Niger Delta: We must listen to Attah

At long last, Obong Victor Attah, a distinguished elder statesman and erstwhile Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has broken his silence and spoken directly on the Niger Delta question twice in one month since he left office as Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

Based on his reputation as a pacifist and advocate of the Niger Delta cause and the statesmanlike manner he had handled the resource control debate, I had expected nothing less from him. In view of the controversy that has trailed the proposed summit on the Delta problem, Attah’s contribution came on the nick of time and, as to be expected, it came, loaded, with a novelty whose profundity cannot but be appreciated.

Today, do we still need any “summit” on the Niger Delta? This was the question Attah set forth to answer in his first contribution and emerged saying “yes” for a “summit” of summits, which should come in three stages so that nothing, again, is left to chance. Paraphrased, stage One of the “Summit” will involve distillation and collation of all the divergent views contained in those series of reports on the Delta question which should be reinforced with current, additional memoranda from the various interests and ethnic groups in the region.

SUMMIT Stage Two: This, according to him, should be an exclusive gathering of leaders of the Delta region as representatives of all the stakeholders. It should be the task of this forum to come out with a harmonized view on how to finally effectively tackle the Niger Delta problem, based on the product of a Steering Committee of experts.

SUMMIT Stage Three: Finally, this should include participants other than those from the Delta “since we are part of a larger country and cannot pretend that whatever we want is what we will get.” From this stage of the summit, which should also include representatives of the international community, ought to emerge “a program of action and implementation to change for good and ensure the well-being of the goose that is laying the golden egg for this country.”

In his second contribution published in a number of newspapers on Sunday, August 3, 2008, Attah, an architect and renowned town planner, accurately traced the origins of the militancy in the Niger Delta to the Abacha era when youths from the creeks who attended Daniel Kanu’s two-million man march in Abuja saw how oil money had been used to transform overnight a virgin forest into a modern city and became infuriated that the goose that lays the golden egg had been cheated. Ever since, the Niger Delta has not been the same again. So, what is the way out?

Attah must have reasoned alongside Aristotle who said in his Metaphysics: Cessante Causa, Cessat effectus. Meaning: when the cause ceases to be, the effect disappears. Syllogistically, that is to say that the Niger Delta, youths were infuriated that their oil wealth was used to develop a new town like Abuja to the exclusion of towns in the oil bearing area. Therefore, if something like Abuja is replicated in the Niger Delta the youths will be placated.

Thus, citing Britain as an example of countries that have consistently ensured sustainable development via the development of new towns as a matter of state policy, Attah deftly reduced the solution to the Niger Delta problem to three things: “Massive infrastructure and human development; Employment creation and Restoration of human dignity.”

A close look at the three things, he said, would show that, “the second derives from the first and they both will give birth to the third.” Pointing out that new towns would not only come with “certain euphoria”, but essentially also provide employment during and after construction, he stressed that he was not talking about new towns for the Delta people alone, but new towns for - every and any Nigerian that may wish to live there.

He therefore proposed four new towns for the region - Towns which, could be designated as “company towns” i.e. towns with economic base that would automatically “provide employment for all employable Nigerians.” Such towns should be located thus: One in Ijawland - Bayelsa State; One in Ogoniland, for River State; One in Akwa Ibom (a sea port for Ibaka town), and One in Delta State, preferably in Warri town which should be modernized. These new towns, Attah argued, would come naturally with “the desired elements: roads, power, water, good communications, schools, hospitals, housing, recreational and other amenities and in particular security.”

I cannot agree more. Attah knows where the shoe pinches his people and by extension, the Nigerian economy. He spoke the minds of most Nigerians. The Niger Delta issue must be resolved objectively and systematically. And one sure way is the three-stage approach because, a high hill, as Isaac Pitman said, grows lesser as we take each step. Moreover, there is no way we can do real justice to the whole matter today without refreshing our memories of all those past recommendations and reports. If Attah’s first dossier is a novelty par excellence, his second is even more so given its comprehensive nature. It is perhaps scary to talk of “comprehensive development” of the Niger Delta, but Attah’s new town approach offers an effective if less cumbersome solution to the problem, because of the domino effect inherent in a new town: new roads, housing, new utilities, new jobs arising from new factories, schools, colleges, hospitals, sea or river ports, construction sites etc.

Funding the development of a new town should not be a burden for the Federal Government alone to shoulder, if the right and proper fiscal federalism is allowed to thrive here. Today, the Federal Government finds it almost impossible to discharge its duties to the people merely because the center has bitten more than it can chew. As they say, to whom much is given, from him much is expected. Like Attah suggested, it is improper for the FG to retain 60% equity in every major oil company.

By reducing its holding to 30% and redistributing the remainder to a resource bearing state (20%) and the immediate community (10%), the development of a new town can easily be funded through equitable contributions by the three tiers. In fact, when the state takes 20% revenue and the community takes 10%, it can be rightly argued that a derivation principle of 30% as opposed to the existing 13% is in effect and, therefore, to raise say N250billion to develop a new town, say, at Ibaka in Akwa Ibom State, the community could conveniently contribute 10%; the state government 20%; the Federal Government 30% making up a pool of 60% which would possibly be augmented by the private sector, oil companies and the international community and a seaport town would shine at Ibaka to the benefit of not only the immediate state, but also all Nigerians.

For the right fiscal Federalism we may yet revisit the Igbeti Marble formula so that when we begin to give agriculture the focus it deserves, the affected communities and states in the North would be adequately compensated. Therefore, in order to reduce the envy that frustrates the idea of payment of adequate royalty to the oil bearing area, let us develop our agriculture and also begin to exploit the huge mineral wealth trapped under the Northern soil, so that the derivation money can go round because it is only when the two sides of the chin take turns in chewing your food that you can swallow with confidence. By shifting to other minerals like tar sands found in Ondo state, and the mineral deposit in the North, we could diversify the economy. Total and indefinite dependence on oil - a depleting resource, cannot but spell doom for the economy. The issue of reviewing the Mineral Oil Act; Land Use Decree; Petroleum Tax Law raised by Attah is a whole topic on its own and therefore deserves a separate and exhaustive treatment next time.

Meanwhile, let us ignore Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s bravura and the French’s braggadocio. Let us invite the British Town Planning Association to help carry out Attah’s statesmanlike recommendations on new towns. My fear about the violence in the Delta region is that it may force America to intervene under the guise of the Monroe and Roosevelt Doctrines. Especially if, one way or the other, one day, an American vessel comes fatally under the Delta crossfire. Remember Panama (1903); remember Cuba (1889); Pearl Habour and the Second World War?

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Godwin Nzeakah
www.sunnewsonline.com(Tuesday,August 12,2008)

You Hold the Keys to Happiness in Your Hands

We all have the ability to have as much happiness as we want, as much happiness as we can stand! But if we don't, whose fault is it? We'd like to blame the economy, our spouse, our work, or our bodies. But in truth, we are the only ones who can put any limits on our happiness. We are all put here with the same capacity for happiness, pleasure, and success. If you learn how to choose happiness by focusing on it as your goal and learning what it takes to create a happy life, then you hold the keys to happiness in your hands.

First, you need to define what being happy means to you, since it might not mean the same thing to everyone. Next, you have to commit to pursuing happiness as a goal and doing whatever it takes to achieve it. You may find some of these ideas helpful to create all the happiness you could ever want.

1. Dream. Don't give up on your dreams just because they haven't come to you yet. They keep us excited and motivated. Look at your beliefs and see if they're getting in the way of achieving your dreams, and if so work with a coach to shift your beliefs. Spend time feeling how you would feel and visualizing what it would be like if your dream came to pass. When you get into this state, you will not only be happier, but your joy will create the energy to draw your dream to you. Get clear about what you want and be sure you really still want it. Maybe your dreams have changed over the years and you never took the time to re-evaluate. Sit down and write out what your dreams and goals are in as much detail as possible and set dates by when you'd like to achieve them.

2. Accept. Where you are now is fine. Look for what you can enjoy in your life now while you pursue your dreams. Maybe you just haven't known what to do yet, but you are open to learning. Maybe it just hasn't been the right time for you to achieve your dreams. If you're not getting the results you want today, change what you're doing for better results tomorrow. But always come from the place of being happy in the present so that you are more open to happiness in the future. Remember that you are the only one affecting your happiness, so don't play victim, make excuses, or blame others if you're not as happy as you'd like to be. Don't expect anyone to rescue you. What can you do to turn your life around? How can you take responsibility for your happiness? Knowing that you alone affect how you feel at any time, gives you great power. Now use it wisely.

3. Shine. Do what you love. What are your unique skills and talents? What do you do that you would do every day even if you weren't getting paid? Aren't you happiest when you're doing what you're good at, what you love, and what you are confident at? If you're not even sure what you love because it's been so long since you did it, take an assessment test and start moving in the direction of your passions.

4. Grow. Life is a classroom and you can either learn and grow or stay the same. Learning new subjects or mastering your present skills brings great joy. Weren't you excited the first time you could speak a whole sentence in a foreign language? Wasn't it a thrill when you could actually send an attached file in an e-mail? Continued growth adds to your happiness.

5. Love. Do everything you do with love and you'll always experience happiness. Even when you find yourself doing some activity in pursuit of your dreams that isn't your most beloved activity, see what you CAN enjoy about it. Say you're making cold calls for a new business venture you want to get off the ground. Make it fun by being as personable as possible with people you speak to, and treat each stranger as a friend you just haven't met yet. Imagine what you can love about this person, even if they don't seem lovable. They are someone's child, so someone loves them. And for every NO you get, consider that it means NEXT ONE. That very next one could be your big opportunity. If you learn to love everything you do, you'll never have unpleasant chores and you'll find happiness in every moment.

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source:
www.slowdownfast.com


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