No sun will shine in my day today. The high yellow moon won’t come out to play. I said darkness has come and covered my light, and has changed my day into night. Where is the love to be found…? These are the words of legendary reggae artist, Bob Marley in his album titled, “Concrete Jungle”.
The frequent near fatal challenges that would have whittled our corporate existence, always find solutions. The “nine lives” characteristic of Nigeria has indeed earned it the title “Gods own Country”. Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) are however trying to walk Nigeria into a concrete jungle situation.
The new militant group is allegedly sponsored by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GEJ) to distract and if possible cause social, political and economic havoc in the country. It is also believed the group is out to “avenge” for the political mischief the deadly Boko Haram was used to raise negative propaganda which culminated in the ouster of Jonathan.
Some are of the opinion that President Muhammadu Buhari administration has suffered enough self-inflicted gaffe. This group feels its puerile for anybody to think Jonathan has any interest in raising any group to destabilize such a government. It is also believed that the group may have fizzled out. That their mission is primarily to cause minimal confusion and nothing more. I am however of the opinion that this group shouldn’t be trivialized.
What many are yet to understand is the fact that Nigeria is crafted and sustained on interests. Nigeria was founded on imperialistic economic interest. After attaining self-rule, ethno-religious interest took the center stage. The oil boom however created economic interest for a few Nigerians. Out of all the interests that has characterized the existence of Nigeria since the adventure of the colonialists, business interest of a few Nigerian leaders has been the only force keeping the country from fragmenting.
Economic interest of colonialists only ended in maladjusted framework for a budding nation and exploitation of our resources. They literarily begged our founding fathers to manage affairs of their own country in 1958. Ethno-religious challenge of the country led to pogrom, civil war with negative resultant consequences. But Nigeria always find away around its most critical period as a nation.
The social, political and economic climes of a few individuals started to take shape after the civil war. Business interests continued to spread across the country like cancer in the 1980’s, climaxing the celebrated Abacha oil bloc sharing exercise. From that time, nothing else was more important than business interests of a few powerful Nigerians.
The new militant group currently bombing oil installations in the creeks have finally ‘dialed the number’ that has potentials of initiating the dissolution of Nigeria faster than any form of ethno-religious upheaval ever witnessed since independence. The planned threat to destroy oil blocs owned by some Nigerians is definitely a direction most militant groups have managed to overlook since the era of revolving terrorism in Nigeria.
Those whose oil blocs might soon go up inflames include: Former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma rtd, among many other prominent Nigerians. Already the militant group have laid claim of shutting down 50 percent crude oil production in the country since the past one month.
The group has made it clear they are not interested in kidnapping, killing of Nigeria soldiers, engaging in sea piracy, embarking on vessel and tanker hijacking. They claim they have sophisticated weapons with strategic maps of oil blocs to bomb. If the threat is carried out, it will crumble the multi-billion dollar monarchy of a few prominent Nigerians.
The powerful individuals whose business interests are about to go up in flames are also people of great influence over millions of their followers. They decide for their people and have been largely responsible for calming down volatile national issues capable of tearing the country apart. Their business stakes has been the last glue holding the whittling strand of Nigeria’s unity.
The oil blocs in the creeks of Niger Delta hold a lot of interests. It is from the ocean of wealth generated from this mash lands that fuel other conglomerates dotted across the country. These polka dots of business concerns across the country owned by these few influential Nigerians are the nuggets none of them is willing to lose by conceding to secessionist agenda.
The Niger Delta Avengers have indeed studied the history of militancy/terrorism in the country. Nigerians will be shocked at the way the unity of Nigeria will be tested once targeted blocs start going up in flames.
Ijaw unrest based on what they describe as exploitation and degradation of environment started in 1998. Militancy in Nigeria however started in 2004, 12 years ago. Boko Haram has been active since 2002, its 14 years old. None of this unrest has really affected the rich the way the Avengers are planning. It has always been the poor who are bombed, kidnapped, dispossessed of properties.
Prognosis of the looming war on Nigeria’s commonwealth shows the imprint of some Nigerians who are a combination of ex-militant group and a new group poised towards destabilizing affairs of governance. The motive is to avenge for the region and some unresolved political interests – an alleged vengeance mission against President Muhammadu Buhari based on “political” use of Boko Haram on former President Goodluck Jonathan administration?
The major interest of the Avengers is politically driven to trigger a Tsunami of violence capable of knocking off that strand of unity so battered, so tossed by revolving chair of bad leadership, jaundiced economic policies, macabre cleavage based social order and hereditary poverty.
The benefit is to take out Northerners from oil blocs, which some Niger Deltan’s believe is theirs in the first place. The poor Nigerians living in the Niger Delta area will be so willing to work with the Avengers regardless of financial benefits. The motivation, the benefit will be realized once they get the lugubrious satisfaction that “Northern” oil moguls financial monarchy is reduced to rubble.
Once the oil blocs start going up in flames, an equal reaction will start in other parts of the country against businesses owned by “Southern” businessmen. With nothing else to lose, nothing else to salvage, nothing else to gain, those who have been holding Nigeria’s unity on account of their business interests, will indeed show their fangs by directing their supporters to the path of destruction (what the fowl will not eat, it will scatter).
Written by Israel A. Ebije.
ebijeo5@gmail.com
@ebijeisrael
