OPINION
FEMI OKE & RASCALITY OF IGNORANCE, BY ZIK GBEMRE
I write to correct the narrow minded view of one Femi Oke on an online post reflected that, “Nigerians Remain the Main Enemies Of Nigeria, from every region, they emerge to threaten the Presidency, especially those from his (The President’s) region Oduduwa Nation don start again their own again.
Even this Femi Oke listed the South-South being against Jonathan. This myopic Oke should know that Leadership is the main problem of Nigeria because Nigerian leaders are blinded or deliberately binded by power, tribalism, nepotism, corruption.
The Niger-Delta problems are well known and it started long before Jonathan became president. The Ogoni crises escalated when Abacha became military head of state that led to kiling of Saron Wiwa. Did the Ogoni crises started under the administration of Goodluck Jonathan?
The Niger-Delta agitations is as a result of the deliberate neglect of the oil rich South South region that has been feeding the entire country without development that can be compared to what is gotten from the region. Look around you will see that NNPCL,its subsidiaries and all industry regulators are located in Lagos and Abuja where they employ their children, brothers and sisters to fill every oil and gas company.
What is NNPCL and regulators doing in Lagos and Abuja? They say the Niger-Delta is not safe and yet it is safe to produce oil and gas and export through Forcados, Escravos and Bonny terminals and yet they fly helicopters everyday from Lagos and Abuja to Warri.
In Canada all oil and gas companies and their head offices are located in Calgary City in Alberta Province and not in Edmonton City that is the capital of Alberta Province. The oil companies head offices are not in Ottawa City which is capital of Canada. The oil companies head offices are not located in Toronto that is the business hub of Canada.
In US all oil and gas companies head offices are located in Houston Texas and not Austin City the capital of Texas. Oil companies head offices are not located in Washington DC the capital of US. They are not located in New York city the business hub of US.
The Agitations in the South South of the Niger Delta is justified. All indegenous oil and gas companies and IOC head offices are located in Lagos and you want the people of the South South to be happy? Are Imo, Abia and Ondo part of the Niger Delta? No. But Obasanjo deliberately added them to NDDC.
As I speak how many Niger-Delta people own oil and gas assets in the oil rich South South? How many South South knowledgeable young people are heading these oil and gas assets? The oil & gas rich South South agitations will not stop until marginalisation and neglect of the region are appropriately addressed.
If the oil and gas feeding the entire nation are majorly extracted in the Hausa/Fulani land, Yoruba land and Igbo land, will they allow the South South minorities to benefit? The agitations in the South South of the Niger-Delta were not aimed to fight Goodluck Jonathan but to right the wrong which is still there.
Few weeks ago, Tinubu directed Federal Airport authorities to relocate its head offices from Abuja to Lagos and also moved the oil and gas regulators to Lagos.
NAPIMS now known as NUIMS, NUPRC formerly known as DPR are in Lagos and Abuja. The question is what are they regulating in Abuja and Lagos? Of course nothing. When Obasanjo was sworn in 1999 his first official assignment was the relocation of NPA head office from Abuja to Lagos, justifying his action that Abuja has no marine activities.
The problems of Nigeria are the Hausas/Fulanis, Yorubas and Igbos and their leaders who seek to be elected for the wrong reasons. Femi Oke should direct his write-up to the appropriate people rather accusing all Nigerians.
Femi Oke made reference to killing of soldiers and police officers without stating those who did it. The killing of police officers in Agadama and Ohoror of Uwherun in Ughelli North was by suspected herdsmen while the killing of soldiers in Okuama was a result of questionable peace mission to Okuama.
There was no war between Okuama and any community so the mission of the soldiers was not clear. Apart from the military no person knows why the soldiers left their duty post in Utorogu Gas Plant in Delta State to Okuama. Even Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was not informed of the questionable peace mission.
Femi Oke’s writeup on raising issues he knows nothing about smacks of recklessness and rascallity. If Femi Oke has nothing to say then he should shut up his mouth.
Zik Gbemre, is a public affairs analyst
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