MILITARY ACTION IN THE NIGER -DELTA
May 31st, 2009 by admin
Prince Meshach, a prince of Gbaramatu kingdom and son of Pere Godwin Bebenimibo, Ogeh Gbaran III, whose palace at Oporoza was bombed by the Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Niger-Delta, about a fortnight ago, yesterday, narrated how his 14-year-old younger sister, who was allegedly shot by invading soldiers, died in his own hands while he was carrying her and running for safety in the bush.
Almost in tears, the Prince said Rosemary came home for the Amaseimkumor festival and was dancing with others when she was shot. The young prince lamented his pains in burying his sister in a shallow grave in the bush amid bombing by the JTF before continuing with his own race for life. The whereabouts of his parents are unknown to him
I read this piece and all I could think of was will things ever change in Nigeria? What kind of President orders a Joint Military Task Force to kill his own people who have been tempted to come out and protest against injustice in their land? Is that a criminal act? Now, these innocent Nigerians are labeled criminals and militants? Nevertheless, what happens after the destruction? What happens to the girls and women who have been raped, children who have lost their parents, people who have lost their source of livelihood, homes or had articles stolen. Will killing other Nigerians change the situation in the Niger Delta? Will the aftermath of the action of the task force bring about peace and stability in the region? Is the flow of the oil pipe in the Niger Delta a curse to the people? Why have the leaders failed to positively impact the people and bring about the needed change, a change, which will alleviate the suffering of the people. These questions are begging for answers, if any.
Senator Teslim Folarin yesterday said the National Assembly was yet to be briefed by President Umar Musa Yar’Adua on the deployment of troops to the troubled region.
Folarin said the senate “As at the moment, we have not heard a statement that the President has deployed troops in the Niger Delta. That is the truth. I said, I would be honest to you. There is no official communication from the President to say he has deployed troops to the troubled region. I am telling you what I heard that soldiers are reacting to the death of their own.”
However, Niger Delta Coalition of Civil Society (NDCSC) has urged the Federal Government to embrace an effective, coordinated and collaborative peace building in the region as contained in the reports of the Niger Delta Technical Committee Recommendations as a panacea to militancy and other crimes in the region
The action of the Nigerian government to send a Joint Military Task Force to fish out the so called militants cannot be explained. While people continue to flee the troubled region, one wonders if there is an end in sight as the Joint Military Task Force says all efforts are in place to find known or suspected militants.
If truth be told there are Nigerians who are waxing stronger because of the flow of oil in the region and their interest must be protected at any cost. Why is it so difficult to do things right in Nigeria? How long will incompetent leaders continue to feed on the masses? How long must the people continue to endure untold hardship and bare the brunt of bad leadership?