The Nigerian Village Square - When Will The Real Hostages Be Taken?

When Will The Real Hostages Be Taken?

Written by Prince Charles Dickson

Monday, 16 July 2007

When Will The Real Hostages Be Taken? Prince Charles Dickson Jos, Plateau Nigeria

I don't understand politics. I don't understand the concept of two sides. And I think that probably there's good on both sides, bad on both sides, and there's a middle ground. But it never seems to come to the middle ground. And it's very frustrating watching it, and seemingly we're not moving forward. ~ David Lynch

Like David Lynch, where is the middle ground, where does advocating for a cause, having a pressure group to achieve an aim stop, and then where exactly does kidnap and its allied crimes start? Ironically in recent times, the sad truth is that we are not moving forward, we are rather seeing natural steps that occur not as a result of our effort as progress when these things would have occured anyway.

My lamentation this time is the problem in the Niger Delta, I would be safe to say that thousands of essays have been written on the subject, and more thousands in pages available. Again I add my voice to the realities of the serious nature of this problem, that we are treating in kids glove.

Just a few years back I recall the Russian School children shooting in which the hostage takers had given government an ultimatum that was neglected. I had then prayed and hoped that we do not get there. Before I go far I need to quickly say that I do not support hostage taking, kidnap, suicide killings or any such treasonable offense but with recent developments in the Niger Delta Region one is forced to take stock. Are we not slowly, steadily, and consciously marching those grounds?

True that the young men from these areas have a cause to fight for, true, there are issues we have turned a blind eye to and for all we run, they would come back to hunt us. Hostage taking has become a lucrative job. a full time job in those parts, and now they have graduated to kids. While this is totally unacceptable and not a way to fight for a cause or attention the question is what has government done...Nothing?

Kids in that part of Nigeria now look forward to their 'first catch' and we are carrying on like nothing is happening. And indeed I think nothing is happening but mark my words, except Yar'Adua waves his magic wand and sadly too this is one wand he does not seem to have...the real kidnappings would start.

The real hostages will be taken like the sun appears after the rain, like a natural thing we expected it but we were least prepared. From the look at the not so clear crystal ball, soon these boys would go for the Governors in those parts. The Governors that built bridges for N300M and same bridge collapsed after a year. They know these Governors, they know the mistresses they keep with teachers' salaries, the houses they but with pension monies, those luxury cars they buy with monies meant for hospital consumables, they know the Governors that are sponsoring rival cult groups. It is common knowledge 'cept that the clock may be has not hit 12.00 yet.

Let us not forget that he who sows evil in no time is consumed by the same. We know those Governors whose trade in stock was to, spend all their security votes and even more on the guise of tackling the Hostage crisis, soon the boys would strike. Those thieves, sorry I meant chiefs that have ganged up with oil and logistics companies in the region to reap apart their people would soon be kidnapped. Then no amount of ransom would be demanded. This is not alarmist but it is avoidable...

Life can be funny, the other day it was Dariye, Saminu Turaki, and Kalu, while Kalu was not even let outside the security van, Jolly Nyame was ordered to be remanded in prison. It can all change, tables can turn "everyday for the thief, one day for person wey get property".

Someone even suggested that these men would lead to past President Obasanjo. For all we care, for all our pains let them lead to where justice would take them hostage for all their heartlessness against the masses. At the pace we are going, everything has a moral, if only we can find it. And in the present circumstances, we are not even searching, so we see no trouble ahead. There is no SWOT analysis, just the usual we will take care of it attitude, and I ask what if it takes care of us instead?

Hostage taking is not just as seen carried out by these boys in the Niger Delta. Everyday our leaders take us hostage in one way or the other and we watch waiting for the miracle of rescue. When one takes into cognizance the U.S policy of non-negotiation I think we as the oppressed may as well start taking the issues headlong. Taking government hostage and demanding what is rightfully ours.

Each time I writ, talk or think Nigeria, I do so with the pain of knowledge that Nigerians are not asking for much. They just want life, they want to live, they want food, and a job no matter how mean, if it pays the bills and finally they want to sleep. And in over 40 years, military, dictator, despots after despots, cilimicitic governments, dictatorial democracy has not helped to address even one of these needs.

Lets roll tape, Mr. Fix It, Tony Anineh spent billions on roads, barely eight years and some of these roads today are begging to be declared disaster zones and no one has kidnapped him. Bode George for all the ehn at the Nigerian Ports Authority nobody kidnapped him. Look at the pat in the back Tafa Balogun got, Ehindero has not been taken hostage.

Obasanjo is still walking free and even is a student of the National Open University now. I imagine what manner of a student he did make after despising lecturers all his time. Who will abduct him, I did be willing to pay, but no one will pay me back my through ransom for him. certainly could say that even the present administration would care less.

Rivers was raped and we termed it development. It is headquater to a National Kidnap Network Base and we blame the society after the billions the State got. It is often our mentality to refer to problems of these nature to a section of the nation. Too bad, how about us in the North, do our leaders not deserve to be abducted, is it not time we breed men and women that have enough disgust to walk in and detonate bombs in government gathering. Harsh but if only we tell ourselves the truth, one would understand where I am coming from.

The other I watched as a little girl almost went berserk, the N20 kerosene she bought fell off her hands and she could not imagine going home without the product. N20 Kerosene for a family of seven, it is all they can afford, all they have, they only live for the next day. And yet they exist in the midst of plenty, in the midst of monumental waste. In the midst of people who steal as much as N33B and all these people cry for is just livelihood.

Who will kidnap the entire PDP, it hurts, it does, and more so when we pretend about it. Throw our hands and say what has it got to do with me. Nigerians whether Niger Delta, Upper Volta, Middle or Last Belt deserve the fruit of the land. What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for. Who leads us is less important than what leads us — what convictions, what courage, what faith — win or lose. Do we continue like this, is this present Nigeria headed anywhere positive.

Who are the real enemies, an ignorant three year old, an expatriate worker, me, you or us...what is the cause, what is fight, who is the hostage? The questions are many, and sadly to some there are answers already but we refuse to face it. I end by saying that as much as we crave help from the Almighty Allah, let us re-examine ourselves, are we ready...may the rain not catch us the day we decided not to go out with the umbrella. May the Almighty Allah save us.

Robot Robot is offline
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	# 1 When Will The Real Hostages Be Taken? Prince Charles Dickson Jos, Plateau Nigeria ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot\| 16.07.2007 08:38

EezeeBee EezeeBee is offline
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	# 2 Stockholm Syndrome; that is what it appears the larger Nigerian populace is suffering from regarding the national situation. It has become so ingrained now that a number of Nigerians reflexively side with the real hostage takers - the (mis)rulers at the center against one of their own - the Niger Deltans. Thus the entreaties that the Niger Delta militants 'accept their fate'; and 'stop taking hostages'. Are we not all hostages today? Posted by EezeeBee\| 16.07.2007 08:59

emj emj is offline
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	# 3 Hostage taking is not just as seen carried out by these boys in the Niger Delta. Everyday our leaders take us hostage in one way or the other and we watch waiting for the miracle of rescue. When one takes into cognizance the U.S policy of non-negotiation I think we as the oppressed may as well start taking the issues headlong. Taking government hostage and demanding what is rightfully ours . Well, Prince Charles, who will bell the cat? How do we go about doing this with little or no Collateral damage. Each time I writ, talk or think Nigeria, I do so with the pain of knowledge that Nigerians are not asking for much. They just want life, they want to live, they want food, and a job no matter how mean, if it pays the bills and finally they want to sleep. And in over 40 years, military, dictator, despots after despots, cilimicitic governments, dictatorial democracy has not helped to address even one of these needs . It does not cost much, nor take much to set things right.......i.e if the government really wants to. Obasanjo is still walking free and even is a student of the National Open University now. I imagine what manner of a student he did make after despising lecturers all his time. Who will abduct him, I did be willing to pay, but no one will pay me back my through ransom for him. certainly could say that even the present administration would care less. hmmm, as per who will abduct OBJOKE, dat's easy, just get some of the zonal ladies, they will galdly do dat for free.:) Rivers was raped and we termed it development. It is headquater to a National Kidnap Network Base and we blame the society after the billions the State got. Odilli and co The other I watched as a little girl almost went berserk, the N20 kerosene she bought fell off her hands and she could not imagine going home without the product. N20 Kerosene for a family of seven, it is all they can afford, all they have, they only live for the next day. And yet they exist in the midst of plenty, in the midst of monumental waste. In the midst of people who steal as much as N33B and all these people cry for is just livelihood. Very sad but true........you canot really know, but imagine how many Nigerians in Nigeria live below poverty level. Who will kidnap the entire PDP, it hurts, it does, and more so when we pretend about it. Throw our hands and say what has it got to do with me. Nigerians whether Niger Delta, Upper Volta, Middle or Last Belt deserve the fruit of the land. What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for. Who leads us is less important than what leads us — what convictions, what courage, what faith — win or lose. Do we continue like this, is this present Nigeria headed anywhere positive. It is time to take our destiny in our hands, the way and manner or modalities might be a tad difficult, but attainable(no need to abduct, but rather adapt....like da Chameleon, blend, then strike from within).......'Operation Burst Loose' Posted by emj\| 16.07.2007 09:06

Son of the Delta Son of the Delta is offline
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	# 4 Hostage taking is not just as seen carried out by these boys in the Niger Delta. Everyday our leaders take us hostage in one way or the other and we watch waiting for the miracle of rescue. When one takes into cognizance the U.S policy of non-negotiation I think we as the oppressed may as well start taking the issues headlong. Taking government hostage and demanding what is rightfully ours. Each time I writ, talk or think Nigeria, I do so with the pain of knowledge that Nigerians are not asking for much. They just want life, they want to live, they want food, and a job no matter how mean, if it pays the bills and finally they want to sleep. And in over 40 years, military, dictator, despots after despots, cilimicitic governments, dictatorial democracy has not helped to address even one of these needs. Lets roll tape, Mr. Fix It, Tony Anineh spent billions on roads, barely eight years and some of these roads today are begging to be declared disaster zones and no one has kidnapped him. Bode George for all the ehn at the Nigerian Ports Authority nobody kidnapped him. Look at the pat in the back Tafa Balogun got, Ehindero has not been taken hostage. Obasanjo is still walking free and even is a student of the National Open University now. I imagine what manner of a student he did make after despising lecturers all his time. Who will abduct him, I did be willing to pay, but no one will pay me back my through ransom for him. certainly could say that even the present administration would care less. Who will kidnap the entire PDP, it hurts, it does, and more so when we pretend about it. Throw our hands and say what has it got to do with me. Nigerians whether Niger Delta, Upper Volta, Middle or Last Belt deserve the fruit of the land. What counts now is not just what we are against, but what we are for. Who leads us is less important than what leads us — what convictions, what courage, what faith — win or lose. Do we continue like this, is this present Nigeria headed anywhere positive. Thank God people are realizing that so long as true democracy does not exist the situations that warrant unrest will continue to exist.Unfortunately the Niger Delta was not only raped politically she has been raped ecologically,economically,educationally,ethically and otherwise and that have been over a period of 50 years! It is interesting to see that people are beginning to realize the impact of Agbada styled military dictatorship The likes of Wole Soyinka,Femi Falana,Gani Fahwemi and co should prove their worth by bellying the largest cat who happens to come from and also resides in the South west region of Nigeria. If they can send him to the Hague how he sent Taylor to the Hague I think will be one step closer to emancipation. Posted by Son of the Delta\| 16.07.2007 13:35

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