The Northern Governors Forum (NGF) and a couple other Southwest governors have instituted a court action against the Abolition of Onshore Offshore Dichotomy Act 2003.

Ideally, there should be nothing wrong with the governors filing a lawsuit to reverse a bad law. However, there are clear and incendiary motives behind the suit: not only do they insults peoples of the South-South, motives seek to maintain forced supremacy and continued fleecing of the Niger-Delta while desperately threatening a history of alliances.

Despite acknowledging plight of the Niger Delta people or being against the Onshore Offshore Dichotomy Act 2003, neither the Arewa Consultative Forum and the NGF nor South-West governors have ever shown any compulsion for fairness; never have they presented an alternative action plan or negotiation toward the establishment of equity and justice in that region. The North's operating principle has been notoriously condescending and intransigent - taking the South-South peoples for granted while grabbing all that it can get out of every drop of crude oil mined.

NGF's case in court should be withdrawn and a real solution adopted. Also, a dialogue toward stronger relations between both geo-political regions must ensue. Such dialogue, in its proper forum, must be based upon mutual respect and potentials for mutual gain.

There is a golden opportunity for governors, legislators and leaders in both geo-political regions to work together not only to repeal the Abolition of Onshore Offshore Dichotomy Act 2003 but also to formulate a replacement legislation that ensures the real, workable and lasting solution given below.

The North and the South-South regions share rare potentials for new and improved political compatibility. Both regions stand to gain from well calibrated and mutually respecting relations, not war.

Peoples of the South-South region have been guaranteed a resounding victory in their quest for justice and fairness. As much as respectful, peaceful and democratic methods should be adopted toward their victory, other appropriate and necessary methods may be fully engaged toward a nonnegotiable success in face of other hostile regions.

Potentially, both peoples of the North and the South-South geo-political regions have natural dispositions for mutual trust, friendship and cooperation while working together as Nigerians. There is no claim to an in-depth knowledge of reasons for historical cooperation or alliances, but they can be proven:

Albeit geographically and materially constrained, most Niger Delta peoples did naturally identify with the North, in spirit and in body where practical, to fight for our beloved Nigeria during the unfortunate civil war.

Without reservations, South-South peoples have consistently identified and voted with the North for political parties dominated in leadership by the so-called Northern oligarchy. Etcetera.

These dispositions have never been well calibrated for justice and equity. Result is that the South-South always clutches at the short end of the stick and is being taken for granted. At great expense and sacrifice of both natural,environmental and human resources such as crude oil, Ken Saro Wiwa and the ‘Ogoni 9’ as examples, the South-South continues to persevere.

Historically, the South-South is always forced to extend an olive branch toward a peaceful and just commonwealth of Nigeria while enduring and ascribing immensely painful losses to cost of freedom and national unity.

Changing times and the incidence of various factors often force a variety of changes in any organic group or being. Peoples of Niger Delta are no exceptions to that rule and are changing rapidly due to a multitude of factors. Only fools think the South-South peoples shall always remain stagnant at the short end of the stick, being esteemed morbidly afraid of the North or of any other group and impervious to grave pain as has been meted upon her over several decades.

It is simply natural, even as we are witnessing, that there is strong wind of change blowing across the Niger Delta. It is expected, therefore, that the era of Northern arrogance and subjugation through political and legal manipulations that force an unbalanced relationship with the South-South must also change.

Consistent with changing times, political education and growing sophistication, peoples of the Niger Delta are now being seen to demand for fundamental rights and other rightfully earned benefits. Principals who have consistently deprived and subjugated will not let go easily or allow for necessary reforms. The resulting conflict of interests has potentials for great disaster if not carefully managed. So far, leaders North and South-South appear incapable of resolving conflicts - recklessly engaging in rhetoric of war or dangerous political schemes. We know that there is ample room for adjustments, preferring that the South-South work closely and patiently with the North and other reasonable Nigerians toward the desired end, which is a just and equitable Nigeria.

The Genie is out of the bottle. Nothing can stop the establishment of justice for peoples of the South-South, one of which highlights is the entrenchment of a form of resource control for all indigenous peoples. Changing times, political awareness and improving levels of social and economic sophistications have become precursors of change: the South-South can no longer remain the doormat and stepping platform for Northern supremacy in Nigeria.

Stripped to reveal natures of constituting elements, presently disintegrating Nigeria has inadvertently blessed the peoples of the South-South. We now know that by the Almighty God, by articles of the UN supporting fundamental rights and values, according to global trends, by laws of justice and equity, by the Nigeria political arrangements, by immense wealth from crude oil and human resources, etc. that the South-South region has a ready made and uncommon advantage over any other geo-political region in Nigeria. The South-South must avail itself of these advantages with an attitude while optimally adjusting the scales primarily for its good.

A sober and insightful reflection of times, emerging and relating circumstances, therefore, calls for wisdom in action and not legal/rhetorical warfare, saber rattling or intransigence by contending parties. To this extent has a solution been ordained, which is the best alternative toward the desired end - such one best alternative that shall reduce pain and suffering for all Nigerians in a timely manner. The "Fifteen-Eighty Five" formula, which is given below, is that only alternative and ordained prescription.

A Real Solution: The Fifteen-Eighty Five (15:85% Ratio)

An ordained and prescribed formula by which equity, justice, balance and peace is guaranteed for all Nigerians is the Fifteen-Eighty Five (15:85) percentile ratio for resource control between states and the Federal Government respectively. By this formula, states or indigenous communities endowed with naturally resources, any naturally endowed resource, are guaranteed a tax/royalty free pre-mining 15% of endowed mineral resources in their naturally occurring state while proceeds from the rest 85% goes to the Federal government to be appropriated between itself and all states using a fair derivation formula.

This is the solution and a just and balanced formula by which the following

can be achieved:

Vexing and dividing issue of Onshore/Offshore dichotomy shall have been completely removed. Delimitation arising from the controversial 200m isobaths depth shall be removed. No state in of the Federation shall be left behind and all stakeholders shall have due access to the commonwealth of naturally endowed resources. Agitation for resource control shall have been fairly dealt with, albeit through a partial but fair resource control formula. States or indigenous communities may mine, explore, exploit or manage own share of resources as they deem fit without undue interference by the Federal government or forced dealings with hostile foreign exploration companies. According to the control ratio, infrastructure development and downsides from mining or exploration - such as targeted community development, environmental pollution, etcetera - may become joint responsibilities of both states and the Federal government. The overbearing size of the Federal government will have been reduced to the necessary minimum.

Conclusion

Not only suggesting above, we also bluntly warn that the North’s motives and agenda concerning its recent court action is strategically obtuse and unmistakably of gross political miscalculation. An emotional knee-jerk reaction to the recent lawsuit by the 19 Northern Governors and their Southwest counterparts to re-introduce the onshore/offshore dichotomy in oil revenue sharing would condemn the governors and the suit. However, a sober reflection plus the benefit of the doubt might even applaud them for realizing that an injustice exists that must be remedied. Except that their ulterior motive is as plain to see as can be pure greed. Therefore, current lawsuit must be promptly withdrawn.

We frankly suggest that above solution be adopted by leaders from the Northern and South-South geopolitical regions and an enabling legislation speedily made in order to spare Nigeria irreparable colossal damage.

It is here that we thank God for His divine inspiration by which He has provided a solution to this problem. We suggest it here so that these governors could avail themselves of this opportunity and get their representatives to work to right the wrongs perpetuated. For Nigeria to continue to exist as we have come to know it, this must be done. If not, there is nothing anyone can do to stop the impending meltdown because the poor and minorities have had enough.

Clement Ikpatt, N. H. Ibanga (Nigerian Publius)

September 23, 2004

Robot  # 1 | 13.11.2005 14:19

For The Record. The Abolition of Onshore Offshore Dichotomy Act 2003 represents an unacceptable law and Greek Read the full article.