Annkio Briggs, human rights activist and frontline environmentalist, is the Convener of Niger Delta Movement for Political Development and Self Determination Rights. Over the years, she has been a leading voice asking the authorities to do the right thing for the people of the area. In this Interview with BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, Ms Briggs condemned the lack of willingness to constitute the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission, and the provision of a paltry three, instead of 10 per cent, for host communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill passed by the National Assembly.
The Niger Delta Development Commission board has yet to be constituted. What is your take concerning the government’s failure to constitute this board till date?
That the Federal Government has refused to constitute an NDDC board is a confirmation that when it comes to the Niger Delta, they have little or no regard for the region and its people. The claim that the forensic audit should be concluded before constituting a board is untenable and seems to be another conduit pipe for a handful of people, popularly known as the cabal, to satisfy themselves and deny the oil and gas producing states (nine) what is already agreed upon by the law. This government is determined to continue cheating the oil and gas producing states, by looting the NDDC.
The government does not do this with the North East Development Commission. And the NDDC is for the oil and gas producing states, not for the Federal Government and any other region. This shows scant regard for the people of the Niger Delta by the Federal Government.
Are you comfortable with the three per cent derivation recently passed by the National Assembly for the host communities as against their demand in the PIB?
No true son and daughter of the oil and gas producing states is happy or accepts the two and a half or three per cent approved by the National Assembly and the members of the House of Representatives.
The PIB Bill at the beginning is supposed to be 10 per cent and only 10 per cent is reasonable to the long-suffering people of the oil and gas producing communities. I strongly agree with the oil and gas producing communities and the leaders who rejected anything less than 10 per cent, our people and politicians must be strong enough to stand by what they want. Anything less than 10 per cent is the oppression of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari against the people of the oil and gas communities.
Nigeria’s economic performance is dwindling fast, whereas the debt profile is rising astronomically. What can you say about this?
The economy of Nigeria has been dwindling since 2015. The fall of the price of oil, corruption, mismanagement, incompetence, nepotism and many more jointly conspire to make things even more difficult.
As of 11 April 2021, the Federal Government’s debt profile was $33.3billion in external debt. Nigeria is indebted to many Western countries. The one that is even more disturbing is that of China. The concern is what will the debt arrangement between China and Nigeria cost Nigerians, particularly the Niger Delta region and her people? It is clear that the loan is used to develop mainly railway lines linking the North and Niger Republic and opening up the North from the ports in Apapa and the Niger Delta. All this intensified from 2015.
Civil Society Organisations in the country seem to be dead. A recent report by the Carnigie Foundation says over 320 pro government CSOs have been registered by the present administration to muzzle the civil space, attack critics and propagate government agenda. How would you react to this?
Let me answer your question like this. At the end of the war of the Federal Government against former Eastern Region, l left Nigeria and returned to Rivers State, my home state in the Niger Delta in 1998 before General Sani Abacha died and at the height of the agitation of the Ijaw Youth Council that led to the Kiama Declaration that produced ‘Hundred Reasons Why We Should Control Our Resources.’ This agitation continued past Abacha’s death and was inherited by President Olusegun Obasanjo leading to the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission. I came into activism in 1998 and registered a Non-Government Organisation, Agape Birthrights Organization, therefore, when it comes to talking about the actions or inactions of civil societies and serving the people, I maintain that I can only speak for myself, my beliefs and commitment. Agape Birthrights Organization is not and will never be one of the NGOs that is registered by any government or this present government, while l believe a government that is sincere in serving the people should want to work with genuine NGOs not as Federal Government mouthpiece, but as the mouthpiece of the people.
I agree with you that Civil Societies and their leaders should work for the people and call any government to order. It was actually from 2011 that some civil societies allowed themselves to be used against former President Godluck Jonathan, and by extension in my opinion, against the Niger Delta by the cabal which refused to accept that a Niger Delta man can govern Nigeria. After all that deceit, this government is worse than the government it condemned. Goodluck Jonathan’s government is by far a better administration in my opinion.
Insecurity nationwide has remained the bane of the country. What can you say about it?
Let me put it this way, from 1970 to 2015, the number of people that have died violently under an ethnic nationality compared to the people that have died violently under an ethnic nationality in 2015 to 2021 is unbelievable, unacceptable and the right word for it is genocide. It is horrific to begin to recount the killing of hundreds of innocent Nigerians in their homes, ancestral lands, farms, resources, and waters by one ethnic nationality. What else is there to say other than to reject the insecurity, condemn it and call on our political leaders and people to make up their minds? What do we want, defend our people and regions or lie down and accept the killings? Our people of the south should put politics and loyalty to political parties aside and take the justified decision to defend themselves and the future of their children. That is how I see it.
2023 is around the corner. Individuals and political parties have begun their politicking. But one thing is glaring, the ruling party, APC, and the main opposition party, PDP, are grappling with internal crises. A call to Nigerians to shun the two mega parties recently came from the former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega. Do you agree with him, if not what is your advice?
Politicians and political parties are always thinking about the next election is the problem. Instead of serving the people they think of and are always planning for the next elections. I am not surprised to hear the former INEC chairman, Jega talk down to Nigerians telling the electorate who to vote for, he was very much part of the so-called win of Buhari in 2015. He failed southern Nigeria. Today, he is telling the same people he let down what to do. He has not really accounted to us for the 2015 elections he conducted. He should not forget that President Jonathan gave up his personal ambition so people won’t be slaughtered. My advice to the politicians of southern Nigeria is never to forget that through Buhari, the North in 2021 would have governed for eight years and it is the turn of the South to produce the president. Politics is not a war, if the South is denied the president in 2023, we must decide through a referendum that if we are not good enough to govern Nigeria, we must be good enough for self-determination.
A few weeks ago, the National Assembly refused to amend the electoral law to allow for electronic transmission of election results regardless of clarion calls from Nigerians that it will encourage free, fair and credible elections. How do you react to this?
The Senate and the House of the Representatives’ refusal to vote for electronic transfer of voting results is voting for rigging, confirming that the North has no intention of giving up political power.
This attitude of ownership of Nigeria mentality by a few is enough for our people of the South and particularly Niger Deltans to know what the script is. To be sure, we are no one’s slave. We will not beg to be citizens as we are first and last citizens of our ethnic nationalities.
