by the dignity and love of their great Islamic religion, they founded a brand new capital and gloriously named it Islamabad, in honour of their highly disciplined religion. Very recently East Timor separated from mighty and most powerful Islamic nation of Indonesia. And the separation was peaceful. Sensible people do not fight or stage armed struggle over such issues as separation. Two friends or two brothers may live together, or they may separate if either of them chose to do so. All over the world a husband and his wife separate when they cannot live peacefully together. It is not the end of the world if the Niger Delta separates from Nigeria for any reason. There is always a means to test whether separation by any group is the popular desire of the separating people. In East Timor it was determined by a referendum organised by the United Nations. People do not prepare for separation by training themselves for violence. If they do so, they usually lose the justice of their cause. The time and money spent for arming ourselves can be better spent in convincing our people that separation is desirable and a lasting remedy for all our tribulations in Nigeria. This was what the people of the Baltic states comprising Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia did, and they got their countries separated from the powerful Soviet Union without a fight. In South Africa, the ANC worked hard and prepared their people to struggle in unity. They did not win by armed struggle, but by the justice of their cause supported in a liberal world. Albeit, they adopted peaceful non cooperation and civil disobedience and such like methods which were usually effective. They had justice on their side and they convince the liberal world accordingly. So they got justice observed by their oppressors.

In the case of Biafra in 1967 -70, the Igbos would have seceded successfully, if they had called for a referendum. But they rather prepared for war. The people of the Calabar -Ogoja and Rivers states rejected Ojukwu and supported Gowon only because, Gowon created states for each of them pretending that, each of the states would function autonomously like the states of the United States of America. On this account they did every thing to establish the states. This included travelling abroad and telling the liberal world that they did not like to secede with Biafra. However, at the end of the war, particularly by 1974, the Islamic North pushed Gowon aside, took over power and converted the states to status lower than local governments for the purpose of robbing the South, particularly the states of the Niger Delta of the revenue from their resources. So, you see, one of the main reasons why Biafra failed was because they included communities which did not desire to be with them. Biafra's failure had nothing to do with the North, not even their power was able to beat Biafra. The Imperial government handed over power to the more backward Islamic North; and they used the advantage to harass the South.

The question which everyone asks is; Why then did the Colonial government transfer power to them, the less educated lots, at independence?  The answer is that; because they were too docile and they were seen to be more likely not to flirt with Soviet communism in an independent Nigeria. Next door to Nigeria, were the Christian people of Ghana? At independence, they shifted to the Soviet Block. The Capitalist block therefore wrongly harboured the idea that Christianity in Africa was more in sympathy with Soviet Communism, while Islam everywhere at the time, was seen to be more Capitalist friendly. So at independence in Nigeria power was transferred to the less developed Islamic North instead of the more developed and educated South. And incidentally, at the time during the Cold War, a study by Dr. Oruwariye of University College London revealed that Southern Nigeria alone had produced more than half the number of graduate and professional class than the rest of Africa put together. In Nigeria the North was too uninformed to be a problem to the imperial government in days of the Cold War. A mere village school teacher in the Islamic North became the Prime Minister of Nigeria at independence.

The report of the disagreement between Clark and Evah also stated that, We cannot be saying that we want to produce President in 2007 and at the same time balkanize the country. This is an outrageous nonsense. To begin with, it merely shows what politics is in a funny country, like Nigeria where the tribes are cobbled together to become a colony and then independent. In funny Nigeria politics does not depend on policies, but rather on the tribes taking their respective turns, to rule the country. It is not surprising that nincompoops always rule the country. You can compare those Europeans who ruled Nigeria during the colonial period with the Africans who rule it since independence. The European colonial administrators were highly educated; they ruled Nigeria in the absolute interest, prestige and pride of their nation. They were devoted and committed. On the other hand the rubbish Africans that have been ruling Nigeria since independence, have no such commitment. They are only one of the 200 disparate tribes ridden in conflicts, envy, jealousy and suspicion with the other tribes. In fact they represent their own tribe or group of tribes. Even on that account, they can never be good leaders. They are the most rubbish and dishonest leaders. When we separate our leaders of the Niger Delta will be devoted. Because we all desire to be together.

Nigeria is a monster that kills its own peoples in the Niger Delta and elsewhere. You can't rule 200 disparate tribes without killing some of them every day. In order to keep them quiet because peace and harmony are impossible to achieve in the circumstances. Anyway, any sensible honest politician would rather be the President of the Niger Delta than president of corruption ridden Nigeria whose nationals flee daily to more functioning nations in Europe, America, The Middle East and Asia. Only a thief will be very anxious to be the ruler of Nigeria. His ambition will be to satisfy the thirst of the Islamic North in vandalizing the Niger Delta for its wealth. They do not believe that a nation or a people can survive without mineral resources. They cannot see that the most advanced nations in the world in Europe and Asia do not have natural resources.

We in the Niger Delta can feel proud that despite our tribulations in Nigeria we have helped the rest of the tribes that were forcibly merged together to become Nigeria. It was from here in the Niger Delta that Lugard travelled to the fringes of the Sahara in his evil colonial ventures that ended up in making us subordinate to the Islamic Northerners bossing us. Lugard did nothing whatsoever to enhance the fame of the Niger Delta at all. Before him several Spanish sailors and adventurers had visited the Niger Delta on their voyages that introduced South Africa to Europeans. Yet out of the more than three thousand railway lines constructed in Nigeria from south to north, only less than twenty miles are within the Niger Delta. And it was the revenue of the Niger Delta that was used to construct the railways. `Also out of the more than six natural sea ports in the country, only one, that is in Lagos, is outside the Niger Delta.

And as Chukundum Ikeazo wrote. Nigeria treatment of the oil producing Niger Delta is nothing short of ingratitude and disrespect wrapped in a packet of contempt, for a people whose resources have sustained Nigeria for the last 30 years. Oil and nothing else have paid for all the soldiers and dictators toys, guns, the tanks, jets the limousine, state houses etc. Oil has paid for the excesses of Nigeria's elite nouveau riche, and civilian and ruling classes, including the traditional rulers, their summer holidays trips to Europe, their mansions at home, ( no more mud huts and bungalows ) and abroad , their mistresses, imported foreign prostitutes , their viagra pills that have killed many of them, their Mecca and Medina Hajj, and pilgrimage, their fancy night clubs and hotels.  Oil has made Nigeria what it is today, and yet oil politics and revenue allocation have impoverished , deprived and denied the very people from whose soil it comes. Lament of The Niger Delta by C. Ikeazo with forward by Aliyi Ekineh patron : Eastern and Niger Delta Unity Association. London Obtainable at African Book Centre Covent Gardens London.

Also the Report contains this argument about balkanizing Nigeria. The statement or argument show abject ignorance of the nature of the Balkan states in the south-eastern peninsula of Europe. The area comprises Albanians, Greeks, Turks, Bulgars and others in a small area of territory in Europe. Before the 7th century they formed part of the Byzantine Empire and later they were ruled under the Principality of Venice. From the fifteenth century they conquered by the Ottoman Rulers and they became part of the Ottoman Empire which collapsed at the end of the First World War in 1918. It was the separation of these territories to what each of them had originally been, that many referred to as balkanization or splitting them , so that each of them would be like the rest of the nations of Europe , in which each nation comprises communities of like minded peoples that enjoy one common basic religion that influences its cultures and values. Now, how does this relate to the Niger Delta separating from Nigeria into which it was forcibly merged with several other unknown and disparate tribes and warring religions to form the monster Nigeria only a century ago. No human being with any dignity would be pleased to be in such a recklessly created country. It beckons neither pride nor honour at all. The more one knows of the reckless origin of Nigeria, the more and the harder , the one fight to break it up. So that there will be a Niger Delta founded by it own peoples, and an Igbo nation founded by its own people, and a Yoruba nation also founded by its own people. This is neither fragmentation nor balkanisation. Each of these nations will comprise a larger population than the average nation in Europe and the Middle East. In fairness to the Imperial power that created Nigeria so incautiously, and gave it its name, even their present generation have expressed openly that, It was a grave mistake. They are honest Christian people. Now we are begging them to give moral support to our demand for separation.

In the Niger Delta Republic Movement we urge our people not to use force because we believe that we can succeed without the use of force. Others have succeeded.  Some even adopt civil disobedience, non cooperation  and such like. We have not yet made sufficient effort to convince the liberal world that we desire to separate. You see, although they all know that separation is the one and only solution, they cannot impose it upon us. If you see someone trying to put a heavy load upon his head , you may try and help him , but you cannot put a load on the head of someone who is not making an effort in that direction. So we must carry on the struggle dauntlessly and we must persevere. And we must not back until we are ready to bite. In nation building the desire among the component communities to live together is the most vital requirement, particularly if they all enjoy one common basic religion that can influence their cultures and way of life. All the nations of Europe have these attributes. A common ancestry and a common language are also good enough, but they do not by themselves sufficient for nation building.

For example, in the British Isles that comprises England, Scotland Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, all the people speak one common language, and they also enjoy one basic common religion, but they have not on that account, become ONE NATION. There is no desire in all of them to be one nation. Also, earlier in the last century Hitler's attempt to force all the German speaking communities in Europe to be one nation, failed woefully. It is always the desire to live together, and be blessed with a common basic religion to influence our cultures and way of life that is vitally essential in making a nation. These factors are present in all European nations and also in Asia and the Middle Eastern nations. It is only in Africa that the European colonial system created nations by forcing into one administration several disparate communities and warring religions. That is why African nations continue to be backward.  So in the Niger Delta Republic we must never include any community that does not desire to be part of us. May God continue to bless our beautiful Niger Delta, however such a community may be part of the geographical Niger Delta.

It may be necessary at this stage to reveal an important plan. The Arewa Islamic North have been quite successful in always imposing its policies and ambitions on the rest of the country, particularly the South. In 1978 their slogan was No Sharia, No Nigeria. Although there was no Sharia at that time and during Shagari's Presidency, they did not abandon the idea. Then their coups continued and Alhaji Babangida became Head of state.  Within the first year of his reign, he registered Nigeria as an Islamic nation in 1984. There was a cry and condemnation which died down very soon. And every one adapts to the situation. Later in 1998 they traded Abiola for their favourite stooge Mullah Obasanjo and they made him the President on the understanding that he would do nothing while one state after another all the 14 Islamic states declared Sharia. Again ever one in the South condemned their actions, but later it died down, and everyone adapt to it. Now Nigeria is registered as an Islamic nation. And all in it keep quiet and adapt accordingly.

Their next plan according to some Intelligence sources is to adopt a common lingua franca . This will be the Hausa language. It will be made the official language for the fourteen Sharia states which will be given a common name that will suggest their great Islamic connection. And they have chosen one city - Katsina that will be their capital, though some prefer Kaduna of old. They are frantically looking for an Obasanjo outside the Yoruba area of the South. If they do not get a reliable Obasanjo in those areas, then one of them will be president. And they will continue to pick and chose the matters and the policies in respect of which they will continue to cooperate with the rest of Nigeria until certain eventuality occurs that will enable them to do without Revenue Allocation. Their final decision will be made at their own appropriate time. This will be separation on their own terms. Consequently, there will be a commotion among the rest of the tribes, as many tribes will grope about not knowing with which tribe to join up and form a new country. It will be catastrophically. The leaders of the Islamic North are sure that , as usual, everyone in the South will adapt to every new policy that they will proclaim in their interest. They expect two more states in the former Northern Region to declare Sharia and join them. They will then become sixteen States given one identity , common language and a common religion. These plans are still confidential. It is likely that many in the South have known about them. May God help us in the Niger Delta to found our own nation before these plans begin to hatch. .

In conclusion ~ We must not be cowards. Let's not fear the so called power of the Islamic North. In this struggle we insist that we don't need weapons and we should persevere and convince all our people that we should all dauntlessly demand separation. You see if we declare separation, the rest of Nigeria led by the Islamic North may try and threaten us. We should not be afraid. They have got no justification for attacking us. If they do, they will fail. They will fail because, before we declare separation we should have made our case for separation quite convincing to the world. And the world will definitely help us to succeed. Fortunately, it will be quite easy for the world to understand our reason for separating. Nigeria of 2005 is not the same as Nigeria of 1966. Everyone in the world has now known that Nigeria is a fake and a cheat and it is only a patchwork of tribes forcibly cobbled together by colonial adventurers, and it has not worked since independence.

To this extent, even those who created Nigeria and gave it the name , have expressed regret.  Also, Christian governments do not do any thing which is unjust according to Christian morality. If they do, their own people will not support them. And every Christian government takes notice of what their  people say. That was why all of the African colonies got independence after Hitler's war. According to Christian justice after Hitler's war, it was unjust to keep a people in bondage or as colonies. So the rest of Nigeria will be wrong to prevent us from separating by the use of force. We will get support from outside. Also it will be worse for those tribes of Nigeria that try to fight us. They cannot succeed. If they attempt to fight us and we eventually succeed , which we must , it will be worse for them. Let us fight tactfully and succeed easily, and without shedding any blood, whether ours or others. May God Bless The Niger Delta.

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