OPINION: The Underdevelopment Of Delta State: Timeline Of Retrogression

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This piece will attempt to show the reasons why Delta state, one of the states with the most allocation from the center, and a state with so much internally-generated revenue from oil companies, as well as moneys paid by oil companies for projects in their host communities is among the least developed states in the Niger Delta. I write this first for my conscience and then so Deltans and Nigerians can pause to assess the roles played by each one of our leaders and how it has helped to impoverish a state that has no business being where it is given its many resources.

Speaking of many resources, Delta state has for many years, and alternating with Akwa Ibom and Rivers, have been the state with the most allocation from Abuja based on the 13 percent derivation. What this means is that Delta state with is four million population collects more money than Lagos and Kano with their nine million population (2006 Census figures) In explaining this, each Deltan has twice the money a Lagosian or someone from Kano has for his or her upkeep, at least from revenue sharing. Now when you add the fact that Delta state also plays host to many of these oil company operations and that these oil companies actually have a budget to develop their host communities, a pretty huge budget, as well as the fact that the soils of Delta state has fed Nigeria by simple growing of timber (Iroko, Sapele wood, Obeche) and rubber and also that the soil grows cassava without watering, you begin to genuinely ask “why is Delta state not competing with Dubai?” This piece will attempt to dispassionately offer a timeline of incidences and leave you to judge.

In 1999, Delta state witnessed the emergence of a young man called James Ibori. He was held by the hand by then little-known Ighoyota Amori, a well-known hardworking businessman in Oghara axis, known for his business of bore-hole drilling. Ibori was an unknown factor. The rumours and evidence of his immense wealth spread from his days of forming a party GDM where we hear he met and aligned with the current Delta state governor, Okowa. He was to lose in his quest for House of Rep seat. Thus his battle to become Delta state governor was viewed with a bit of suspicion and awe. Suspicion because no one knows much about this billionaire. The rumors were that he was a friend to Abacha’s son and beneficiary of the loot that was the characteristic of the Abacha years. His said business and source of wealth was a DIET NEWSPAPERS that obviously was a paper that no one believed made any money. Yet this man was muscling his way financially through all the more established names like Professor Oyovwaire, a minister under Ibrahim Babangida etc. Suffice to say that Ibori’s financial supremacy, pragmatism and an acceptance by the streets (Interpreted as thugs) saw him beat Engineer Kragha of ANPP in an election many suspect was the first obvious show of thuggery and brigandage in an election. Yes there has always been some form of rigging especially from the riverine areas of Koko and Bomadi-Burutu axis. But ballot-box snatching inland and the unmatched boldness of these actions was unparalleled. And thus we welcomed the People’s Democratic Party and James Onanefe Ibori as its leading light in Delta state.

Leading light; Ibori was clearly a generous, charismatic man who brooked no competition. The words “you must loyal or you will “rio ja” (suffer) became a cliché. Young thinking men like Odebala, the then whip of the Delta State Assembly were the first to face the wrath and then forgiveness of Ibori as everyone was whipped into shape and to match in line…the chief strategist Amori beating the band to Ibori’s rhythm.

Ibori’s rhythm saw the end of Warri Crisis, were he was able to leverage on his Urhobo and Itsekiri bloodlines as well as superb negotiating ability with the Ijaws and the huge security votes and Delta state deep pocket to financially placate the feuding factions. An Idama (?) Hotel owned by the Okumagbas burnt by Itsekiris had Ibori and Delta state picking up the bills for the repairs and modernization. Warlords and war heroes like Ayiri and Michael Diden immediately brought close to government, power and wealth. All who pledged loyalty were beginning to reap huge financial reward. To be from Oghara was a ticket to contract etcetera. And the people? While knowingly underdeveloping Asaba, and developing Oghara (stadium et al enough to host female nations cup there as opposed to Asaba or even warri) yet Asaba indigenes, were not left out in the making of the nouveaux riche. ANYONE LOYAL AND IN THE INNER CIRCLE OR ITS WIDER VERSION OF LOYALISTS WERE MADE RICH. And the source of the wealth, IBORI was acknowledged and fealty given gladly. The people also saw the standard of living improve. The money being spread around and contracts for repair of primary schools got to the hands of the denizens. The construction jobs were haphazard and payment uncoordinated, but money was flowing. The pots of soups had meat. ALL HAIL IBORI.

Then we read of the loans. Despite the huge allocations that dwarfed both Lagos and Kano’s and only challenged by Akwa Ibom and Rivers, Ibori was collecting loans, both local and foreign. And also, while we read of the Tinapas of other states, we were seeing in real time the poor jobs done in the name of SONGHAI farming project modeled after the Benin Republic model, only difference? We hear of the billions for the projects but see only few “kpukpuyeke and tolotolo” (ducks and turkeys) with nothing of note being truly grown. Yes, there was some constructions of roads and schools including higher institutions and the spreading of them to Ozoro, Anwai etc. But the poor work compared to the massive figures quoted had begun. SONGHAI stands today as an irrefutable testament to the UNDERDEVELOPMENT. That is a project that gulped BILLIONS.

And then also came Ogboru. The coup-plotting hero. And then Ogboru ran against Ibori. And Ogboru, the handsome Urhobo son of known pedigree and business who could stand up and fight IBB became massively popular. And for Ibori to beat Ogboru, more thugs needed to be empowered. More money had to go to bribing electoral officers and after that more money needed to be used for the court cases that had to go Ibori and PDP way. Billions again was wasted.

Perhaps Ibori lost patience with the farming…SONGHAI et al because oil and allocation was FREE MONEY. And along with Alamieseigha, governor of Bayelsa, and Odili of Rivers, began the push for derivation to be pushed to 50 percent. Already, states like Kebbi and Zamfara were collecting peanuts in comparison. Appeals by Obasanjo to both Ibori and Alamieseigha fell on deaf ears. And so began then president Obasanjo’s onslaught on both Ibori and Alamieseigha. First Alamieseigha was arrested in London for money laundering and quickly Obasanjo saw to his impeachment and eventual arrest in Nigeria with his immunity gone. Ibori was then attacked with his EX-CONVICT case that made him ineligible to be governor in the first place. Yes, he was accused of being an ex-convict in London, a charge that we have found to be twice correct. Obasanjo had Ibori and Delta state finances by the scrotum. The court case that went up to the appeal court was to cost Ibori and Delta state billions and billions in time and resources. A clear case that just needed simple verification from British records was won by Ibori by use of billions of Delta state moneys and by Ibori agreeing to drop all fight for 50 percent derivation. Again billions lost.

Then came Yar Adua’s election. Same Obasanjo, seeing that Ibori and Odili of Rivers had too much money to “do and undo” ensnared Odili into running for president while secretly making Ibori fund Yar Adua. Both Delta and Rivers state spent billions thereby. Odili was not even picked as VP. Obasanjo instead picked the then “small boy” Goodluck Jonathan, saying “making Odili VP to Yar Adua is like putting a snake under Yar Adua’s bed. 6 billion naira was said to have been expended by James Ibori on the election of Yar Adua.

Back home in Delta state, to continue his grip on Delta state finances and political structure, Ibori was to pick his uncle, Emmanuel Uduaghan from the population-challenged Itsekiri nation to succeed him. It was a choice that was to cost a lot of money as it was impossible for an Itsekiri to beat the massively popular Ogboru from the populous Urhobo tribe. Thus a lot of money was needed to spend on voters, electoral officers and of course the court cases. Obasanjo farm was OFFICIALLY given 1 billion as “consultation” to start a farming project in Delta….farm we do not know the location till date. And so emerged Uduaghan as governor and the beginning of yet another court case of attrition.

Speaking of court cases, Ibori was to win his EFCC cases where he was found “not guilty” in a court that was situated in the house of Orubebe, then commissioner of lands (or so). Again, huge amounts are said to have gone into procuring this judgement.

Meanwhile, Yar’Adua’s illness provided an opportunity for the now powerful Ibori to exert control over the nation. He is said to have undermined the authority of the then vice president Goodluck Jonathan and so upon Yar Adua’s death and rise to power of Goodluck Jonathan, Ibori was to run from Nigeria to Dubai and then extradited to London and again, Delta state moneys were expended through the whole cover up of Yar Adua’s ailment, entry into Nigeria etc and Ibori’s eventual escape. Accusations that Ibori converted Delta State ECONET shares to his own name is said to have been the reason for his escape despite his “not guilty” verdict earlier secured. To this day, millions of dollars is held by the Federal Government, moneys said to belong to Ibori and Delta state and a court case to get back the millions is ongoing between Delta state and the Federal government. Ribadu, then EFCC boss argument is that since Ibori is found “not guilty” the moneys cannot be for Delta state, while Uduaghan who began the suit for the return of the money is or was between a rock and a hard place as whatever evidence he brings to prove the millions belong to Delta state, implicates James Ibori. And so goes Delta state moneys that ought be used in her development.

And speaking of local election in Delta state between Ibori’s choice-candidate, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Ogboru, it was war of attrition indeed as the courts held that a new election be held. And so “rinse and repeat” all of the moneys wasted on thugs, movement of people to Koko and payments to people to vote PDP. So again more resources running into billions was used in prosecuting that election for the less popular candidate to win. Koko and Ijaw riverine areas brought the winning votes at great cost to the state in time and resources. And in less than a year, another election between Ogboru and Uduaghan took place…all together three elections, three expensive court cases and time and resources that ought be used for development of Delta state was used instead for elections and court cases,

This article can go on and on. Suffice to say that the ambition of Ibori; his fight for 50 percent derivation when he had an Achilles heels or rather soft-center that allowed Obasanjo squeeze his balls in the ex-convict cases, his ambition to be vice president which made him finance Yar Adua’s election just like as Amaechi financed that of Buhari, his choice of the unpopular Emmanuel Uduaghan to succeed him, thus necessitating endless court cases and expensive elections, his fiscal indiscipline that saw Delta state borrow and borrow despite our HUUUUGE allocations, his elevation of questionable ragamuffin characters to elective positions, his now known and confirmed corruption of immense magnitude, etcetera etcetera as well as Obasanjo’s counter-attack and blackmail is the reason for Delta state’s backwardness today.

To counter this argument do answer this simple question: if Ibori was such an inspired leader, considering his immense influence in the state even from his prison cell then, why is Delta state where it is compared to Akwa Ibom? And if you blame it on Uduaghan, and Okowa who gave us Uduaghan and Okowa? 8 years of Ibori, 8 years of his uncle Uduaghan, 2 years of Okowa, where is Delta state in the scheme of things? Why are we 8 in WAEC and why do we not have the bridges and farms and infrastructure? Are the hospitals in Oghara or the roads and television at junctions and Osubi airport worth all of the moneys we have earned….most moneys of any state rivaled only by Akwa Ibom and Rivers? Have you any idea how much we have earned in the past 18 years both in allocation and loans?

And nothing in this piece absolves the people of Delta state from their role in where the state is. We all deserve the government we get.

That said, what is the way forward?

God bless Delta state and may he put his truth in our hearts in Jesus name. Amen.

Written By Ena Ofugara

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