What Future For Nigeria's Oil Region?

On Thursday, June 14, 2007, a federal high court sitting in Abuja, granted bail to the leader of Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF),Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, based on health grounds.

Dokubo-Asari, a Kalabari-Rivers State born Prince had been facing trial on alleged treason charges brought against him by the federal governmentsince late 2005.

His arrest in Port Harcourt was carried out dramatically by security operatives just like that of the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Republic of Biafra (MASSOB),Ralph Uwazuruike, who unfortunately is still being held behind bars.

Asari was placed under arrest at the Rivers State Police headquarters in Port Harcourt, where he had innocently gone to to honour an invitation from the then Commissioner of Police, Samuel Ayodele Adetuyi, taken to the Port Harcourt Airport and flown in an awaiting plane to Abuja.

His lawyer, Uche Okwukwu, who left for Abuja in the next available flight to secure the freedom fighter's release ended up being detained in the same cell with Asari but was released two days later.

For Ralph Uwazuruike, who is the only one still being held by the federal government after the relase of his 'comrades' -Frederick Fasheun and Gani Adams of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Asari of the NDPVF,his arrest was more dramatic.

Uwazuruike, and Indian trained lawyer and political scientist was arrested at his home town, Umuna- Onuimo, Imo State by security operatives who camourflaged as National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and was taken to Abuja, through the Sam Mbakwe Airport in an awaiting aircraft.

The incarceration of the freedom fighter, a one-time President of the Ijaw Youth Council created more sympathisers than enemies for him and these symathisers cut across all segments of the Society including the Press, politicians, the international community and even militants operating in the Niger Delta region.

The number of people, who trouped out at the Nigerian Airforce Base, Port Harcourt, on Saturday, June 16, 2007, to welcome the liberation struggle leader, after his release attests to the popularity he had garnered from Niger Deltans and indeed Nigerians within the period he was in jail.

Though, many of the militant groups operating in the Niger Delta are criminally-minded,it is widely known that more than 90 percent of the groups that sprung up in the last two years were out of protest over the arrest and continued detention of Asari.

Prominent among these groups who sprung up after Asari's arrest and had since not derailed from their original aim of agitating for better treatmen for the people of Niger Delta are the Coalition for Militant Action (COMA),the Martyrs' Brigade and the popular Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.

Several expartriates, working for multi-national firm in the region had been kidnapped and taken hostage by militants groups, who claimed reasons for their action was the continued detention of Asari and former Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyesigha.

Today,Dokubo-Asari has regained freedom and Nigerians and the international community are expecting drastic changes in the situation in the Niger Delta, whose crisis-ridden condition has led to increase in the price of oil in the international market.

Several businesses in the Niger Delta have closed shop while some government projects in the region can no longer go on due to the state of insecurity in the region.

For instance, the Indorama Petro-chemicals Company Limited, located at Eleme, near Port Harcourt was shut down few weeks ago, following the kidnapping of its managing director and 11 other expartriate staff, all Indians.

This development led to the laying -off of over 3,000 youths of Niger Delta, who are working at the company's plant.

The Rivers State government, which seems to be troubled by this development has expressed concern about the lull in business and developmental activities in the state as a result of hostage- taking.

According to the state Deputy governor, Tele Ikuru, "Rivers State has become a carcass of itself, go to Trans-Amadi and you will see that about 80 percent of companies have closed don, not because of their inability to manage their business properly but because of the demonic activities of our youths".

Continuing, the deputy governor, who was addressing a meeting of Rivers Eminent Peoples Forum in Port Harcourt, stressed "Government projects were equally affected as none could take-off because of fear of insecurity, we cannot pretend that because we are fighting for our right, we should bring darkness on ourselves".

He listed government projects such as the Trans- Kalabari highway, Ogoni- Andoni -Opobo unity road and several other roads drainage projects as worst hit in the infrastructural sub-sector and noted that resource control agitation was designed to be carried out in a peacful atmosphere and not through hostage- taking.

Being on of the most respected youth leaders in the Niger Delta, Asari- Dokubois expected to talk sense into the heads of some of the youths, who had turned the agitation into a criminal venture where forieners working in the region are kidnapped and huge amount paid to the kidnappers as ransome before the innocent foreigners are left off hook.

Asari, had on arrival in Port Harcourt on Saturday, June16, 2007 conmenmed the acts of criminality of some youths, who had criminalised the struggle anvowed to stop it.

Thank God that today, Asari- Dokubo is a free man and thanked God some of the militant groups in the region have agreed to cease hostilities to reciprocate his release, so, he should now use his good position as an Ijaw man, a Niger Delta youth leader, a freedom fighter and an activist to compel on the militants to comply by their decision to end hostilities.

Time has come to re-build the deprived, delipidated and crisis -ridden Niger Delta, it is not time to kidnap expatriates for money. Let the release of Asari -Dokubo bring a stop to insecurity and restiveness in the region.

Onukwugha,is a journalist, and member of Journalists for Niger Delta (JODEL), a media group concerned with the affairs of Nigeria's oil and gas region.The group is however, co-ordinated by AKANIMO SAMPSON. The author of this article writes from Port Harcourt

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