Recounting Personal Experience On Delta Crisis

As the Rivers State Truth and Reconciliation Commission resumes its Public hearing of testimonies on Monday,21^st July, 2008,I feel obliged to share one of the testimonies the commission received on the 2^nd of July when it adjoins its sitting for two weeks.

Indeed, the River State version of the Niger Delta crisis is on trial.Not the crisis alone but the actors that were seen to have played actively in the crisis that covers from the 1999 to 2007.To sit at the head of this public trail, a nine member Rivers State Truth and Reconcilation Commission headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme court, Justice Kayode Eso received Dr Akuro Adoki witness on the day that the commission adjoined its sitting for a three week recess.

Dr Adoki who captioned his witness as ‘The Niger Delta Crisis-The Truth' read his piece; ‘What I am putting down is my persepective of what has happened so far.The Niger Delta crisis is commonly said to have started with the onset of the Movement For The Survival of the Ogoni People [MOSOP] and the role of the late Ken Saro Wiwa.

What this really the caes? or something else preceded it.The problem with Nigeria is that we know the truth but are afraid of saying it because the state cannot protect us or is this not true so far?Now to the origin of the crisis and the role other persons played in it.The feeling that the Niger Delta has been neglected goes very deep.'

He paused and looked around.At the head of the commission and the array of lawyers that were listening to him as they note points that they will use to cross examine him.He gulped a lump of saliva and continued.

‘In 1989/90, before MOSOP ‘'was formed'' I and a few other lectures were contacted by Ken with the view to forming a body to champion the cause of the niger Delta.One of the causes of concern was the way Port Harcourt was being turned into a no-man's land.One example was the indiscriminate parking of trailers that had resulted in the death of many persons.

Other things discussed included the independence of the Niger Delta region [there was purported to be a document signed with the British before; Nigeria's'' Independence for the region to be independent after 30 years]. We were worried as to how Military Governors then were appointed and who were only busy carting away the wealth of the State.We felt it was time to champion a new course for our people.'

He adjusted his glasses and continued.

‘For me,I felt this was a good cause to champion but I was not ready to die for a corrupt country such as Nigeria.First, I wanted the body to be affiliated with the Greenpeace Organisation so that our families could at least be compensated, per adventure, we lost our lives in the struggle.However,befor all these were to bear fruition, I got a post-doctoral fellowship to carry out research in Japan in 1991 and left Nigeria in March 1992.It was on my return to Nigeria that I asked the secretary[Opubo Daminabo] of the body which were trying to build.

It was then he narrated how he was made to go to the Radio ‘'station'' with an announcement with the ending ‘signed:The President.When he challenged that he Ken, could not be called the chairman as no election had been conducted.He was asked: Don't you want to take orders from me?This was the beginning of the end of the body.It was after this body-had- failed that Ken joined Mosop that has now been formed.The rest is history.

With the onset of the Niger Delta crisis, I was tempted asylum in Japan or move to the U.S.But then, I loved my country and was willing to be a slave in Nigeria than to be one in a foreign land.I returned to the crisis after Ken had been hanged.It was sad that it happened but our people say ‘na fly wey no get adviser na him follow dead body enter grave'.After this, with the onset of democracy the situation returned to normal and escalated around 2001.

The Present

If you are from the true Niger Delta, then you would understand what I am, next, going

to put down.The present crisis started from two areas of Rivers State-Okrika and Kalabari communities. Both of them have to do with the installation of Amayanabo[King] following the death of the previous rulers.However,before the death of His Royal Majesty Sir S.P.U Organ,plans were in place to recognize a new tool called ‘Amadabo of Kirike' and the occupant was supposed to be next in Hierarchy to the Amayanabo.

The purpose of this creation was to appease the Koniju section of Kirike who had lost the right to the throne,a very long time ago.It was similar to the case of Esua and Jacob in the Holy Bible.The proposed occupant to the throne was one Chief Nelson Oputibeya.He and some other chiefs had been convinced to join the the Okrika Divisional Council of Chiefs and this brouht relative peace to the Kingdom.However, some people of the Koniju extraction had other ideas.

Their plan was to create an autonomous Kingdom ending the loss of the right they suffered in ancient times.'

Before the death of the king [Sir S.P.U Organ], there had been a plan to adopt a rotational system of producing the King from the families that makeup the Ado Royal House.A constitution was drawn up and because of my father's[late Chief Addision Atelibo Opuambe] was secretary to Council of Chiefs I had the privilege of reviewing

it for editorial purposes.

In the constitution,the Ibulubo War Canoe House was to produce the next King .The believe amongst the Chiefs and the families was that this proposal was accepted.The late King counld not finalise it befor his demise.A copy [original]was also given to chief Alfred Abam to review,being one of the most learned amongst them.

Because of his interest in the now vacant stool, the copy was never released.This was the beginning of the tussle.However, on the strenght of the other copy, the Ibulubo House, as the next occupant of the throne put forward one Charles Dagogo.At this point, politics had not come into play so much.

This is where the missing link comes in .Recall the plan of the Konilu extraction to have their King.With the ‘crisis' in the Ado Royal Family the Council of Chief was divided into two factions.Most of the Koniju Chiefs now supported the Chief Alfred Abam faction and some of them happened to be in politics, as did some others in the other camp.The plan hatched was similar to install Chief Nelson Oputibeya as Amadabo of Kirike but here they had some other Chief in mind and more sinister plans which were also unknown to Chief Abam himself.

After the traditional rights had been performed on Charles Dagogo[ two out of the five King Makers abstained], a rival ceremony was performed for Chief Alfred Abam.Befor this,however,violence,albeit,on a relatively small scale had engulfed the town[Okrika] and the Charles Dagogo faction went into exile.

As this piece continues, I feel it is getting too long and could bore the reader.So,I have broken it into another half to spark up readers' interest.To note again, what I am doing here is to give a report's account of the witness;Dr Akuro Adoki's, which he gave at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that has continued to receive witness account for two months.You will have to read more details in the following article on USE MONEY ACRUING Rivers STATE...., to get the full story.