 Dear brothers
and sisters,
this letter is written to sue for peace with you my brothers and sisters of the Niger-Delta. As the Bible teaches, there is time for everything under the sun. There is time to sow and time to harvest. Now is the season of peace and our beloved area — the Niger-Delta must be part of it.
For too long our dear land has remained under fire and blood, deprivation and turmoil. This can’t go on forever. It is time to change, to reject forces of negativity, think afresh a future that is bright and devoid of hate, acrimony, indiscriminate destruction of life and property or the free flow of human blood. We cannot continue in the interest of humanity to live with the pains of the past; we must create a basis for a new beginning of a future that is painted in beautiful colors and laden with garlands of success and prosperity. Signs within the horizon suggest that it is time for truce, to give peace a chance in order to plan for meaningful development and establish love, understanding and lasting bond of friendship.
Three related factors compel this letter to you now. Foremost is the global desire for peace as exemplified by the UN declaration of every 21st September as the Day of Peace. It is being celebrated right now all over the world. But as we talk, preach and celebrate peace, I am reminded that the house next door is still on fire and the streets out there are fouled with blood and cascades of destruction. For long now, my brothers and sisters in the Niger-Delta have not known peace. I am therefore worried that while the rest of the world is talking of peace the news from my area remain that of war, threats of destruction and invasion of cities and rebuff of peaceful entreaties. The reports are depressing as they do not portend much hope for peace but danger. This has been the sad and painful story for some time. But the passage of another 21st September with its herald of chorus of peace should serve as a springboard to truly work for peace.
Don’t get me wrong, I know how you feel. I am familiar with the deplorable condition due especially to policy neglect of the area. The cause of the struggle is definitely noble, just and worthy, but is the current tactics of arson, kidnapping etc helpful? Methinks not. This is the second compelling reason for writing. It is propelled by concerns based on common destiny, interest, values, aspirations for development and origin. Like you, I am from the south-south geo-political zone of the country.
I have spent all my adult life since graduation in 1977 in the service of young people — facilitating their development, empowerment and participation in the development process of society. I have traversed all parts of the country and equally done a little bit of research on youth participation. In the process, I have interacted, listened, dialogued with young people over time. Why can’t I apply the little skills and knowledge at my disposal to my zone of origin by entering into dialogue with youths of Niger-Delta — my brothers and sisters? I sincerely believe we can parley together for the good of all. Time is now to change tactics.
Weep not any longer, for you have made the point abundantly clear enough about the degradation, neglect, injustice, illogicality and immorality of the poverty of the region. The world is aware of your efforts. After the rain comes sunshine. After the sowing comes the harvest. This is our time of sunshine and harvest. Apart from the chorus of peace echoed all over the world especially since September as engineered by the UN, there are signs of hope and rays of light at the end of the tunnel. The creation of a Ministry of Niger-Delta is significant as it falls within the pattern of the big push approach often applied to dealing with difficult situations all over the world be it in Europe or the USA.
This immediately leads me to the third reason for this letter — the belligerence of the Niger Delta youth and the ceaseless frightening and thus disturbing news credited to them. Take some samples: “We’ll soon overrun Port Harcourt”, (Sunday Sun 21st September, 2008 page 4) “No deal, militants rebuff Niger-Delta elders...”“Operation hurricane Barbarossa to continue” etc. These stories reported in many papers of the day severely contradict the mood and the desire of the season — PEACE. To say the least they do not portend peace but danger. How can, when they are about impending destruction of the Garden City and oil installations which could leave the zone in uncontrollable state of inferno and wreckage for long. I mean, how can the rest of the world be singing peace and what is coming from my land are songs of war and music of the battlefield?
Perhaps I am most disturbed because I have just returned from PH. The thought of the brutal attack or destruction of the city including its riches, beauty and lives of innocent people frightens me deeply to the marrow of my bones. Consider the loss already put at N360m per day and 600,000barrels per day. This is a colossal waste in every consideration.
Apart from economic loss, ponder now on the new direction of the struggle, with its new colours of protest which have turned an otherwise noble cause into a nightmare of sorts. Take a look at the turn of events characterized by violent protests, murder, arson, wanton destruction, excessive criminality, endless flow of blood — mostly of innocent citizens. Add these to another dimension of the prolonged crisis — pervading distrust in the land. Suspicion is the name of the game. Now some of the youth leaders cannot appear before the government initiated Truth and Reconciliation Committee for lack of trust. The Joint Task Force (JTF) would not take seriously the cease fire declared by the militants for same reason. And the youths would no longer entertain peace overtures from their elders. Indeed the new colors of protest are ugly and unbefitting and their effects are devastating and retarding. Certainly they are not what Adaka Boro, the martyr of the Niger Delta cause stood for or envisioned.
Nor were they what I had in mind in the early 1980s when I referred to the advent of oil wealth in Nigeria as a curse in a lecture I gave to a group of students of development studies at the university college, Swansea in the UK. Uppermost in my mind then was the legion of neglect and loads of opportunities lost to turn the country around including the Niger-Delta. I was concerned with the nation’s urban bias development policy and the resultant sprawling poverty, rural and agricultural neglect which pervaded our society in spite of oil wealth. The creation of the ministry of Niger-Delta seems to me an appropriate response to lingering serious problem of our time, capable of revising the curse by exorcising the evil spirit which has held our country down for too long.
So let’s return to the original intent and cause of the struggle — meaningful development of the Niger-Delta area. Let’s spread our tents for peace wide and far. Let’s embrace peace in all ramifications. By the time you read this letter, Nigeria would have turned 48 years. So let it not be said that the baton of peace, unity and development has dropped from you. For we are better off in one big united Nigeria. The rebuff of the elders is no longer necessary even if we need to relate with them cautiously. Everyone has a role to play and a right to participation in the peace process. The youths have the energies, skills and courage to fight for a cause. The elders have the knowledge, experience and wisdom to offer. There is truism in the saying that the words of the elders are the words of wisdom. The relationship is symbiotic. While society benefits from the raw and boundless energies of the youths, it benefits too from the wealth of experience and wisdom of the elders.
“Youths obey thy elders” says the bible. Papa was a rolling stone sings a musician. One cannot remain a youth forever. The elders of today were the youths of yesterday, and the youths of today shall be the elders of the future. Obedience to the elders is thus a generation obligation of sorts. How would you feel if in the period of your grey hairs you are rebuffed by the younger ones? Boro in the face of promising signs especially at the policy level would have sued for peace. Unlike the youths, he would be able to recognize the positive signs of the moment. Youth’s idealism, doggedness and adventurism have their use. But they need to be tamed in the interest of the society and the youth. The youths are great fighters, the trouble though is that more often than not they do not know where and when to apply the brakes. This is where the elders count — to serve as mentors, moderators or teachers. Otherwise the youths get consumed by their idealism, their cause gets defeated. This has been the case and lesson of history since the time of Joan of Arc 1413 — 31, the maid of Orleans, a French patriot and martyr who helped France in the rescue of Orleans. Had she stopped here, the story would have been different. An attempt to make more conquest led to her capture, slavery and execution in 1431 in England.
My dear compatriots, this is the time for peace to reign in the Niger Delta. So give it a chance. Thank you for your kind attention.
Yours sincerely,
John I. Abhuere, Ph.D, FNIM
John Abuere is Director Corps Welfare Inspection N.Y.S.C, DHQ, Abuja
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