2015: Asari’s wrath and Oyedepo’s gates of hell -By Zainab Jaji

“For every Goliath, God created a David. For every Pharoah, there is a Moses. We are going to war. Everyone of you should go and fortify yourselves”. -Asari Dokubo

One is assuming that since we are in a democracy, we have the right and choice to choose our leaders. It appears we are sorely mistaken. According to the militants of the Niger Delta, we are delusional if we think we have a choice. Their orders are that we must vote for the continuity of the incumbent government or face the wrath of war and as for that man of God, the gates of hell will be open for anyone who opposes the president and votes for the opposition. This, indeed, is most unfortunate. I did not know whether to laugh or cry since we had paraded before us at the Yenagoa Declaration, the serving governor of Bayelsa State, Kingsley Kuku of the amnesty programme and some others with such names as ‘Boyloaf and Tompolo’. Now, these ‘sorry’ lots have warned us that any other outcome will not be acceptable to them.

Is this the way we want to go? It is simply irritating to have such persons speak for a region of the country. What I know, for sure, is that for me as a northerner and card carrying member of the ruling party, it left me cold and puts me off. How dare they threaten me and my liberties as a citizen? In case those in the creeks have not noticed, the price of crude is now at an all time low, so soon enough, they would want to sell with no one to buy except poor Nigerians.

Enough of these childish threats, I say. Asari is behaving like a child whose tuck box has been taken away by mummy whilst Bishop Oyedepo’s utterances are simply sycophantic. Dokubo cannot fathom that his unfettered access to the powers that-be can be curtailed by the decisions of Nigerians at the ballot box or that his livelihood of ripping off his own people can simply be halted due to the possibility of election defeat.

Democracies as we know are not built on threats, but on partnerships and citizen participation. The late President Yar’Adua in his wisdom decided to bring the Niger Delta region into the limelight and empower them after years of neglect by both their leaders in collusion with the oil companies operating in the region. His foresight was hailed as courageous and selfless, and no one can begrudge that. However, what is important is for the likes of Asari to realise is that huge amounts of resources have been poured into the region in the name of amnesty with people like him demanding for ‘marching ground fee’ yet with little to see for the resources. Derivation should have brought far more development to the region in the last decade than what we currently see.

Telling the north that it will be matched bullet for bullet if the results are not in their favour is worrisome. Asari is obviously willing to sacrifice his family to a war. Well, I am certainly not willing to get killed for a cause that I do not believe in. We cannot preach peace from one side of our mouths and yet encourage conflict just because our ego cannot accept the people’s choice if, indeed, that happens.

Nigerians have experienced a bitter civil war which for anyone alive from the age of fifty will not forget in a hurry. Conflict is never in anyone’s favour. We all become losers. Despite all the tension and verbal attacks, and as jittery as the populace is over the coming elections, I strongly doubt Nigerians will resort to arms. Our lives are too precious for that and we have everything to live for.

Though General Danjuma (Rtd) has called for the arrest of these war mongers, we doubt that will happen. However, it is necessary and imperative for the leaders of our country especially from the South-south to call these men to order. They have a dangerous agenda which must not be allowed to even germinate in the minds of any worthy Nigerian. Enough of the war talk. Let us focus on the issues and hope that the best leader emerges.