In this report by our man in Umuahia, STEVE OKO, Eze Uwadiegwu Ogbonnaya of Umunya Autonomous Community in Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, insisted that only fiscal federalism and regional autonomy remained the panacea to the incessant agitations in the country.
The Traditional Ruler of Umunya Autonomous Community in Uturu, Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, HRH Eze Uwadiegwu Ogbonnaya, has warned the Federal Government against using military option to quell the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta.
He specifically warned the Federal Government against “turning Niger Delta to another Mekong Delta of Vietnam through the current operation Crocodile Smile”.
The monarch, who gave the warning while addressing newsmen in Umuahia, said that instead of military campaign, President Muhammadu Buhari should rather consider dialogue as the panacea to the crisis in the region.
He argued that apart from the colossal damage and human casualties, Nigeria currently battling with economic recession and Boko Haram in the North could not afford another war.
“Nigeria hasn’t got the resources for a prolonged military campaign. That Nigeria used 3 billion pounds to execute the civil war without external borrowing is not a guarantee it can repeat similar feat now because the economy is in recession”.
The former Defense Editor of the defunct National Concord Newspapers said America, in spite of its military might, was humiliated by a rag- tag Vietcong Militia when America invaded the Asian country in 1969.
He also said that the defunct Soviet Union shamefully pulled out of Afghanistan following heavy casualties it suffered after 10 years its troops invaded the country.
The monarch, who said he was a Ranger and an Intelligence Personnel in the Biafran Army, further warned the Federal Government not to assume that it defeated Biafra during the civil war would mean that it, could easily crush Niger Delta militants.
His words: “It was in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam from 1969 to 1975, that America lost most of the 56,000 service men. That federal troops crushed Biafra in 30 months may not be the same with the Niger Delta militants.
“Nigeria should learn from history; the defunct Soviet Union with its military might, entered Afghanistan in 1979 but pulled out in shame after 10 years. They refused to disclose the number of casualties they recorded.
Eze Ogbonnaya, said the Federal Government should not under rate the militants in the Niger Delta region but rather engage genuine leaders in the region in dialogue in the overall interest of the country.
He also cautioned the Federal Government to be wary of foreign arms merchants, who would be propping it on the military option because of their business interests.
“Government should beware of war merchants whose interest is only to use their contacts in the Defense Ministry to get juicy contracts which in the long run is not in Nigeria’s interest.
“Who is sure it is not the same foreign merchants that are supplying arms to the militants in the creeks”?
On the way out, the royal father supported the clamour for fiscal federalism and regional autonomy, saying it remained the panacea to the incessant agitations in the country.
He also urged the Federal Government to quickly commence the process of cleaning up the entire Niger Delta region following decades of oil pollution and environmental degradation.
