Jomo Gbomo is a name that send jitters down the spine of government officials and international crude oil consumers.Unprecendented press releases from this mysterious spokesman of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND) have been accompanied by actions confirming that there are not mere threats.Oil prices can shoot up or down by his words.Jomo Gbomo in his usual style has informed Nigerians and the Federal Government that MEND has eminent Nigerians who have "graciously" accepted to lead its talks with the Federal Goverment of Nigeria on the amnesty offer by the latter as a panacea for return of peace to the Niger delta region.The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Niger delta amnesty,Major Gen.Godwin Abbe(rtd), told reporters that there cannot be talks with the militants while they are carrying weapons in response to MEND proposal.He warned Movement For Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) against testing the might of the government,noting that the government is prepared to express the sovereignty of Nigeria in all ramifications.The above was reported in many Dailies.The amnesty offer expires midnight 4th October 2009.Governemnt stand if not reversed by the end of the amnesty period means a face off between government and all unrepentant militant groups including MEND.Tommorrow is Nigeria's 49th birthday.
We have four days to the declaration of war between the Nigerian government and militant groups.At this point Nigeria will join the list of countries with recognised rebel groups.Rebel groups are not new to Africa neither to the world at large.Rebel groups are scattered across Africa fighting for different causes in their countries.Sudan,Somali,Central Africa Republic,Sierra Leone,Uganda are all host to rebel groups.Their activites has lead to destruction of life and property.Many have lost their lifes and thousands have been displaced.It has retarded the growth of this countries.The actions of this rebel groups has undermined the development of this countries.Some have escalated into full fledged war.Economic activities are halted and the nagatrive effect on the citizens are not desireable.They live under inhuman conditions,hunger and poverty.
Nigeria is on the verge of looming rebel activities.The nation is already in crisis.International ratings by various international bodies/groups have been on the decline.This ratings are confirmed by sufferings in all aspects of life of the Nigerian people.A look at the national dailies depicts a nation in crisis.Nothing works here.The basic things of life is lacking.Government is no more a solution to the problems of the country but the problem.Why won't government be blamed? Sucessive governement have left the nation in suffering and anguish at the end of their stay in power.The nation is blessed with abundant human and natural resources.The country is habited by dynamic people.The black gold has been a main stay of the economy since its discovery in 1958 in Oloibiri.The corruption that prevails in various government over the years has caused the huge revenues earned from the sale of crude oil to be squandered,mismanaged and looted.Over 70% of the citizens live below the poverty line.No wonder their has been resistance from the Oil producing states against successive governments.We have witnessed the days of Issac Adaka Boro,Ken Saro-Wiwa to the present day militant activities in the creeks.As the world advanced jobless youths and those who believe in fighting the unjust behaviour of the federal govermnent have organised themselves into armed resistance.
Notable among this group is MEND.They seem to be more organised going by their history."Our aim is to totally destroy the capacity of the Nigerian government to export oil..." MEND.They have issued threats in the past and carried it out to the latter.Their activities are characterised by Massive disruption and Swarm-based maneuver in the creeks and all the Oil producing states.Kidnapping has become more rampant than armed robbery nowadays no thanks to the militants adoption of kidnapping of expartriates as a bargaining chip.The unemployed,jobless,rogues and thiefs have seen it as a better option to rise above the poverty line and escape suffering.Only the rich and affluent are targets.A poor man can go to sleep rest assured that no body will kidnap him.The militants claim that its struggle is that of good against evil, right against wrong.The believe that the oil which is gotten from their land must be used to better their lot.Various government have by their actions not thought it wise to listen to the demands of the communities.Committes have been set up with no implementation of their findings.These struggle would have been minimised if the governement has lived up to its responsibilities of providing good roads,electricity and drinking water,the basic amenities for a nation.If these were in place,developments over the years would have resulted in industrilization,jobs will be created and the standard of living in the country would have improved significantly.There would be less people available to engage the goverment in a struggle.
The Niger Delta crisis is a direct result of the inefficiencies of Nigerian Government since 1960.The populace who are supposed to be engaged in productive ventures are jobless.Those who are employed are doing the wrong jobs.The citizens become vulnerable for the militant groups to recruit.The poor performance of government justifies the existence of these military groups.The refusal of government not to thread on the side of caution by using every means available(putting aside ego) will spell disaster for the nation.The militant groups especially MEND have in the past issued threats and cut off significant oil output through their operation.They have struck many locations at their wish and got away.In the usual haphazard Nigeria style,Governement has offered amnesty with a promised to develop the region.Many have observed that the government is not sincere as their is no solid commitment by it to look at the root cause of the problems in view of solving it.Government has been advised by various interest groups including the militants to look at various commitee reports gathered over the years and implement them.This advice has been ignored ny the government of the day.They have precribed amnesty as a stepping stone for resolving the crisis.Some argue that they have offered amnesty as a front for exchanging arms held by militants for money inorder to resolve the crisis.The government is serious about this because the activities of the militants have dealth badly with revenue accruable to the government for the running of the country.The current world recession is biting hard and we need all the oil we can get to survive.
Some militant leaders and their boys have embraced the amnesty offer while some still consider it a greek gift.The latest in the series of events is the nomination of eminent Nigerians including Nobel Lureate Wole Soyinka to hold talks with government on the accepatnce of the amnesty package by MEND.The Federal Government has blatantly refused to accept this develpment and has vowed to attack the militants when the amnesty offer expires by 4th October 2009.We do not know the nature government offensive against unrepentant militants will assume.I want to believe that the government willl officially recognise the militant groups including MEND as enemies of the nation that must be crushed.Come October 4th the militant groups will officially be recognised as REBEL GROUPS.Gorrilla warfare,militant activities will becaome the other of the day.The militant groups will respond in their own style and it will herald the begining of a war.Going by the manner of activities of the militant grouops in the past,their resolve to totally destroy the capacity of the Nigerian government to export oil will assume a new dimension.The nation's dependency on crude oil will threaten the survival of the country and its citizens.
It is known that Rebel groups all over the world have inflicted serious damages on their various nation even before some were eliminated.We are going to see a war situation in Nigeria.The crisis that this development will genarate will lead to further decline in the development of the nation and can even threaten the unity of the nation.We have few days to the turning point which can mean disaster and destruction to the Nigerian nation if the status quo is maintained.Whatever is the case its the masses that will suffer and Nigeria will continue to decline by all indices..............
