Niger Delta problem is beyond peace pact - Tam David-West

Tam David-West

South South Bureau Cheif, John Ogbedu, monitored Professor Tam David-West's recent interview on the Port Harcourt-based Rhythm FM in Which he spoke on issues of national significance. Excerpts:

A few days ago, unknown persons kidnapped Professor Nimi Briggs, chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and member of the Economic Advisory Council. What do you make of that incident?
It shocked me; it is very unfortunate. I don’t see any reason somebody like Briggs should be a thorn in anybody’s flesh because I have not known him to be associated with any political situation. From my investigations, some people seem to be making moves to project to the country and to the entire world that Rivers State is unsafe. Abduction of persons is part of such moves. It is unfortunate because Rivers State belongs to all of us. The success of our state is the success of everyone of us. If it is unstable and we scare people away from it, people will not come in to invest in the state, both national and international businesses. We are cutting our nose to spite our face.

What is the way out of this problem, especially when you consider the current wider dimension of the Niger Delta crisis?
Let us put our hands together and sort out our differences; Rivers State is bigger than anyone of us. We must first note that we (in the Niger Delta region) are, by nature, not violent people, we are very friendly people and we want one Nigeria. This current Niger Delta crisis started in 1999. Politicians created diabolical structures so that they can ensure their political survival. Now, they have created monsters (cultists and militants) they cannot control and are polarised in different camps and different people use them for diabolical purposes.

On the way out, President Umaru Yar’Adua should give sincere, general amnesty to all militants in the Niger Delta region to enable them come out of the creeks with their kith and kin to join in building Nigeria. When they come out of the creeks, they will tell the truth. They will open up and from what they will tell us, we will move forward. Without that (amnesty), we will continue to go through this cycle of violence.

Government and militants recently signed a peace pact in Bayelsa State aimed at cessation of violence. Is this action different from the amnesty you are calling for?
All they have been doing is deja vu! We have heard those stories before. We need a workable master plan for the region, with laudable programmes at various stages. We will not solve the problem unless we go to its roots. Do you know how many groups of militants exist today? I have heard that there are near 20 and sometimes, they are antagonistic to one another. Then, you carry their cases straight to Abuja without their input. It is wrong! Grant them a general amnesty and they will come out of the creeks.

I assure you that when they come out from the creeks, there will be peace. You can sign one million pacts with whichever group, but you cannot cut ice. So, we should start from the fundamental, not with vendetta. Allow them to come out (of the creeks) because the only person that can make peace with you is the person fighting you. You don’t make peace with someone in absentia. So, the Federal Government should grant them general amnesty first and we can start from there.

The Federal Government has allocated N44.6b in its 2008 budget for security in the Niger Delta region with no clear distinction of what is actually going to the creeks. Is this a genuine way of checking militancy?
No, no, no! That is what I am talking about. The Federal Government should be sincere at all times. You set up the Oil and Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), both largely cosmetic. We are not interested in the figures in the budget for these agencies. You can set out billions of naira in the budget, it doesn’t make anything when only about one-quarter of the budgeted sum of money is released to NDDC. Security belongs to the people; you have to go to the people, who are the stakeholders, who are in the mangrove slums in the creeks, not to people in Port Harcourt or Abuja.

Do you subscribe to the school of thought calling for the scrapping of the NDDC?
I will not exactly subscribe to that school of thought. I am not saying that they have done well and I am also not saying that they have done badly. But, the problem is that NDDC is like it is mollified under the earth. They have good people working there; they have a lot of funds; they have problems. But, they must sit down and tell the average Nigerian in Rivers State how many contractors (of Niger Delta descent) have benefited from NDDC projects. To cut the long story short, they should go back to the drawing board. The philosophy behind NDDC is good, but if its funds are not properly managed, it will end up making pockets of millionaires without any meaningful development of the region.

Why did you accept to serve as a member of the Rivers State Economic Advisory Council set up by Governor Rotimi Amaechi?
I am happy that some people have phoned me to ask me, what is this thing that warranted you or encouraged you to accept membership of this economic council? I have witnessed a lot in Rivers State right from the time of the first military governor of the state, Alfred Diette-Spiff, 1967-1975. I have continued to write about Rivers State and the country because God has given me challenges in life. I have never joined any political party before and I will never join anyone.

Why?
It is simply because I don’t want anyone to gag me. So, I am free to talk, say my mind without fear or favour.

Coming to your earlier question on why I agreed to serve in the Amaechi administration. I did not know Governor Amaechi and we did not meet formally until last November. But, I had written about the injustices and others and I have suffered in this country, including my wrongful imprisonment for allegedly receiving a wrist watch as a gift while in office as a minister. For nine months in prison, which is one year in the prison calendar, I was still fighting injustice.

Is it the injustice Governor Amaechi suffered in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that informed your decision to work with him?
When he came to talk to me, I told him that I had never met him formally, but that injustice to one person was injustice to all. That was why I supported him. I knew he was going to win his case at the Supreme Court. In short, I see this young man as focused and when I spoke to him on what he wanted for the state, he said he wanted a new Rivers State and I was impressed. I will contribute my quota to his administration. I will pray for him and encourage that the programmes, if he will be allowed to carry them through, are implemented without hitches. I am honoured and privileged to be part of that (Rivers State Economic Advisory Council) team

What do you think is the right economic blueprint for Rivers State?
I am serving in the Good Governance sub-committee. Without good governance, every other thing is useless. We have to create a conducive atmosphere to sink our differences.

There is no need fighting or killing ourselves. We must accept that Rivers State is bigger than all of us. Nobody should create an atmosphere of fear and insecurity. We have to brand a new Rivers State, hawk it and sell it so that people would see the difference now. We want to cut the umbilical cord from the old Rivers State . There are too many contractors, too many lobbyists, far more than expected.

You once described the Governor Peter Odili government as the darkest period in the history of Rivers State? Do you still stand by this?
Yes, I said so and still stand by it.

Why?
It is because they were like mercenaries. As you know, mercenaries would not like to lose a battle or like the battle to end. When the battle ends, there will be no more work for them to do. Odili’s sycophants were like mercenaries, they were not sincere. I supported Odili initially; I stucked out my neck to make him succeed. But, I found out later that he was not sincere.