[ PUNCH] The spokesperson for the Ijaw Youth Council, Eric Omare, speaks with TOLUWANI ENIOLA concerning attacks on Lagos and Ogun communities by militants and how to restore peace in the affected areas
Why are Niger Delta militants attacking Lagos and Ogun states’ residents?
Niger Delta militants are not responsible for the attacks. I don’t share that opinion.
Why?
When you say Niger Delta militants or Ijaw militants as the case may be, the impression it gives to the average Nigerian is that it is those from the Niger Delta (who are dissatisfied with the state of the nation) that are expressing that dissatisfaction through militant means in Lagos and Ogun States. That is the impression, but it is very wrong to say that. The claim that Niger Delta militants are expressing their grievances with the problems of the region by attacking Lagos and Ogun communities is very wrong and baseless. I understand that there are a good number of persons from the Niger Delta who are in riverside communities in Ogun and Lagos. In any community, there is bound to be a dispute. If there is a dispute or any criminal activities such as it is being witnessed in Lagos and Ogun communities, it should be treated as a criminal matter and not attributed to Niger Delta militants or Ijaw militants.
But these people exhibit the traits of Niger Delta militants in the way they operate through the waterways. What do you think?
The fact that those criminals use the waterways is not enough to claim that the attacks were perpetrated by Niger Delta militants. A lot of people operate through the waterways and waterfront in any coastal area. There is nothing peculiar about Niger Delta militants with respect to using the waterways.
Are some criminals taking advantage of the crisis in the Niger Delta to commit atrocities in Lagos and Ogun?
Yes. What I don’t want us to do is to draw a correlation between what is happening in the Niger Delta and what is happening in Ogun and Lagos states. I want us to treat them as different issues. They have no correlation. So, the Lagos and Ogun attacks should be treated as purely criminal activities. The allegation is similar to those who share government money in public offices. But when they are caught, people try to bring ethnic perspective into it. That is wrong. Anybody, irrespective of his or her tribes, should be handled as a criminal when caught and without recourse to the person’s ethnic background. A police boss once said the Lagos attacks were perpetrated by the Ijaw. That is very wrong. The police ought to carry out investigations to find out who is responsible; they are merely attributing the crimes to some people without evidence.
But your group has not been seen or heard condemning the activities of these attacks. Why?
We must get this issue right. It is very easy to go to a national television or issue a statement to say that militants are doing this or that. How does this solve the problem? As far as we are concerned, that amounts to playing to the gallery. It is not our duty to call militants criminal or brand whatever groups that are protesting as criminals. That will not solve the problem. The way to solve the problem is to identify the solution to the problems and that is what we are doing. As far as we are concerned, the issue goes beyond Niger Delta Avengers. It used to be Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta. Tomorrow, other groups may rise up. Therefore, the solution is to address the remote causes. Condemnation has never yielded a tangible result.
What’s your reaction to statement issued by the Oodua Peoples Congress’ plan to launch a reprisal on individuals and business interests of the Niger Delta people in the South-West?
The OPC’s statement is unnecessary. The Ijaw and the Yoruba leaders are already meeting at the highest level. A committee has been set up to reach out to the leaders of the affected communities to let them know that there is no problem between the two ethnic groups. I think some people are deliberately taking advantage of the crisis to cause an unnecessary misunderstanding between the Ijaw and Yoruba people.
Niger Delta militants have been given an ultimatum by the OPC to stop attacking Lagos and Ogun states. What’s your view about the ultimatum?
I don’t support it. When such an ultimatum was given, I observed that the ultimatum was issued by the Odua Peoples Reforms Congress. The recognised OPC leaders we know are Fredrick Faseun and Gani Adams.
In spite of that, we are not taking the threat lightly. We are meeting with the leaders for solutions to the issue. What we should be doing is to facilitate peace meetings in order to ensure that Yoruba and Ijaw people collectively fight criminality. So, the ultimatum is not necessary. It is not necessary because like I said, the Ijaw people will not personally or collectively say they want to go and attack Yoruba people. So, there is no need to say that Yoruba people will attack Ijaw people. It is not necessary.
Do you think the South-West and Yoruba leaders have not been sympathetic to the plight of the Niger Delta?
From the angle of advocacy, the South-West has always been on the same page with the South-South. The unfortunate part of it is that when they (Yoruba leaders) now have access to power, they don’t seem to be committed to the agitations of the people of the region anymore. For instance, some of the South-West leaders now in power clamoured for true federalism; they supported the idea of a national conference to determine the future of Nigeria. But unfortunately, since some of them assumed power, they have been saying restructuring is not necessary. They said what is necessary is good governance. That is disappointing. People expected that now that they are in power, they should use that advantage to restructure Nigeria.
Do you think that these attacks might be part of efforts by the Niger Delta to get the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government?
I wouldn’t be able to say or respond to that specifically. I have not read any statement from the militants attacking Ogun communities. I cannot also say why they are aggrieved or what is making them to keep attacking Ogun and Lagos communities.
Do you think violence can assist the people of Niger Delta in their clamour for more share of the nation’s revenue?
Violence can never be a solution. That is why even after violence, we would still come to the negotiation table. What we are saying is that President Muhammadu Buhari must show sincerity of purpose. Buhari is not committed to a lasting solution to the problems.
What do you think can be done before the crisis worsens?
We have said it times without number and we will continue to say it. Like it was done in the past, the political leaders of the country, President Buhari, must take personal control of the situation; a situation whereby he allows a minister or the National Security Adviser to negotiate on behalf of the region is not going to be fruitful. These issues are critical in the sense that it requires presidential approval. Secondly, the issue is not something a minister can effectively handle and resolve. The president must take charge. He must behave like a statesman. We want Buhari to break the record by finding a lasting solution to the issues. The solution is restructuring so that each region can develop at its own pace.
Source: PUNCH
