Governor Amaechi And The Justification Not To Negotiate With Militant

By Gabriel Omonhinmin
For a short while now I have been battling with myself whether to, or not to do this article. The reasons for the hesitation, is simply because I do not want to be accused of patronising anybody. I had to keep this article in view, awaiting more developments in the Niger Delta Region.
But now that officer and men of the Nigerian Army are bagging jail terms over illegal arms sales in the Niger Delta region, I thought it safe to go back to my computer for this piece.
The very harsh judgement delivered by the Kaduna based General Court Marshal (GCM) over a three-count charge of illegal possession of prohibited firearm, the unlawful possession of ammunition and the fraudulent misapplication of service property, which resulted in a middle level army officers and some soldiers getting as much as life sentences, has justified my long time opinion that under no circumstances should Governor Rotimi Amaechi or any government official, state or federal negotiate with the militants.
It has always been my conviction, that what is required to bring about a lasting peace in that region is massive infrastructural and human development. Negotiation in any form with militant is a waste of time and energy.
October 26, 2008 it was exactly a year that God in his infinite wisdom, decided to show to all Nigerians, that it is he, who is in charge of world affairs.
The unprecedented judgement delivered by the justices of Nigeria Supreme Court which brought about the Governorship of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi was to say the least unexpected at that time, considering the way and manner the immediate past President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the Peoples Democratic Party P.D.P. leadership at that time carried on. Amaechi’s eventual return from Ghana where he went on self-exile to Port Harcourt to assume office is another attestation to the fact, that, the universe cannot exist without God. And that if there is no God in what we do as humans, we are sure to go through days that have no meaning and have no end.
Common sense therefore suggests that Amaechi on assumption of office as Governor would do anything and everything, to defend his mandate, his government and himself from the threats that was so much palpable in Rivers State and in the Niger Delta region as a whole when he was declared the Governor. Amaechi without any apology needed to take this very hard stance, if he has to function in office.
When negotiation with the militant became an issue, some few months after he took his oath of office as Governor, I knew right from inception, that the type of Rotimi Amaechi sitting as a Governor of a State will never ever court a deal with any group that go by the name militant. I told my colleague so, during a heated debate in one of our editorial conferences in Voice of Nigeria. Some of them wondered what would have informed my confidence and prediction of Amaechi.
My prediction of Governor Rotimi Amaechi is based on my knowledge of him some eight years back, when we met and interacted in Abuja, the only such opportunity ever since.
My chance of meeting with Amaechi came during a two week seminar organised by the United States Government in collaboration with the Nigerian Ministry of Defence, in Abuja. That was during the experimental stages of the present democratic practice in the country. The United States Government as expected then was no doubt very apprehensive about Nigeria. The U.S. government therefore, thought it appropriate to educate a selected group of Nigerians made up of very high ranking military and police personnel alongside civilians on what to do to sustain the country’s democratic process. The Niger Delta issue was exhaustively debated at that forum.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi and I were among other few Nigerians who were privileged to participate at these seminars. That was in September of year 2000, barely fifteen months after he had just been elected Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Amaechi and the first speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly actively participated at these seminars cum workshops at the NICON Hilton Hotels Abuja. One seminar that was particularly very interactive and interesting was the “Executive Seminar on Quality Force Management and Civil-Military Relations”.
These seminars were put together for Nigerians by the United States Defence Institute of International Legal Studies and the Centre for Civil-Military Rations Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California. As was expected from a seminar like this, many briefs were given on how to handle the situation that eventually manifested itself in today’s “Niger Delta region”. The seminar also afforded participants the rear opportunity to size up one another and to network. As we sat through the very intensive lectures of Commander Burton J. Waltman, Judge Advocate General’s Corps, United States Navy and his other colleague, my restless eyes occasionally wondered towards Amaechi’s direction. The reasons for this, I still cannot say up till now. But one thing was certain; and most probably it was this quality that made me took special notice of him, he was extraordinarily guarded when he spoke.
Other things I observed is that Amaechi although retiring by nature, dresses immaculately and looks like he could be on the cover of a fashion magazine, “so it’s easy to stereotype him”. But behind this gorgeous and very glamorous person, I later found out, is a very good person. He has a good heart and means well all the time. Amaechi took every topic and lecture very seriously as if we’re going for another degree exam.
Physically, Amaechi is much changed from year 2000. Although never heavy, he has grown much older in looks.
As Governor Amaechi takes on his challenges, the will, courage and ability to deliver service is not lacking in him. At least, this much I know of him, during our short interaction. The question therefore is, to what extent are the people of Rivers State ready to assist Governor Amaechi and the Nigerian government to bring about quality service for people of River State? In the area of security in the region, it is about time, we tell our people in the Niger Delta Region, that what they do not value will not be valued by someone else outside the region, and what they do not make concerted effort to change will never be changed. Governor Amaechi in the past one year has being made to go through a gruelling and intellectually challenging process of convincing the electorate of his preparedness for the office he now occupy, and within this period he has been able to prove that he has what it takes to govern a state like Rivers. But contrary to most people’s expectations, his problem is not just the provision of needed infrastructures, and the social and economic revival of Rivers State, the Governor’s major obstacle now is how to root out what has now become “the peg of materialistic philosophy”. Sadly this is the peg upon which almost everything is hanging in this generation. This problem is particularly very pronounced among the uneducated youths in Rivers and Bayelsa States. This generation is unfortunately hanging its hopes on the wrong peg - materialism. This should be a source of concern not only to the Government of Rivers and Bayelsa States but to the Federal Government.
The crux of the matter is “how prepared are the people in the creeks and the city of Port Harcourt and Yenogua in assisting the government of Rivers and Bayelsa States, in rooting out hoodlums and kidnappers who masquerade as militant crusaders, of a better deal for the people of the Niger Delta?
Once there is a collective resolve by all and sundry, to checkmate criminals in Rivers and Bayelsa states in particular, and the Niger Delta Region in general, Governor Amaechi, evidence has shown, that the tendency to fulfil his electoral promises, such as excellent health care for the poor, protection of civil rights, enforcement of law and order, transmission of values, and the defence of freedom, could be achieved.
A lesson Governor Amaechi must learn now, is that, sometimes we don’t take responsibility because we believe others are more qualified. No, those who make a difference in life don’t do so because they are the best qualified, but simply because they decided to make a try. Please try, and do your very best for the Rivers people. With time, they would come to appreciate you, as they now do with the first Military Governor of that State, Alfred Diete-Spif.
Mr. Omonhinmin is a staff of Voice of Nigeria –Lagos.