THE DUBAI PARADOX
There is rumored claimed for the actualization of the Vision 202020, which abounds in the present Administration’s Seven point Agenda. Dubai will serve as a reawakening grip on the phony contained in this administration’s theoretical fallacy, and may provoke the twist of what development entails. The United Arab Emirate (UAE) and its economic heart Dubai was planned and modeled in anticipation. Under ten (15) Dubai became the present fast growing economy of the 21st century, because the Dubai governance was transparent irrespective of the leadership structure in place. The Shirk who’s the paramount Ruler along with his team of reformers need Dubai to growth faster, which in 1989, a team of geologist predicted the dry-up of the crude oil reserve. The leadership structure had to spice up their leads on the economic sustainability of the Island rounded by salty ocean.
A round table conference of entrepreneurs, economist, and both foreign and domestic investors amongst others was called. They deliberated, and agreed on several issues. This can also be called a sovereign national conference, which was aborted and sabotage by the Obasanjo’s administration. One of the brilliant issues was for proper, planned and dynamically feasible investment plans; and tourism was keyed in as the locus standi of the economic revolution of Dubai. A new boom of investment commenced, with the Shirk taking the lead, and initiating the building of the first seven (7) Star Hotel in the world; a project that caused the investors almost Ten Billion Dollars (USD$10B). The process for the Dubai economic revolution was a swift one, yet it declared by World Bank 2000 Journal on 20 economies of the world, as the Jet age economy; because of its fast growing nature.
In all aspect, the entire economic had a definite revolution. In Aviation, Agriculture, Tourism, Housing, International/Bilateral relations and trade etc, the economy savage its difficult times, and utilized proficiently its limited resources. In Importation, tariffs were reduced at no cost, and the Dubai Port was entirely duty-free. Because Dubai has no freshwater zone, there was a proposal for Salination was initiated, and today Dubai has the biggest Salination plant in the world. In housing the revolution was carried out through the sand-filling process of its Island and to a great extent the land mass has increased spontaneously; the ‘Palm Island’ of more than a thousand (1000) housing units is an example of this Economic development and revolutionary score-card in their housing scheme.
The economy of Dubai was transformed overnight with all the necessary sacrifices made by its leaders, and they were willing to sacrifice anything, even their lives to preserve the life of the unborn. The Economy itself has trained professionals over the 10years development target, and today, Etisalat Network in Nigeria, amongst other Companies are example of Dubai’s economic expansion. Yet the Niger Delta which creates more than 58% of the nation’s wealth, and doubles the Oil and Gas exploration of Dubai is in economic quagmire. An Ariel Photography reveals the sour propaganda of the government over time, and its attempt to resolve conflict in the region.
With the right principles of due process and the rule of law, Niger Delta is too meager to develop, that is, if the Federal government is ready to make the appropriate sacrifices. The revenue allocation principles and its agitation for a fair share of the resources by the Niger Delta people may not be the immediate solution to the restive problems in the area, the government and stakeholders should initiate a development plans solely for the region and not a framework of project in conjunction with other states. The error of policy formulation is that, the federal government has likened the Region as parts of a federal structure that will naturally develop along with certain policies that are holistic.
The N-Delta region itself needs a radical policy implementation, different from national economic development master plans. We cannot play on the psyche of the people, rather, as Transparency International Coined “Draconian Approach of Economic Revolution” of the Region. The idea was that, whatever the situation, it requires effective collaboration of both the federal government and Private sector investments; those that behooves Federal and State Government partnership and participation in economic development of the aforesaid Niger Delta Region. If this is the case, within a span of less than 10yrs, the region can experience adverse structural development spine and place the area in the forefront of government agenda. With the Master Plans initiated by investors and think-thank thinkers, the area under 10 years can surface to the status of Dubai, placing development in the area in spontaneous phases.
NIGER DELTA MILITIA PSYCHOLOGY
– THE ART OF WAR
In most of the militant camps, there is an ideology of warfare that is preached and accepted by a handful of militant of less than 21% not synonymous with criminality or any form of Negative acts other than for the emancipation of all the communities within the Niger-Delta region. The occidental philosophy is, in life one must be a warrior, and war (either by conspiracy or in collaboration) requires stamina achievable in its entire ramification by all means necessary. As strong as this 21% are, while others (the 52% militant criminal, bunkerers, and collaborators in high places) may find beauty in endless dreams, the latter finds it in all its shapes, figures and colours in reality and persistent struggle for survival and liberation of the several communities being sabotaged by those with Presidential and Federal government immunity.
The truth is underpinning in a relationship between the 52% of the criminals and the conspirators, they have forgotten that their limits can set up predicated ethnic cleansing, set the stage for another civil war. The master strategists have seen the Nigerian problematic economic schematic from mountaintop of several debates, and critical observation of whole government. It is clear, that both side will lose, yet more success is to certain groups, which I may somewhat classify in this book; yet in war, there is no victor. The jigsaw puzzle can be unraveled like the cat; they are aware and looking for the perfect economy of motion and gesture in the way to give their blows the greatest force with the least expenditure of effort. The Militant Groups from all indication are ready to give the insensitive federal government a good fight. They also realize that if they are to fall, they will do so with gallantry and ferocity, and not as cowards.
Although the Amnesty package was a welcome development on the negotiation and conflict resolution process of the federal government and all restive groups in the area; only if the right words are used, and from a standpoint, it is not clear if the government understands the common grounds for reconciliation. For the Amnesty truce to work, the both party must shoulder certain blames, and must take responsibility for atrocity perpetuate on the innocent and to the communities over time. Reasons why Asari Dokubo went haywire on the lukewarmness of the federal government to accept fault, and declare state of emergency on the region for immediate development as compensation for the age-long deprivation, genocide, environmental degradation and injustice; government should call up a genuine sovereign national conference in order to deliberate and reconcile all ethnic, economic and socio-politico bitterness. If this presidency is sincere enough, the gaps between the people of the region, the federal and proposal for development of the area can be closed. Both parties must sue for Peace and tranquility.
In militant camps today, agenda have been compromised things have fallen apart, reasons why the centres could not hold for this long. With Ateke tom, Soboma George, Soboma Johnson and co on my end; with Tom Polo, H
enry Okah on the other end, while Asari Dokubo and others yet on another end could grieve the bitter horse wipe. While I may have had first hand information on situation as regard current activities in these camps with my very limited intelligent network, I have concurrently loss the motion and gesture for the actual master plan with the main zones of the intelligent reports. However subtle, it is necessitated by the available and limited resource and manpower. With the right finding, results are as ripe as a drop fruit from the tree top.
In my report, I am aware that these militants (more than 21%) have been exhausted in terms of resources, but not in manpower; still the 52% indulge in all known atrocity in the area, such as kidnapping and vandal have in all ramification both resources and manpower, with their major supports from multinationals corporations who are themselves cronies in this widespread international conspiracy, haven be cut temporary because of fervent observation and monitory of non-governmental agencies. While the 21% recognizes and appreciated their limits, there are things they can never do, talents they will never have, loft goals they will never reach; that hardly bothers them. As ferocious warriors they focus on what they have the strength that they do possess and that which they must use creatively; knowing when to slow down, to renew, to retrench and retreat, they outlaw their opponents. They play for the long-term, because by their establishment and oath, they respect the wishes and aspiration of the people which they represent and fight to death for.
There ware time when their calculation and strategies misfire; what had seem to them during the early years of Kaiama Declaration of 1999, the Ogoni Crisis genocide of 1992, the Ijaw/Itsekeri ethnic crisis of late 1990s, and IYC agitation of 2000 – 07, and other numerous campaign has ignite the beast of conflict across the Niger Delta region in relation fair share of resource control and development, a farce brokered between the region, the multinationals and the government. The Militant groups are aware that not everything can be foreseen, the master-strategist amongst them have known how to pick their battles carefully, along with their ability to know when and how to quit. This honor has preserved them till this day in their engagement militarily of the Federal government. Although there have been clamour of criminality perpetuated by them in the name of militancy and somewhat thwarted emancipation, their funding has been genuine even though Limited and Transparency International attested to this facts with regard to the UNO’s fireman policy.
The 21% may have agreed and concurred with this advocacy of warfare, they have controlled their pride and anger, despite the death toll in several communities within the region by the insensitive action of the joint task force (JTF), and the inhuman Arial bombing that have claimed more than 1,162 lives, displaced more than 2430 people and destroyed properties worth Millions of naira in the just concluded Gbaramatu saga. As servants and puppets of the conspirators both the federal, State/Local government and the JTF have done the dirty work of these blood-thirsty clowns called the bigwigs, or the “Blue Blood”. More to our surprises, almost 80% of the 52% criminals in the Niger-Delta have been infested with the “Share the National Cake syndrome” due to greed and selfish gains, 90% of the 21% have stick to their aims and objectives. They have not allowed anger and pride to overtake their powers of reason and limitedness; they have not fallen into bogus offers and irreparable traps because they certainly knew when to stop.
So far, fighting economically on both sides have built an angle of momentum. The Federal Government, Amnesty group, Transparency International and stakeholders should think of finding common ground for possible negotiation, thereby creating a perfect balance between what both groups are capable of and the task of economic development of the region. Since it is an internal insurgency network, the military should diverse a way of peaceful negotiation between the militants. Best of all, the perpetuators of this conflict, of which focal point is the multinationals and pillars of oil hegemony, should not shy away from the problem which they out of technical problems caused. Instead, they should establish a proper community relations and conflict management units. Expatriate should be trained in conflict management and community relation so as to equip them with ready knowledge of averting problems developed in communities by virtue of their explorative activities on the one hand, while the powers that be who have established their stronghold on the blood and sweat of innocent Niger Deltans should not be left out. Though the Stick may smoke, yet it will never be burnt. As urgent as possible, the FGN and stakeholders through their various Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) networks and departments should provide a better and lasting solution other than the Amnesty package to avert further distress in the region.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TRUCE
In our contemporary Nigerian society, we live in a culture that promotes democratic value of being fair to one and all, the importance of fitting to a group, and knowing how to cooperate with other people, and being able to resolve any types of conflict that may arise peacefully without war within or without is what guarantees peace. Let none at this mourning moment be over confidence, the losses at both side is immeasurable, and the federal government and every actor of this drama are incapacitated with economic resources. The innocent citizens, the militants and federal government through its blood-thirsty servants of doom (JTF) cannot be too overconfidence of victory.
By virtue of our national ethos, the actors were necessitate with ignorance and excesses, all the groups have involved in murder and any civilized society, these groups should be sued and tried for war crime. There is no such action as protecting internal and external security can make for the lives of the innocent who have died for the unconstitutional excesses of the government and militant. Whatever the prime motives and agitation, the death toll has ruled out any genuine index of success; neither will it make anyone go far. We should be aware that the pull of emotion is inevitable, to notice it when it is happening, and to compensate for it when there is time.
The result toward peace and conflict management is that, in all its primordial process, which in turn is galvanized in stages, it requires prospective dichotomy of interest that may arose the resource control discourse, the heart of which pervades our Federal uniqueness. Peace is a process, and if we must end conflict and crisis, both religiously motivated and ethnically or socio-politically initiated, negotiation, intervention and identification paradigm should be put into play in our contemporary Nigeria especially in the Niger Delta region, North Central and Middle Belt of Nigeria; the causes of conflicts are deep rooted. Ideally the only solution to averting future reoccurrence and predominant crisis is through rigorous applications of the peace process paradigm (PPP – P3).
Although scholars of non-violence and clinical mediation have stipulates in their peace process model, that the only stages of identifying the causes of conflict is through Community’s Negotiation and Resolution Engagement (CNRE). Even though it was used before Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Many others, in my several papers and publication, it is evident that P3 and CNRE when appropriately applied will produce far yielding results in conflict management. The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) is pious with several proposals by scholars on peace and conflict management, yet in addition to this, it can make use of numerous academic yet empirical landmarks. While it is impossible to avail ourselves with general situation of a conflict, we end up losing our hold on reality and reflecting on s
olution. This is certainly because we have not reflected back ward on the root cause of the conflicts or Schism; we have only dwell in daydream of short-term solution.
In other online articles and papers on the P3 and CNRE it was made clear that Africa union (AU) is only playing the gimmick, and consequent on the fact that the initial goals of the AU in its outlined articles is on two major agenda:-
. Promoting Africa’s peace/unity and
. Economic development in its entire ramification.
It is imperative to note that the AU is yet to fulfill its pristine objectives; and it has also failed to copy the progress made by ECOWAS in reaching an Africancentric Peace Process (APP). I therefore wonder if the AU has brokered any peace process so far, since its inception.
