On-the-big-questions-the-minority-tribes-of-the-south-south-have-refused-to-ask
September 7, 2020 | News
ON THE BIG QUESTIONS THE MINORITY TRIBES OF THE SOUTH-SOUTH HAVE REFUSED TO ASK
It is only in this part of the world, that is the South-South, that I have seen where persons who have held, or are still holding public offices, and have suddenly become billionaires within a short space of time; are shamelessly celebrated, praised, worshiped, adored, and even protected by the very same people whose collective wealth have been stolen in the first place. And they do all of this, without pausing to ask how did these people make the sort of money and influence they now command overnight? What were, and is their legitimate source of income or business ventures, that must have contributed to their present enormous riches? The people have not even bothered to pause and think how the actions of these few in public space, will adversely affect the future generations of their children?
I will put it bluntly that between 1999 till date, the oil and gas-rich South-South minority tribes of the Niger Delta region, have produced more billionaires than other parts of the country, but who without legitimate evidence of exactly how they made their wealth. And the majority of the people are not bothered, neither are they asking the right questions. They are not even taking the right cause of actions towards arresting this situation. But rather, they are encouraging it, as they continue to praise, adore, worship and follow-follow these public thieves.
At the moment, Nigerians and the world indeed, are being entertained by the recent theatrical dramas being played at the Public Hearing by the Nigerian Senate Adhoc Committee on the Investigation of the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). From the commando-rescue mission of the former Managing Director (MD) of the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC), Mrs. Joy Nunieh, by Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike; to the dramatical faint-stunt by the present Acting MD of the NDDC IMC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei. And one begins to wonder if this ‘fainting stunt’ has now become the normal tactics adopted by public office holders in Nigeria who come under fire for not accounting for public funds put under their watch. Though, Pondei, who was only appointed in February 2020, fainted recently while he was being grilled by lawmakers investigating mismanagement of funds up to the tune of N81.5 bn in the NDDC, but there is need for Nigerians, especially the people of the South-South, to pause, think, and ask pertinent questions as to why this sad narrative has become common occurrence amongst our people.
Those, currently trending in news headlines in connection with the sort of financial recklessness evident in the NDDC, are just few of the examples of our public office holders in the South-South, who have continued to rip-off the region. Yet, the people are quiet and looking on. Whereas in other climes, like we saw in Ukraine some few years ago, alleged corrupt politicians in Ukraine were physically carried and dumped in dustbins by Ukrainians, whenever they were seen in the public and outside their Parliament. The videos are all over the internet. That is the demonstration of a people who are not happy with what their public office holders are doing, and they were expressing their disgust the best way they can. But here, we are still celebrating these public thieves, and we wonder why corruption has continued to get worse amongst public office holders in this part of the world.
Today, there is no State Governor in the oil and gas-rich South-South who is not a billionaire at the end of their tenure in office. There is no Director of the NDDC and Minister of the Niger-Delta, who is not a billionaire. Apart from the first MD of the NDDC, Mr. Godwin Omene, who was forced out of the Commission by greedy politicians that wanted to have their way in the NDDC, the rest of them are men and women of questionable characters and integrity. In fact, I will not be wrong to say that about 95% of the stinking-rich people in the South-South areas of the Niger-Delta region of today, are all people whose wealth and riches were gotten through illegitimate means, especially with links to inflated Government Contracts.
In Delta State specifically, I will say without fear or favour, that apart from persons like Chief Fred Brume and Olorogun Felix Ibru, whose wealth were already significantly known before 1999, the rest of them who are “emergency billionaires” have their hands greatly soiled with illegitimate incomes, and best described as public thieves. Who was Governor Ifeanyi Okowa before 1999? Who was Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Prof. Amos Utuama before 1999? Who was James Ibori before 1999? Who was Emmanuel Aguariavwodo and Timi Alaibe before 1999? The same question applies to the rest of them in these categories.
Most of these people cannot confidently beat their chests and say they earned their current wealth with through honest incomes. They all had only one purpose for being in Government space. And that singular purpose is to steal our collective wealth, which have left the South-South and Niger Delta region and its people in perpetual poverty and gross lack of basic amenities and infrastructural development. Who were they before 1999? Is it not time for the people of the oil and gas-rich South-South to start asking them questions and aggressively demand they give account of their ill-gotten wealth?
In the words of Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator: “You can imagine the trillions of Naira that has passed through the NDDC and into the wind, while poverty is everywhere in the Niger Delta. Where did Timi Aliabe get his money from? He was an ordinary man before getting into the NDDC, but he stole a lot from the NDDC like others. I have checked all the civil servants working in NDDC? They are all millionaires also. It is sad to say that the NDDC is cursed, and not a blessing to the people.” Another comment from Dr. Emmanuel Ojameruaye: “I have been watching the ongoing NDDC drama at the National Assembly. It is shameful and infuriating. The Commission should be scrapped, and a new Board established with people of integrity to lead it, which will focus on a few capital-intensive long-term projects, and not crowd our government, or duplicate the activities of other agencies. Same applies to DESOPADEC (Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission).”
Is it not about time the people should start stoning these public thieves whenever they are seen or appear in public places? Truth be told, considering how heartless, wicked and selfish these former and current public office holders in the South-South have been towards their people and the region, since 1999 to date; they have earned to be stoned. They have earned to be spat on. They have earned to be picked up and thrown into dustbins/public dumpsites. They have earned, and deserve to be poured water on, completely stripped naked and flogged mercilessly, as once suggested by an Elder statesman and one of the founding fathers of Bayelsa State. It is simple as that; all those who have become billionaires overnight between 1999 till date by virtue of the public office they occupied, should be stoned publicly by the locals of the oil and gas-rich South-South.
No society, or a people, can develop and improve the living standard of its masses, with the sort of nonsense the majority of our people have allowed and encouraged to thrive in the South-South. Until something drastic is done to these public thieves, they will continue to be encouraged to steal the collective wealth of all and sundry, and some persons will still respect and sing their praises. Just imagine this, from 2001, Six years and $12billion turned Dubai to what it is today. NDDC started in 2000, Twenty years and $40billion later, we have nothing to show forth other than few rich politicians and public office holders. What a Shame!
Former American President, Abraham Lincoln, in one of his famous quotes, once said: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” Legendary musicians like Peter Tosh and Bob Marley also repeated these lines in some of their songs. Reminding our Nigerian Politicians, especially those in the South-South, that a day will come, when even those praising/celebrating and running after them, will turn against them and publicly shame and disgrace them, just like the Political leaders in Ukraine were dumped in dustbins. Let us be reminded that Ukraine is amongst the developed countries in the world, yet they are still complaining of the wrong doings of their Political leaders, to warrant them being disgraced in public in such manner. Nigerian Politicians/Public Office Holders in the South-South, who have committed more atrocities since 1999 till date, should then imagine what majority of the Nigerian masses of the Niger Delta region will do to them when the day of reckoning is upon them.
Zik Gbemre.
July 22, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
It is only in this part of the world, that is the South-South, that I have seen where persons who have held, or are still holding public offices, and have suddenly become billionaires within a short space of time; are shamelessly celebrated, praised, worshiped, adored, and even protected by the very same people whose collective wealth have been stolen in the first place. And they do all of this, without pausing to ask how did these people make the sort of money and influence they now command overnight? What were, and is their legitimate source of income or business ventures, that must have contributed to their present enormous riches? The people have not even bothered to pause and think how the actions of these few in public space, will adversely affect the future generations of their children?
I will put it bluntly that between 1999 till date, the oil and gas-rich South-South minority tribes of the Niger Delta region, have produced more billionaires than other parts of the country, but who without legitimate evidence of exactly how they made their wealth. And the majority of the people are not bothered, neither are they asking the right questions. They are not even taking the right cause of actions towards arresting this situation. But rather, they are encouraging it, as they continue to praise, adore, worship and follow-follow these public thieves.
At the moment, Nigerians and the world indeed, are being entertained by the recent theatrical dramas being played at the Public Hearing by the Nigerian Senate Adhoc Committee on the Investigation of the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). From the commando-rescue mission of the former Managing Director (MD) of the NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC), Mrs. Joy Nunieh, by Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike; to the dramatical faint-stunt by the present Acting MD of the NDDC IMC, Prof Kemebradikumo Pondei. And one begins to wonder if this ‘fainting stunt’ has now become the normal tactics adopted by public office holders in Nigeria who come under fire for not accounting for public funds put under their watch. Though, Pondei, who was only appointed in February 2020, fainted recently while he was being grilled by lawmakers investigating mismanagement of funds up to the tune of N81.5 bn in the NDDC, but there is need for Nigerians, especially the people of the South-South, to pause, think, and ask pertinent questions as to why this sad narrative has become common occurrence amongst our people.
Those, currently trending in news headlines in connection with the sort of financial recklessness evident in the NDDC, are just few of the examples of our public office holders in the South-South, who have continued to rip-off the region. Yet, the people are quiet and looking on. Whereas in other climes, like we saw in Ukraine some few years ago, alleged corrupt politicians in Ukraine were physically carried and dumped in dustbins by Ukrainians, whenever they were seen in the public and outside their Parliament. The videos are all over the internet. That is the demonstration of a people who are not happy with what their public office holders are doing, and they were expressing their disgust the best way they can. But here, we are still celebrating these public thieves, and we wonder why corruption has continued to get worse amongst public office holders in this part of the world.
Today, there is no State Governor in the oil and gas-rich South-South who is not a billionaire at the end of their tenure in office. There is no Director of the NDDC and Minister of the Niger-Delta, who is not a billionaire. Apart from the first MD of the NDDC, Mr. Godwin Omene, who was forced out of the Commission by greedy politicians that wanted to have their way in the NDDC, the rest of them are men and women of questionable characters and integrity. In fact, I will not be wrong to say that about 95% of the stinking-rich people in the South-South areas of the Niger-Delta region of today, are all people whose wealth and riches were gotten through illegitimate means, especially with links to inflated Government Contracts.
In Delta State specifically, I will say without fear or favour, that apart from persons like Chief Fred Brume and Olorogun Felix Ibru, whose wealth were already significantly known before 1999, the rest of them who are “emergency billionaires” have their hands greatly soiled with illegitimate incomes, and best described as public thieves. Who was Governor Ifeanyi Okowa before 1999? Who was Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan and Prof. Amos Utuama before 1999? Who was James Ibori before 1999? Who was Emmanuel Aguariavwodo and Timi Alaibe before 1999? The same question applies to the rest of them in these categories.
Most of these people cannot confidently beat their chests and say they earned their current wealth with through honest incomes. They all had only one purpose for being in Government space. And that singular purpose is to steal our collective wealth, which have left the South-South and Niger Delta region and its people in perpetual poverty and gross lack of basic amenities and infrastructural development. Who were they before 1999? Is it not time for the people of the oil and gas-rich South-South to start asking them questions and aggressively demand they give account of their ill-gotten wealth?
In the words of Smart Ofugara, a social affairs commentator: “You can imagine the trillions of Naira that has passed through the NDDC and into the wind, while poverty is everywhere in the Niger Delta. Where did Timi Aliabe get his money from? He was an ordinary man before getting into the NDDC, but he stole a lot from the NDDC like others. I have checked all the civil servants working in NDDC? They are all millionaires also. It is sad to say that the NDDC is cursed, and not a blessing to the people.” Another comment from Dr. Emmanuel Ojameruaye: “I have been watching the ongoing NDDC drama at the National Assembly. It is shameful and infuriating. The Commission should be scrapped, and a new Board established with people of integrity to lead it, which will focus on a few capital-intensive long-term projects, and not crowd our government, or duplicate the activities of other agencies. Same applies to DESOPADEC (Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission).”
Is it not about time the people should start stoning these public thieves whenever they are seen or appear in public places? Truth be told, considering how heartless, wicked and selfish these former and current public office holders in the South-South have been towards their people and the region, since 1999 to date; they have earned to be stoned. They have earned to be spat on. They have earned to be picked up and thrown into dustbins/public dumpsites. They have earned, and deserve to be poured water on, completely stripped naked and flogged mercilessly, as once suggested by an Elder statesman and one of the founding fathers of Bayelsa State. It is simple as that; all those who have become billionaires overnight between 1999 till date by virtue of the public office they occupied, should be stoned publicly by the locals of the oil and gas-rich South-South.
No society, or a people, can develop and improve the living standard of its masses, with the sort of nonsense the majority of our people have allowed and encouraged to thrive in the South-South. Until something drastic is done to these public thieves, they will continue to be encouraged to steal the collective wealth of all and sundry, and some persons will still respect and sing their praises. Just imagine this, from 2001, Six years and $12billion turned Dubai to what it is today. NDDC started in 2000, Twenty years and $40billion later, we have nothing to show forth other than few rich politicians and public office holders. What a Shame!
Former American President, Abraham Lincoln, in one of his famous quotes, once said: “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” Legendary musicians like Peter Tosh and Bob Marley also repeated these lines in some of their songs. Reminding our Nigerian Politicians, especially those in the South-South, that a day will come, when even those praising/celebrating and running after them, will turn against them and publicly shame and disgrace them, just like the Political leaders in Ukraine were dumped in dustbins. Let us be reminded that Ukraine is amongst the developed countries in the world, yet they are still complaining of the wrong doings of their Political leaders, to warrant them being disgraced in public in such manner. Nigerian Politicians/Public Office Holders in the South-South, who have committed more atrocities since 1999 till date, should then imagine what majority of the Nigerian masses of the Niger Delta region will do to them when the day of reckoning is upon them.
Zik Gbemre.
July 22, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes