Posted by FORMER journalist cum development activist, Mr.
Emeka Nwankpa, is the Chief Media Strategist of the
Concerned Professionals’ Congress (CPC), an
advocacy group with a focus on the promotion of
good governance within a democratic Nigeria. In
this interview, Nwankpa speaks on issues arising
from the ongoing agitation in the Niger Delta among
others. Excerpts:
By Rufus Ike
The country is apparently moving from crisis to
crisis. How did we get there?
There is no way you can have a country made up of
over 250 ethnic nationalities of different beliefs,
backgrounds and preferences without crisis. A
nation with over 170 million people of over 200
languages, different history, cultures, traditions and
faiths is a humongous lot. So between and among
people, there will be disagreement from time to
time. You see one altercation, crisis or another,
either intra-ethnic or inter-ethnic. It is normal. But
what has made societies grow and progress
meaningfully is the measure of tolerance and
understanding they displayed.
But how does the current situation in Niger Delta fit
into the scenario which you have just painted?
•Nwankpa
By Taboola Sponsored Links
Militancy: This war won’t pay Niger Delta agitators
— Nwankpa
ON July 7, 2016 9:13 PM / IN News , Politics /
Comments
FORMER journalist cum development activist, Mr.
Emeka Nwankpa, is the Chief Media Strategist of the
Concerned Professionals’ Congress (CPC), an
advocacy group with a focus on the promotion of
good governance within a democratic Nigeria. In
this interview, Nwankpa speaks on issues arising
from the ongoing agitation in the Niger Delta among
others. Excerpts:
By Rufus Ike
The country is apparently moving from crisis to
crisis. How did we get there?
There is no way you can have a country made up of
over 250 ethnic nationalities of different beliefs,
backgrounds and preferences without crisis. A
nation with over 170 million people of over 200
languages, different history, cultures, traditions and
faiths is a humongous lot. So between and among
people, there will be disagreement from time to
time. You see one altercation, crisis or another,
either intra-ethnic or inter-ethnic. It is normal. But
what has made societies grow and progress
meaningfully is the measure of tolerance and
understanding they displayed.
But how does the current situation in Niger Delta fit
into the scenario which you have just painted?
In the case of the Niger Delta, it did not just start
today even as the agitations appear to be spiralling
out of control. For me, it is the associated violence
and wanton killings and destruction of national
assets that I find vexatious and disturbing. We may
have grievances but that does not mean we should
start blowing up national assets.
The Nigerian people do not deserve what they are
getting in the hands of the agitators and that is why
we have reasons to believe that there is more to
these avengers masquerading as vanguard of the
Niger Delta people’s agitation.
We wonder why a group of self-serving people will
deliberately hurt the Niger Delta people by the oil
pipelines bombings. Are they not further polluting
the already-polluted region?
Security and intelligence
If we try to dig deeper, we may discover that there’s
more to these attacks. We may begin to see the
politics of it. We stand to be corrected. There’s
more to it than meets the eye but that is for the
security and intelligence people to get the facts and
move in the direction of the facts. We cannot
continue like this.
So what are you insinuating? Do you mean some
politicians may be collaborating with the militants?
I have not said so, it is just my hunch. There are
people who think the agitators have good grounds
to make demands, they may have a point. But
there’s also the majority opinion that wilful blowing
up of oil pipelines is a criminality which does not
form part of a genuine and credible agitation. Try to
examine some of the demands of the Avengers, are
they different from what we have always had before?
The pattern has not changed only that the
characters have changed. Events appear to have
moved beyond that now but it is food for thought.
It is good that the government seized the initiative
of the dialogue option, bowing to public opinion.
It is laudable but some still argue that the situation
should not have been allowed to go this bad. Well,
we think that no time is too late to change direction
as long as it is the right direction. It is the end that
justifies the means. It explains why more militant
groups in the region are buying into the dialogue
process. At least, efforts are paying off. I am talking
about the NSA-led Federal Government’s dialogue
committee where Petroleum Minister of State, Dr.
Ibe Kachikwu has been displaying his excellent
grasp of the politics and dynamics of the oil sector.
So you believe that the dialogue option is a
winnable policy?
Absolutely. It is a masterstroke. Dialogue is
strength. It is a win-win option and we commend
the government for this. I believe that this tool of
diplomacy and dialogue speaks volumes about the
capacity of the government as far as this issue is
concerned. We commend the leadership of the
Nigerian military for standing down their force.
But some say that government should not negotiate
with criminals?
Yes, that argument once held water but with the
presidential declaration of a ceasefire to allow for
dialogue, it has become irrelevant, impotent and
inactive in the light of current realities on the
ground. We believe that the dialogue team will be
frank, sincere, holistic and dispassionate in its
assignment.
Do you foresee an early end to this restless ghost
of militancy in the Niger Delta region?
Absolutely. As a nation, we need to appraise the
whole picture without leaving out anything. Now we
have an emergency on our hands so all hands must
be on deck. It’s delicate and dicey. You need tact,
patience and level-headedness to lead the fly away
and save the balls otherwise the result is
cataclysmic.
In answering your question therefore, I foresee a
productive end to this resurgent militancy in the
region. There is a consensus that time has come for
the people of the region to begin to see positive
changes. We are at the threshold of that change.
Emeka Nwankpa, is the Chief Media Strategist of the
Concerned Professionals’ Congress (CPC), an
advocacy group with a focus on the promotion of
good governance within a democratic Nigeria. In
this interview, Nwankpa speaks on issues arising
from the ongoing agitation in the Niger Delta among
others. Excerpts:
By Rufus Ike
The country is apparently moving from crisis to
crisis. How did we get there?
There is no way you can have a country made up of
over 250 ethnic nationalities of different beliefs,
backgrounds and preferences without crisis. A
nation with over 170 million people of over 200
languages, different history, cultures, traditions and
faiths is a humongous lot. So between and among
people, there will be disagreement from time to
time. You see one altercation, crisis or another,
either intra-ethnic or inter-ethnic. It is normal. But
what has made societies grow and progress
meaningfully is the measure of tolerance and
understanding they displayed.
But how does the current situation in Niger Delta fit
into the scenario which you have just painted?
•Nwankpa
By Taboola Sponsored Links
Militancy: This war won’t pay Niger Delta agitators
— Nwankpa
ON July 7, 2016 9:13 PM / IN News , Politics /
Comments
FORMER journalist cum development activist, Mr.
Emeka Nwankpa, is the Chief Media Strategist of the
Concerned Professionals’ Congress (CPC), an
advocacy group with a focus on the promotion of
good governance within a democratic Nigeria. In
this interview, Nwankpa speaks on issues arising
from the ongoing agitation in the Niger Delta among
others. Excerpts:
By Rufus Ike
The country is apparently moving from crisis to
crisis. How did we get there?
There is no way you can have a country made up of
over 250 ethnic nationalities of different beliefs,
backgrounds and preferences without crisis. A
nation with over 170 million people of over 200
languages, different history, cultures, traditions and
faiths is a humongous lot. So between and among
people, there will be disagreement from time to
time. You see one altercation, crisis or another,
either intra-ethnic or inter-ethnic. It is normal. But
what has made societies grow and progress
meaningfully is the measure of tolerance and
understanding they displayed.
But how does the current situation in Niger Delta fit
into the scenario which you have just painted?
In the case of the Niger Delta, it did not just start
today even as the agitations appear to be spiralling
out of control. For me, it is the associated violence
and wanton killings and destruction of national
assets that I find vexatious and disturbing. We may
have grievances but that does not mean we should
start blowing up national assets.
The Nigerian people do not deserve what they are
getting in the hands of the agitators and that is why
we have reasons to believe that there is more to
these avengers masquerading as vanguard of the
Niger Delta people’s agitation.
We wonder why a group of self-serving people will
deliberately hurt the Niger Delta people by the oil
pipelines bombings. Are they not further polluting
the already-polluted region?
Security and intelligence
If we try to dig deeper, we may discover that there’s
more to these attacks. We may begin to see the
politics of it. We stand to be corrected. There’s
more to it than meets the eye but that is for the
security and intelligence people to get the facts and
move in the direction of the facts. We cannot
continue like this.
So what are you insinuating? Do you mean some
politicians may be collaborating with the militants?
I have not said so, it is just my hunch. There are
people who think the agitators have good grounds
to make demands, they may have a point. But
there’s also the majority opinion that wilful blowing
up of oil pipelines is a criminality which does not
form part of a genuine and credible agitation. Try to
examine some of the demands of the Avengers, are
they different from what we have always had before?
The pattern has not changed only that the
characters have changed. Events appear to have
moved beyond that now but it is food for thought.
It is good that the government seized the initiative
of the dialogue option, bowing to public opinion.
It is laudable but some still argue that the situation
should not have been allowed to go this bad. Well,
we think that no time is too late to change direction
as long as it is the right direction. It is the end that
justifies the means. It explains why more militant
groups in the region are buying into the dialogue
process. At least, efforts are paying off. I am talking
about the NSA-led Federal Government’s dialogue
committee where Petroleum Minister of State, Dr.
Ibe Kachikwu has been displaying his excellent
grasp of the politics and dynamics of the oil sector.
So you believe that the dialogue option is a
winnable policy?
Absolutely. It is a masterstroke. Dialogue is
strength. It is a win-win option and we commend
the government for this. I believe that this tool of
diplomacy and dialogue speaks volumes about the
capacity of the government as far as this issue is
concerned. We commend the leadership of the
Nigerian military for standing down their force.
But some say that government should not negotiate
with criminals?
Yes, that argument once held water but with the
presidential declaration of a ceasefire to allow for
dialogue, it has become irrelevant, impotent and
inactive in the light of current realities on the
ground. We believe that the dialogue team will be
frank, sincere, holistic and dispassionate in its
assignment.
Do you foresee an early end to this restless ghost
of militancy in the Niger Delta region?
Absolutely. As a nation, we need to appraise the
whole picture without leaving out anything. Now we
have an emergency on our hands so all hands must
be on deck. It’s delicate and dicey. You need tact,
patience and level-headedness to lead the fly away
and save the balls otherwise the result is
cataclysmic.
In answering your question therefore, I foresee a
productive end to this resurgent militancy in the
region. There is a consensus that time has come for
the people of the region to begin to see positive
changes. We are at the threshold of that change.
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| Article Name | Militancy: This war won’t pay Niger Delta agitators
— Nwankpa |
| Description |
|
| Author Name | Head Admin |
| Published On | 7/07/2016 |
| Post Category |
NEWS AND GOSSIP
|
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