The issue of development in the Niger delta is getting interesting. This is so because youths of the region are now saying it is time the elders gave way for the youths to decide the future of the region. Over the years the elders had held the region but no tangible result has been achieved. In this interview with Austin Oyibode of ZENITHBLOG.com, Israel Eshanekpe Akpodoro, an ex-militant commander, is saying it is not reasonable that octogenarians and septuagenarians are taking decisions for the youths of the region. He is saying youths should be given opportunity to take decisions that affect them directly. Excerpts:
What is the situation with the amnesty allowance to former militants, how is it going?
The amnesty allowance unfortunately has been unnecessarily delayed, although we understand the sentiment surrounding the delay. The amnesty budget for this year is in the national budget and has not been passed. But our own argument has always been that the 2016 budget has not been exhausted, it therefore means there is money to pay the youths of the Niger Delta who are beneficiaries of the amnesty programme.
We therefore describe that delay as unnecessary and unwarranted. The delay is bellicose and dangerous for sustainable peace in the Niger Delta region. This is because a hungry man is an angry man. Most of the ex-militants depend on the amnesty allowance for their livelihood. So, when you do not pay them, they will want to take the short cut which of course they are used to.
And in cutting corners, crimes are committed. Therefore, we are calling on the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, pay up the stipends and pay up the backlogs. Even in the previous regime, it wasn’t this bad that a government would owe as much as five months, it is not the best. We are advising whoever is in charge of the amnesty program to pay up.
Israel Akpodoro, former militant leader and Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). The two are working to ensure sustainable peace in the Niger delta
And even if they are not paying immediately, there is scanty information. The handlers of the programme are not talking. If you are owing somebody, you tell the person sorry, I know I’m owing you, by such a time I will pay you or we are still working on it. By so doing, you keep them at peace. But when you just ignore them, you are not saying anything, it’s like you don’t want to pay.
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While we work on the youths of the region to ensure there is peace, the federal government should do its part of the bargain by ensuring that every necessary item to make Niger Delta calm for development to come, it should do it.
What is this association you are heading, Association of Ex-Agitators and Niger Delta Youth Coalition, doing to ensure permanent peace in the region?
I, Akpodoro, am just one person, the group is a conglomerate of every other group in the Niger delta region. They have agreed to come together to make me their leader. The group covers every nationality in the Niger delta. And the trouble makers are the youths, the elders do not make trouble.
And if they are directly under the control of Akpodoro in this association, it therefore means Akpodoro is to work to mitigate crisis, violence, calm frayed nerves if any, and ensure that he uses the youths positively for the good of the nation.
Now from what you said earlier, are you advising the federal government to divert from dialoguing with elders and shift over to the youths?
Not exactly ignoring the elders. We are not saying the elders should be ignored, but what we are saying is that what is good for the goose is good for the gander. The federal government should talk with the elders and at the same time talk with the youths.
Israel Akpodoro says President Muhammadu Buhari has a good programme for the people of the restive Niger Delta region
Most of these elders are politicians, they go for personal interest. The youths will come for general interest more than the elders because the youths are the leaders of tomorrow.
The elders are outgoing, their places will be taken over by the youths. Therefore they should allow the youths to negotiate their own destiny, allow the youths to negotiate their future, allow the youths to negotiate their tomorrow.
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Now, don’t you think the youths are limited in knowledge with regards to the issues of national development?
The knowledge of the Nigerian youth of today is not limited. The Nigerian youth of today is vast in knowledge and wisdom. The elders cannot boast of knowing it all because you cannot know yesterday, today and tomorrow. The youths have today and tomorrow. The elders do not have no tomorrow, therefore, the youths should be allowed to decide their destiny.
Ex- militants have laid down their arms and are ready to work with the federal government for sustainable peace in the Niger delta
For instance, an elder in the Niger Delta region once said he was at the body lounge, if you are in the body lounge of a plane, it means your flight is about to take off. And the purpose of that adage is that he was preparing to leave.
You can’t have an 85 years old man discussing the destiny of a 25 year-old-youth. No, it doesn’t work like that. Leave the destiny of the youth in his hand, the 85 year old man is outgoing, let him be a consultant to the young ones not him deciding what happens to the youths.
No, I think in the reasoning of the interventionist agencies in the region, they share the belief that it is time for the Niger delta youths to hold their destinies in their own hands, not leaving it for the septuagenarians, octogenarians and the men who have already lived their lives to decide for them.
They should allow the youths to decide where they go. The elders have decided their destinies and they are passing away. For instance, Muhammadu Buhari was less than 40 years when he became president, Gowon was less than 40 when he became the head of state and so on and so forth.
The meaning is that the Nigerians state gave them that opportunity to manage their own destiny. Therefore, this same system should allow the Niger Delta youths to manage their destinies. Don’t allow a man of 100 years decide where a man of 25 years should go and his future.
This is what we are saying and that is all about a united front for the Niger delta youths. Let Ndokwa youths come out and say what they want in their area, let Urhobo youths come out and say what they want in their area, let Ijaw youths say their own, let Itsekiri say theirs and all these will be brought together under one umbrella led by Israel Akpodoro.
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Niger Delta youths say these elders must give way for youths to make decision for themselves in the region
If the youths are lacking in wisdom, they go to the elders for consultation, Daddy we have come tell us this, when it happened in your time what did you do, that is the best thing to do. And that is why we are saying the government should not only discuss with the elders, they should equally look on the side of the Nigerian youths.
Are you saying the youths of the region are in support of Buhari?
They are in support of President Muhammadu Buhari 100 percent. Akpodoro has been able to bring the youths of the region under one umbrella of this association. That group, Association of Ex-Agitators and Niger Delta Youth Coalition, is the parent body of all youth organizations in the region.
Every youth organization has a representative in this association. That is why it is an association and also a coalition. It is a merger of all associations. In a nutshell, Niger delta youths are in support of Muhammadu Buhari.
In the ZENITHBLOG.com video below, two police officers were caught in Warri negotiating monetary terms with a bus driver but when he refused, they decided to pull out the number of his bus. Watch the video
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