Network Africa

Kaunda cracked a joke about the sound system in the room before answering. “Young people, that you're coming together like this to talk about africa gives me hope that you're inspired by what is right,” he said. “There is no other way other than to convince yourself that what you're doing is right. You have read and listened to the individuals who fought for independence for their countries: Nkrumah, Nyerere, Kenyata and the rest. I am saying to you please go right ahead; do it for the good of Africa, to enable Africa grow.

“I am confident that Africa would rise up to the occasion. Why do I say so? Today I understand that the wealth of black people, the last time I was there, was put at billions of dollars - I'll urge black people to come and invest in Africa. Have two homes if need beone in Africa and another in America. Today there are troubles in Sudan, Somalia, and the Congo. All of us must rise up together.”

To wrap up the session, Kaunda thought it fitting to do a bit of mediating: “Are there Ethiopians here? Do we have Eritreans here?” he asked. Yes. “I want you to come out here and shake your hands together.”

“Unfortunately,” however, “funding remains a major challenge for service and project providers, as well as for a full implementation of the Master Plan,” he lamented. Putting the amount needed for the implementation of the Master Plan at about $100 billion, the NDDC CEO said: “It is important for us to continue to invite the international community, investors and donor agencies to buy into the Master Plan, key into the important and urgent need for us to develop the region, because the region remains strategic to the survival of Nigeria, the West African sub-region and even Africa.”

On his part, Prof. Pat Utomi, a cerebral scholar and lately a politician, highlighted the need for “the total commitment of three parties, Government and its agencies like NDDC, Private Development Agencies (PDAs) which in some contexts are know as NG0s, and the Private Commercial Sector as well as the people who are the object of the development and change initiative.”

“The issue,” according to Utomi in a paper he sent to be read at the occasion, “had been the neglect of people because they were minorities.” In the circumstances, “the trouble with the Niger Delta, therefore, needs to be resolved in the context not just of property rights and a properly functioning regime of fiscal federalism, but also as part of a culture change in the polity that recognises the strength of a civilisation as domiciled in the degree of fairness with which it deals with its minority groupings and its challenged members,” he stated.

Utomi declared that if the region is to be pulled back from the brink, initiatives are not enough; rather “the people must be re-oriented and be shown evidence of seriousness of intent because they live with a history of government seldom doing what has been agreed to.”

A communique issued after the lectures and hearty contributions from delegates representing various interest groups, agreed that the Lecture/Workshop could not have come at a better time “considering the crisis which has lingered in the Niger Delta for decades and taken more frightening dimensions in the past few years.”

It said that “the Niger Delta problem has persisted not because the people have not been complaining and asking for justice, but mainly because of the lack of political will of Government to address it.”

According to the communiqué, “while it is commendable that various development agencies have been set up to tackle the challenge of developing the Niger Delta since pre-Independence days, these agencies were tactfully rendered ineffective by being deliberately starved of funds.”

While commending the NDDC and the government that initiated it, the communiqué however noted that “the Niger

Delta Master Plan would be of limited use except it is vigorously and sincerely implemented.” It therefore called on the Federal and other arms of Government for adequate funding of the NDDC to enable it implement the Master Plan.”

Though they described the anger of Niger Delta youths as understandable, the delegates appealed to them to exercise restraint and allow peace to reign “so as not to give those who are reluctant to develop the Niger Delta seeming justification for their actions or inactions in this regard.”

They demanded that government policy should empower individuals similar to the Black empowerment of South Africa; that education be given the right of place in the region with adequate and timely funding; and for “concerted action on the part of allgovernment, corporate establishments operating in the Niger Delta, and even well-to-individuals” to empower Niger Deltans, especially the youths.

The communiqué requested that “the problems of economic, infrastructural and environmental challenges in the region should be addressed urgently as the resilience of the people is unquestionable and the hunger and passion to rebuild their communities undoubtlable.” Demanding good governance “as the bed rock of all that we do,” the communiqué stressed that “government and its agencies must work with the communities directly rather than political merchants who divert resources to their personal gain.”

The communiqué also called on “government and its agencies to do more to direct attention and resources into other economic sectors like agriculture, education and security.” It equally asked government “to exercise political will to restructure the principle of derivation from what it is currently to a minimum of 50 percent.”

Another key demand was that, as a way “to empower the people the more, efforts should be made to abrogate the 1978 Land Use Decree as presently structured and the following obnoxious decrees: Minerals/The Petroleum Decree 1969, the Land Use Decree of 1978, Oil Minerals Pipe Lines Decree 1990, Petroleum Decree of 1991, Lands (title Vesting) Decree of 1993, and National Inland Waterways Decree of 1997.”

Incidentally, when Dokubo-Asari, leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, who once led an armed struggle against Nigeria and the transnational oil firms, organised his own talk shop on November 7 and 8 [2007], the communiqué largely agreed with the one released at the end of the Network Africa Lecture/Workshop. It, for instance, demanded for an upward review of the 13 per cent derivation formula, condemned armed struggle in the Niger Delta and called for lasting peace in the region.

The communique similarly asked the Federal Government to put in place appropriate machinery for ensuring equity participation of host communities and impacted areas in oil and gas ventures located within their domain. It also made other demands which were not explicitly stated in the communiqué of the Network Africa Lecture/Workshop. Among these was the demand that oil and gas companies operating within the Niger Delta should be compelled to comply with international environmental best practices to ensure the protection of the natural habitat.

Other demands included the resolution of the vexatious onshore/offshore dichotomy and the establishment of a Niger Delta Reconstruction and Development Bank to act as the custodian of the funds accruing to the communities from royalties as well as implement a policy on gas flaring within the region.”

Held in Abuja under the theme First Niger Delta Peace Conference, the event was graced by key stakeholders in the Niger Delta, among them two former Chiefs of General Staff, Mike Akhigbe and Ebitu Ukiwe, and foremost chartered accountant David Dafinone. The previous week, precisely on October 31, the Nigerian Senate had joined the search for a way out of the Niger Delta quagmire by holding its first retreat in Port Harcourt , the Rivers State capital.

At the occasion, Senate President David Mark explained that the choice of Port Harcourt as venue of the retreat was informed by the Senate's concern for real and concrete solutions to the problems of the Niger Delta, "the heartbeat of the nation's economy." He called on the people of the Niger Delta not to relent in their efforts to partner with the Federal Government in its resolve to turn around the socio-economic well-being of the region and its people.

The retreat included a visit to the creeksthe hideout of the militantswhich Mark said would afford senators first-hand opportunity to feel the problems bedeviling the region. Based on what it saw and heard during the retreat, the Senate has since made a case for increased budgetary provision for the Niger Delta as a way of fast-tracking its development.

From whatever angle one may look at it, the increasing attention being given to the search for a way out of the Niger Delta crisis is well worth it. As Ambassador (Prof.) Ekpebu, chairman of the Network Africa Lecture/Workshop put it: “The Niger Delta is the Archilles' heels of Nigeria: on it Nigeria will rise or (God forbid) fall.”