The critical now

Militancy and amnesty aside, the challenge of resolving the puzzle that has denied the many communities and clans of the resource rich Niger Delta has reached emergency levels. Although the crisis was easily predictable, successive governments had treated the anger and protests as mere irritations that can be brushed aside with warning shots, arrests or in extreme cases, devastating attacks on communities.

For scholars and survivors, there is something new that should worry all lovers of peace and livelihood - the completed project of the regionalization of anger and the now emerging nationalization of grievances anchored on stubborn defiance.

In the early days of the struggles by our people against the corporations and governments, the focus of mobilisation remained in islands of clans with small numbers of dedicated individuals and rarely was cross clan collaboration involved. In the renewed agitations of the 1990s, the idea of clan collaboration began to take firm root with the emergence of the Chikoko Movement and several groups worked like this.

The Chikoko Movement played a critical role in bringing the youths of Urhobo, Ibibio, Oron, Ogoni, Isoko, Ikwerre, Ijaw, and Etche together in the late 1990s.

Many conferences of ethnic nationalities were to follow and in a rotational way, hosted by the Ijaws (through the INC), Ikwerre (through Ogbakor Ikwerre) among others.

Present day agitation now cuts across states and nationalities, with broad based groups including the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) with its advocacy of armed struggle, insisting on justice. The anger across the region is now also noticeable, even among children. The story is told of a 13-year-old boy in Port Harcourt who can identify the sounds of the different guns - be it Pump Action; AK47; GMG and so on - and would warn his friends about when to be on the lookout. We cannot afford to ruin the future by inaction. We have to do something now.

It is important that we constantly remind ourselves what the struggle is all about.

The struggle of the people of the Niger Delta is about respect for our human dignity. The undemocratic seizure of the resources of the people of the Niger Delta by the military regimes following the civil war; the relentless assault on the environment by the uncaring activities of resource hunters otherwise known as transnational oil companies; the destruction of communal governance traditions , are all part of the fallout of the disrespect for our humanity. Our struggle is aimed at reversing these degrading acts and we must not be mistaken about this.

On this day, in this hour, there is a call to all patriots to rally round to resolve the issues of the Niger Delta because the implications of a non-resolution are unthinkable and unacceptable. On the shoulders of the Niger Delta rest Nigerian and West African regional stability. As we all know, our oil and gas based energy needs are mostly domiciled in the region so also is a majority of our maritime and fishing resources. Should the tide turn and tourism take a greater focus, the Niger Delta with its bounties of beaches and nature will play a critical role in further stabilizing the polity and bringing needed revenue and happiness to our country.

It is in the interest of all that we give unto the Niger Delta what the people of the Niger Delta want within, of course, the limits of justice, fair play and equity. The window of militancy and amnesty is an arithmetic indication of how much the situation had degenerated and a clarion call to all that we prevent a further slide to anomie.

Nigerians are good people. There is nothing complex about our togetherness. It is true that all the nations within our country had no hand in our coming together in the 1914 initiative of the British. Yet, our unique stories and identities add great beauty to the good and running story of our union in the making. It can only get better.

Therefore, we can begin from the very beginning by initiating policies that will protect the haves from the have-nots, enshrine rights, duties and obligations that protect the minorities from the majorities in our unifying constitutional documents. Our yearning for democracy, development and peace will constantly be delayed if not denied except and until we can settle those unsettling issues of our togetherness.

Oronto Douglas writes from San Francisco, California