State creation and the exclusion of the Ijaw (2) by Sabella Abidde State creation and the exclusion of the Ijaw The typical Nigerian does not know that the Niger Delta is the nations major breadbasket. They do not know that because Nigeria is a rentier economy, the entire nation depends on earnings from oil. However, in spite of the significance of oil to the global economy, the region is the most underdeveloped part of the country. Furthermore, many Nigerians do not know that 50 or more per cent of all oil and gas activities take place on the lands and waterways belonging to the Ijaw. Now, how can you be this rich; yet, be saddled with all manner of problems and challenges? But more than that, they get excluded in times and places where major decisions are being made. Is that fair, is that justice? It is this unjust and prejudicially discriminating attitude and behaviour that generally ignites the fire in the Niger Delta. It is not as if the inhabitants, especially the youths, are naturally or unnaturally predisposed to militancy and insurgency. No, not at all! They simply hate injustice and the superciliousness of other Nigerians. And so, this time round - be it 18 or 81 states - the Ijaw youths will be watching. I am not under the illusion that creating more states is the panacea for our countrys problems. Our problems lie in our national culture, our individual orientation and attitude towards the country, the nature of federalism we practise and the system of government in place. The solutions, therefore, lie in the reshaping of the aforesaid. However, to the extent that the majority of Nigerians are in favour of creating more states, and to the extent that the National Conference is inclined to creating additional states, then, the will and aspiration of the people have to be actualised. Even so, when the Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government was holding its deliberations with regard to state creation, what were its members thinking? Were they thinking in terms of national or regional interest or ethnic and sectional interest? And were they thinking, long or short term? You cannot be a great and deep thinker and not think that the Ijaw deserve two federating states. You cannot think long term and not think that it is in the interest of the country to do what is right and just - and what is right and just is to actualise the aims and aspirations of the Ijaw on whose back other groups ride. They are not doormats or handkerchiefs. In 1947, Chief Obafemi Awolowo posited that there are two routes to state creation: idealistic and materialistic. At the heart of these methodologies was ethnicity and etymology. Awolowo said: Ethnicity is the major factor to be considered as a criterion in creating any state in a federation so that minority groups in the midst of majority groups who differ in language, culture and historical background will not feel inferior. It was that simple and practical and just. In the end, you want a diverse society like Nigeria to get along, to be happy with one another; and for durable peace and collective happiness to flourish. You also want a sense of belonging. Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa and Sir Ahmadu Bello did not disagree. And indeed, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwes recommendation was also based, primarily, on ethnicity and linguistics. Beginning in 1967 however, governments - especially military government had, in addition to the position of our nationalist leaders, added other factors: Economic viability; administrative convenience; and geographical proximity. In 2010, several media houses reported the Deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, as saying that the National Assembly would undertake the creation of more states. He listed 10 criteria state creation agitators should aim for, and these included (a) the practicality of new states; (b) adequate population; and (c) justice and fairness to prevent a situation whereby a group from within the newly-created state would begin to agitate for another state. The National Conference, currently sitting in Abuja, added an entirely new criterion: population. It said that, For any new state to be created, such a new state must have a minimum population of one million persons. Now, why Toru Ebe State and Oil Rivers State for the Ijaw ethnic nationality? Here is why, but one more matter: Where was the Ijaw political leadership when other groups were vigorously and intelligently agitating for their ethno-national interest? Did they go to sleep, went fishing, or busy sharing and chopping? Where were Ijaw senators and members of the House of Representatives when this debate and solicitations were going on? Where were the President Jonathan and his boys when this was going on - after all, all politics is local.And for that matter, where were the members of the National Conference, of Ijaw extraction, when the allotments were being finalised. Do the Ijaw meet all the criteria for state creation? Yes? Do they deserve two states? Certainly! First, all publicly available figures show that the Ijaw in the Western Axis (Ondo, Edo and Delta states) are in excess of 1.5 million. The same sets of data also show that the Ijaw in the Eastern Axis (Rivers and Akwa Ibom) exceed the required number of people for a new state. Second, there are ample oil and gas on the lands and waters of both axes. Whats more, there are other natural resources to sustain them. In addition, they have abundant human resources to run a modern state. Third, until Gen. Sani Abacha came to their rescue in 1996, the Ijaw had been clamouring for their own federating states. This type of agitation will not go away. Ekweremadu spoke of justice and fairness to prevent a situation whereby a group from within the newly-created state would begin to agitate for another state. Well, this is exactly what Nigeria is going to get. The Ijaw will not stop agitating for two federating states. If their demands are not granted-and with the convergence of enabling forces - Nigeria could have to deal with a people who no longer want federating states, but, perhaps, a country of their own. The Ijaw are dispersed in too many states. They simply want to be housed with their brothers and sisters in other places. Is that so difficult for other Nigerians to understand? Accommodating them in their own states would also help to minimise conflict with other groups. Fifth, historical wrongs have to be righted. Since the 1970s at least, oil-related activities have badly damaged the environment. What have they got in return? Nothing, really. - Concluded
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 23:48:58 +0000
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