21 Feb 2005 |
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| By Eugene Uzum Esq. President, Nigeria Reformers Academy (NRA), United Kingdom nigdel55@yahoo.com The dynamics of power holds out that the only constant attribute in political discourse is its change, change comes in various dimension but at quest by Nigerians is a positive political change. At focus in this presentation is the politics of power shift in Delta State cum perceived Urhoboism in the political structure of Delta State, the struggle for resource control, gubernatorial aspirations of the various senatorial districts in Delta State come 2007 and beyond. While accepting the inherent logic behind the present power struggle in Delta State by the various senatorial districts within the State, at issue is appreciating the abysmal deprivation, neglect, denials, wanton breach of the contract of governance by authorities empowered directly or indirectly by the people of Delta State. Agitations and flashes of anarchy are assuming a gigantic proportion. The bleeding edge of successive campaigns in the Niger Delta is that sustained attention is on the causes and deprivation suffered by the people of the Niger Delta with particular interest in the Urhobo nation without fostering a workable and acceptable solution. The present political imbalance in Nigeria is centered on the fact that some sections of the country are highly impoverished with very little or no privileges accorded to them while some entities have their nest feathered benevolently from resources tapped from the deep and shallow waters of their contemporary (crude oil) to the detriment of their counterpart (the host communities). The struggle for socio-political emancipation of the Urhobo nation dates back to the days of Chief Mukoro Mowoe, when the Urhobo Progressive Union, (UPU) was founded, but it is painful to note that over the years, there has been a honorable deception in that the fundamental principle guiding the formation of (UPU), which is articulation of Urhobo interest has been dumped for money politics and ethnic chauvinism. There is a consensus of opinion today that Urhobo stands out as the single majority tribe in Delta State and as such the relevance of Urhobo nation before and after 2007 in the politics of Delta State cannot be compromised. SALIENT ISSUES Through the articulations of defunct Equity 2007, a political pressure group banned by the governor of Delta State, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, a lot of light has been thrown on the politics of power shift. Equity 2007 maintained that in the interest of equity, fair play and harmonization of political interests within the three senatorial districts, political power should flow from Delta central senatorial districts where Chief Ibori hails from to either Delta South or Delta North senatorial districts. Also symbolic, is the fact that the two democratically elected governors in the persons of Olorogun Felix Ibru and the incumbent, Chief Ibori who is serving a second term hails from the same senatorial district. The proponents of power shift have maintained that it is wise for charity to begin at home. That is, Delta Central as a matter of mutual understanding should practice what they and the south-south are preaching. From the center, power is shared according to a zoning formula. Federal appointments, for example Heads of parastatals, committees, and ambassadorial etcetera are collectively articulated taking into consideration the various geopolitical zones in Nigeria. At the state and local government level, in as much as it is not entrenched substantially in edicts, the doctrine of power shift/rotation is not alien. RESOURCE CONTROL Today, Delta State is the highest oil producing state in Nigeria, therefore, Deltalites should probe into how fund are allocated, WHEN, HOW AND WHY the funds are allocated. The problem of Niger Delta is lack of focused leadership both at the State and National level. Based on these myriads of monumental deprivation, the people of the Niger Delta through the constituent assembly in 1995 opted for 13% derivation. The derivation was meant for the development of infrastructures, and meagre compensation for environmental pollution and destruction of oil producing towns (host communities). As a clog to the wheel of progress in the implementation of the 13% derivation, the federal government sought to whittle the funds earmarked under the formular of 13% derivation by enforcing the dichotomy between on-shore and offshore production. This generated a lot of controversy between the oil producing States and the federal government of Nigeria, and much of it lingers in court till this day. Today, we have in force the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), a Commission established by the federal government of Nigeria to complement the efforts of state governments in the overall development of the oil producing States. Resource control blazed into limelight with Chief James Onanefe Ibori as torchbearer. It is articulated by some quarters that each State of the federation should control its resources and pay a specified amount to the Centre. They argue that resource control should mean allowing States to control greater percentage of her products and the federal government effecting lesser control (stakes) on the products of a particular State. In all, resource control is all about various States in Nigeria controlling the resources accrued to that particular State with a memorandum of understanding with the Central government. URHOBO & 2007 Remaining politically relevant is the quest of every ethnic tribe in Nigeria be it majority or minority. Most politicians from Delta central believe that contending and curtailing the Delta north and south senatorial districts, who are vigorously opting for the government house in 2007 is the beginning of wisdom. Today, Delta central is not comfortable with power shift for fear of being politically irrelevant after 2007. Also, in contention is, can a candidate outside Delta central senatorial district champion resource control as Ibori is doing? Another school of thought has it that since the State capital is in Asaba, Delta north senatorial district, which to them is an anomaly, then power must remain in the central. SUBMISSION Politically, relevance is a variable; the various context of relevance on this issue depends largely on the much-awaited positive political change craved for by the Urhobos and Deltalites in general. Achievements in a political office have nothing to do with tribe or religion, but ideology. Political achievements can be propelled or guided by a good check and balance. A true leader must be judged not only by his own people but others outside his/her constituency. Delta central cannot set a test for themselves and mark it afterwards. In both Olorogun Felix Ibru and present dispensation of Chief James Ibori, the north and south senatorial districts will score them, and they should get prepared to observe and score in the next dispensation. The clamour for resource control will not die or fade away as the central fear. With a well-articulated candidate, devoid of ethnic and selfish perpetuations, the struggle for resource control may take center stage in the scheme of things. It is my humble submission that the central should not loose sight of our midwestern partnership in the past republics. I remind them also of our Edoide unity as Bendelites, where we shared common destiny and as such Delta north and south are not strangers to the deprivation and neglect being suffered by the central. “AGITATIONS COME WITH AN IDEOLOGY. IDEOLOGIES ARE PREMISED ON GOALS.” - Eugene Uzum Esq. “POWER SHIFT TODAY IS AN IDEOLOGY. THE GOAL IS AN EGALITARIAN SOCIETY.” - Eugene Uzum Esq. Eugene Azuka Uzum Esq. President, Nigerian Reformers Congress Leeds United Kingdom.
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