NIGER DELTA, THE DAY THE STRUGGLE DIED?

Is the ravaging military expedition in the Niger Delta of Nigeria the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end of the oil-war in the area, which has so far, defied military solution? Icheoku says, the war which has been going on ever since oil was first discovered at Niger Delta's Oloibiri in 1958 and just recently escalated into a full blown shooting-war by the Dracula of Aso Rock, President Umaru Yar'Adua is not the answer? The war which previously included all manners of psychological-intimidation, repression, protestation, agitation, intermittent police action has now suddenly escalated due to the excesses of the Hausa-Fulani hijackers of Nigeria who decided to kill-off Niger Delta people in order to covet their oil? Niger Delta people, who they consider a pain in the neck and hence had to roll in their tanks, airplanes, war ships and other weapons of mass destruction to completely annihilate, and blood flowed and is still flowing? Even one of this Hausa-Fulani uncircumcised mallam was quoted as saying that killing off 5 million of the Niger Delta people for the sake of the rest of 145 million Nigerians should be considered a reasonable option? And you ask yourself, what manner of blood-hounds are these mallams? Ka-ji-kwo?

But how could an otherwise agitation for such a good cause as resource control, gone so awry that sympathies have been since been lost and won respectively? How could the world, especially other Nigerians pretend that what is going on in the river-rine Niger Delta is merely a skirmish by a government trying to quell some recalcitrant dissidents aka militants? When and how did Niger Delta freedom struggle lose the propaganda war in the crisis to the Hausa-Fulani machine?

A few years ago before this current crisis snowballed into the inferno it is today, many Nigerians as well as other peoples of the world paid real attention to the brewing crisis in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Unfortunately the vanguards deviated or rather their struggle was hijacked by a few miscreants who careened it off course and turned it into a criminality of kidnapping and with it, they succeeded in turning off the generated interest and sympathy of these third parties. Icheoku recalls that world-media Cable News Network, CNN, did a documentary on the Niger Delta struggle, anchored by Jeff Koinange then CNN’s Africa correspondent, responsible for reporting for CNN from across the African continent; which they later followed up by dispatching Lisa Ling with a full camera crew from New York, Georgia, United States of America on a fact finding visit to one of the militants' camp inside the belly of the beast in the Niger Delta. The reporter/war correspondent was not impressed by what she saw and heard; and concluded that these guys are not serious, they are disorganised, rudderless and without a common purpose. In short they are a bunch of hooligans and criminals, indiscriminately shooting off guns and intimidating people? Put in another way, they are a bunch of menacing thugs and Tompolo is in hiding?

After watching this rather sorry commentary on the Niger Delta struggle on CNN, we concluded immediately that it was the end of the road for the struggle? Borrowing from Jesus Crucified, 'it is finished' and so it was, that the days of the militant' struggle were numbered? Icheoku says, bad press is rather too cancerous and anybody, including those supposed freedom-fighters in the Niger Delta, who ignores it, does so at their peril. The Niger Delta agitators ignored the power of the press and today, they have paid and are still paying dearly for this stupidity and unforgivable ignorance. What a hefty prize, indeed, that their noble and courageous struggle was branded a terrorist-militant dissidence, forcing the world to look the other way while the Hausa-Fulani marauders slaughtered them and pillaged their society?

Icheoku have opined on the best 'sea-route to India' regarding the Niger Delta struggle but they were not heeded. We advised on the need to have an organized centralized commanding authority divided into both political and armed wing, to pursue the struggle in a dualized fashion but t was not heeded. The Irish example buttresses this point? We also advised against the kidnappings going on in the Niger Delta, of people of Niger Delta by people of the Niger Delta masquerading as militants; yet it was not listened to? We posited that a house that is divided among itself is bound to fall after the kidnap and release of author Elechi Amadi; yet it was not heeded and today, what remains of the struggle is a mere house of cards, that will topple with with further squeeze; with Tom Ateke begging for amnesty? We advocated taking the struggle outside the Niger Delta area, to the Hausa-Fulani peoples of northern Nigeria in their Northern enclave but it was not heeded? We also canvassed that the Niger Delta freedom fighters avoid pitching a direct battle with a brutal earth-scorching Nigerian army as they are not a match both in equipment and viciousness; but it was not heeded? We also advised the understudy of the Irish Republican Army, Sons of Iraqis/ Mujaheddin as well as all other freedom struggles in history; and how it is suicidal to take head-on an organized centralized army of any nation; but it was not heeded. We warned that the North will use their divide and conquer strategy to have their way in the Niger Delta and today, the rest is history as so many militant-wings mushroomed and none of them could be said to be the authentic bastion of the peoples struggle?

The result is an earth-scorching invasion by President Umaru Yar'Adua' s army which have killed, maimed, vandalized and burnt the areas known as Niger Delta. We also advised on the need to pursue propaganda vigorously; and the need to engage some public relations firms to sell the struggle to the world but it also was not heeded? What happened, the north succeeded in branding the struggle as a bunch of disgruntled terrorists-militants fermenting trouble who must be got rid of; the world acquiesced their tacit approval and the dogs of war were let loose upon defenseless peoples of the Niger Delta. Icheoku says it is because the Niger Delta struggle lost the propaganda war, yielding their freedom fighters status to mere militants that they have not fared well in the current campaign in the delta? Henry Okah is in inhuman military detention, captive of the feudalistic north? And who wants some bunch of weed-smoking, AK47 totting militants in their neck of the wood, when the atrocities of Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq flood our television screens daily? Who wants to be beheaded or kidnapped for ransom or forced to live a particular type of regimented life under an Islamic Mujaheddin Asari Dokubo control? Not this writer and not anyone I personally know. This was the picture painted of the "trouble-makers" of the Niger Delta and the world left them on their own, so you see?

There is no manner of words which has not been employed to describe the mediocre-struggle of the Niger Delta militants:- disunited, disorganized, dysfunctional, clueless, incoherent of objective, inarticulate, lacking strategy, rabble-rousers, trouble-makers, criminals etc and the list goes on ad infinitum? For a country which has fought a civil war before against the people of Biafra who were forced to defend their right of peaceful existence in Nigeria, today's escapade in the Niger Delta does not bode well for Nigeria united? So far the Niger Delta freedom fighters have given a good account of themselves with their brilliant performances both against the invading soldiers and the arrogant oil companies? About 18 Nigerian soldiers and 3 officers dead or missing as a result of militant activities is no small achievement under the circumstances considering the investments made to bring these soldiers up to the fighting machine which they supposedly were? Reliable sources has it that so many other soldiers were also gravely wounded and these are fellow Nigerians pitted against their fellow Nigerian of the Niger Delta because some Hausa-Fulani oligarchs are being very unreasonable in asserting obtrusive control on other peoples natural resources? What a display of feudalistic arrogance by these mallams of the Nigerian far north?

As Icheoku mourns the foreseeable end of an otherwise worthy struggle, which was terribly mismanaged and/or sabotaged; as well as the devastation wrought by the Major General Sarkin-Yarki Bello led Hausa-Fulani invading army of the north, we sympathize with the people like Ken Niweigha who laid their lives for this struggle. Let us hope the people of the Niger Delta have learnt their lessons and the next time around, it will be a very different approach. Also it is important for Niger Delta people to understand where their biggest and best alliance in Nigeria is? It is also essential for them to understand where to align themselves in Nigeria - with the only big brother who they truly have, the Igbos! In the Igbos lies their destiny if they must succeed in their struggle and no amount of their ass-licking of the Hausa-Fulani or the Yoruba will make them worthy of equal acceptance in their eyes? The people of Niger Delta saw how dismissive they were in the eyes of these Northerners, when one of them mouthed that they are disposable and just five million of them can be and should be sacrificed for the greater welfare of other Nigerians? Are you scared? Icheoku says, as you suck your wounds, oh Niger Deltans; now you know what not to do!

However, we must acknowledge the courage, gallantry and bravery of the resistance at Okerenkoko, Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State. At least they achieved somewhat victory as every trained Nigerian soldier's life was worth a lot in this lopsided hostility between them and the militants and 18 of them were forced to drink of their potion as they paid the supreme sacrifice, including a major, and a lieutenant colonel? Icheoku says, if an ill-equipped and out-numbered resistance could wreck such quantum of havoc on the Nigeria army; it finally explains why the authorities in Abuja hurriedly handed off Bakassi to Cameroon, because they were deathly afraid of the chances of their army pitched in a battle against the Cameroon gendarmes?

Regrettably too, the palace of the monarch of Gbaramatu Kingdom was ransacked and razed down by the invading Northern soldiers which forces Icheoku to ask, were it in the North, could any of these soldiers have ventured into the emir's or sultan's palace? This is one of the burning issues that need resolution in Nigeria - the equality of Nigerians?

Icheoku also disagrees that money is being lost as a result of the activism in the Niger Delta, as the oil which is not being exploited and sold off today, is merely being deferred for future earnings! What is the use of selling off the oil today under the very highly corrupt government in Nigeria which will as usual fret it away and without addressing the pressing needs of the people for whose primary benefit, God put the resources under their grounds?

Finally, Icheoku says, no matter how the current military rampage in the Niger Delta concludes and while sympathizing with the unnecessary loss of lives, the bravery of those sons and daughters of Niger Delta were not in doubt. As they struggle through whatever is left of their pitched battle with the feudalistic Nigerian armed forces, struggling to free themselves from the shackles and take back what belongs to them, their oil resources, we wish them Godspeed! Peradventure, providence will remain on their side until a somewhat victory is achieved in due course. All that is needed is some perseverance, a show of resolve and the will to carry-on; and eventually the world will be forced to step in to call for a truce and possibly a conference will be called to settle the lingering problems afflicting the Niger Delta? If the Hausa-Fulani accedes the control of the natural resources, that will be alleluia?

To the brave people of Niger Delta, let it be known to you that the nearest hour to dawn is usually the darkest and the last laps of a marathon is usually the toughest; but if you persist, you shall surely cross the finish line. Victory is within reach more than you know it as Port-Harcourt and Warri refineries crude oil shortage is a sign that your effort is beginning to yield dividends? Also President Umaru Yar'Adua cannot be so desperate for an amnesty if he is not deathly afraid of losing the current showdown? But first, you must stop kidnapping your people, your kinsmen, your women and children; so that you can regain their goodwill, the support of the world and stop being seen as mischievous miscreants bent on disrupting oil flow to Western countries? Reassert yourself for what you are, - the freedom fighting crusaders of the Niger Delta!

Icheoku says, try not to lose your focus and the ideals behind your fighting as it is for a just cause - the freedom of your people and God will see you through! We strongly believe that we have not seen the last of you, not the beginning of the end of your struggle? Fight on Niger Delta and you shall be bountifully rewarded in due course! Icheoku supports your righteous struggle to be emancipated from the talons of the lazy and arrogant feudalistic mallams of the Sahara desert! Aluta continua!