Arts/Literary
Panacea To Niger Delta’s Nightmare
Book Review
Title: Step-by-Step Strategic Re-orientation, Reformation and Rehabilitation of Cultists, Militants and Restive Youth
Author: Albert K. Horsfall
Reviewer: Boye Salau
Volume: 95 Pages
Since the discovery of oil in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State in the 1960s, the Niger Delta region has been a key player in the economic development of Nigeria. Ironically, the positive impacts of this oil resources to Nigeria have neither earned the Niger Delta the desired political justice and recognition, nor brought about the much expected socioeconomic development to the region. This political injustice and economic deprivation which the citizenry suffer in the face of environmental degradation has therefore led to a long-drawn agitation in the Niger Delta.
Although, political agitation in the Niger Delta could be traced to 1934 when some Niger Deltans, mostly Ijaw elites in Lagos demanded a State for the Rivers people, it was not until 1966 when Isaac Adaka Boro led a band of youngmen to declare a Niger Delta Republic that agitation through armed struggle started. Since then, armed struggle has been a major tool of demanding for political sovereignty and economic justice in the Niger Delta.
At least, three of these armed struggles which claimed hundreds of lives stand tall: The Gideon Orkar’s abortive coup of 1990, the late Ken Saro-Wiwa’s Ogoni rights struggle in 1994 and the 1999 Odi Massacre in Bayelsa State which was preceeded by the 1998 Kaima Declaration.
Today, these agitations which could be said to be anchored on social justice have assumed a more deadly, criminal dimension. Some criminal elements, aided by some corrupt politicians and anti-social groups, have taken the advantage of the violent milieu in the region to cash in and satisfy their selfish, criminal interest. This has made many Nigerians and the international community to dub the Niger Delta a crisis-ridden zone where militancy, youth restiveness and other acts of lawlessness have become the order of the day.
Those who share this opinion have strong indicators to support their arguments. Within the last 10 years alone, several cases of acts of militancy and youth restiveness have been recorded in the region. Worst, all the measures, mostly half-measured and cosmetic, taken by the Federal Government, including military actions, to tackle this monster have yielded no positive result.
Given the failure of all these measures to nip in the bud the acts of insurgency in the Niger Delta, the questions now are: What is the lasting solution to the Niger Delta problems? Or should the Niger Delta continue to exist under the ambush of extraneous, criminal elements? These are some of the questions Albert K. Horsfall’s Step-by-Step- Strategic Re-orientation, Reformation and Rehabilitation of Cultists, Militants and Restive Youth tries to proffer answers to.
Considering Chief Horsfall’s profile and experience as a lawyer, security expert, administrator and elder statesman, one can conclude that he stands a better position to proffer lasting panacea to the longdrawn violent conflicts and crises in the Niger Delta. And in fairness to his approach, Horsfall does not deal with the issue at stake in the realm of theories. He leads in a practical way. He metamorphoses what happens around him, his experience and efforts as a former Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta and chairman of the Rivers State Social Rehabilitation committee, to plausible literary text.
Horsfall’s book traces the historical path that led to the nightmare the Niger Delta people are experiencing today to the region’s long standing agitation for political and economic autonomy, poor and bad political leadership with its attendant problem of high rate of unemployment, general lack of social and economic opportunities in the region, socio- infrastructural paralysis and environmental degradation. 1t also blames the problem on the docility and unnecessary cowardliness of the Niger Delta populace in the face of injustice, as well as on poor and bad upbringing of children in the region which, according to the author, plunge many of the youths into cultism, militancy and other social vices.
Horsfall highlights how the Niger Delta nationalism struggle was hijacked by those he described as “extraneous, self-seeking elements such as cultists and thugs supported by politicians and anti-social groups” to further their own selfish net. He writes: “Many of them latched on to the central purpose of Niger Delta nationalism and used it to further their selfish interest”.
One can not but agree with Horsfall’s position that the option of garrisoning the Niger Delta or keeping it under heavy military surveillance and attack can not provide lasting solution to the problem of cultism, militancy and youth restiveness in the region; just as the option of leaving the matter in the hands of ill-equipped law enforcement agencies is inadequate to confront such challenges.
Horsfall’s clear-cut solutions to the long-drawn-out-state of violence, cultism, militancy, political unrest, youth restiveness and other forms of unrest in the Niger Delta should rather serve as a wake-up call to Nigerian leaders.
Besides canvassing for the creation of two or three additional States in the Niger Delta, as well as a clear-cut policy that would give the security and defence services proper directives as to the policy of the Federal Government on the Niger Delta crises, Horsfall suggests that the political agitations of the Niger Delta, stretching way back to 1934, and especially since the Adaka Boro revolt of 1966, must be carefully addressed without any further equivocation or political sophistry.
One of the ways to address this is for the Federal Government to adopt Chief Horsfall’s “step-by step strategic re-orientation, reformation and rehabilitation of cultists, militants and restive youth” blueprint which he had initiated through the Social Rehabilitation Committee set up by the Rivers State Government to nip in the bud the problem of cultism, militancy and insurgency in Rivers State.
On the economic front however, Hosfall’s recommendation of a step-by-step increase in revenue allocations to the South South region might be considered justifiable given the place of the region as the goose that lays the golden eggs. But considering poor and bad leadership and the high level of corruption in our society, can the increase in revenue allocation be transformed into considerable better living standard for the Niger Delta populace?
Meanwhile, one lesson to be drawn from Horsfall’s book, especially from some of the measures he identifies as necessary for the reformation and rehabilitation of the restive youths in the Niger Delta is that no one is an everlasting never-do-well because change is the only constant thing in life.
And unlike many authors whose target audience is limited, the audience of Horsfall’s Step-by-Step Strategic Re-orientation Reformation and Rehabilitation of cultists, Militants and Restive Youth cuts across all ages and genders, and all the political and socio-economic strata of life. It is not only for the youths, but also for adults – the led and the political leaders in Nigeria.
The 95-page book also achieves a milestone with regards to diction and simplicity, especially the use of simple words that would appeal to a large repertoire of audience. It should therefore come in handy for all and sundry.
Boye Salau
It is the idea of God that family should exit. Children form part of the family. God loves family so much that Jesus was born into the family of Joseph.
Everyone’s family is good and important. Children should not look down on their family whether they are rich or poor.
Children should respect and honour their family and foster love among their siblings. They should work together and make peace in the family. They should always stand in the gap. It is good for family members to carry all along since everyone may not be doing well.
The Christianity that children learn is practised in family. Faith-based organisations do a great job in moulding children’s character. Those are the behaviours that children exhibit towards siblings in family.
Every child born in a family is there for a purpose. A baby born into a family is supplying something. It may be joy, wealth and so on. Everyone is important in a family.
Adolescents who have graduated from school but may not be contributing financially can do one or two things at home. You can engage in preparing meals at home while parents are away for a job or business. Contributing in house chores will go a long way to relieve parents of stress after a day’s job.
What do you contribute to your family, especially during holidays both in nuclear and extended family?
The family you were born is constant but friends are temporary. You can decide not to continue in friendship but you cannot cut off your family. No matter how bad you think your family is and you decide to leave home, you must surely return. Your friends can harbour you for a while.
The child’s first identity comes from the family. What the child learns first comes from the family.
Family is the centre of love and care. People have started playing down on marriage because of neglect on basics of family. Marriage starts today and and the next few months, it is threatened. Respect for family plays a crucial role in marriage.
No child grows without parental control and influence. If a child refuses to grow without taking instructions from parents, he may grow up being wild. There are consequences when children do not obey their parents. There are those who want to be rebellious against their parents. They should know that their length of days are tied to their parents.
Your bioligical parents know you more than every other person. There is the wisdom and knowledge your parents have that you do not so it is proper to listen to them before choosing carriers both in academics and job. A young man or woman can choose who to get married to, but a greater role in the choice of who to marry and the marriage proper comes from the parents.
They know what is best for you. No matter how modern trends will influence you and prove it wrong, parent is the key. No one can love you more than your parents because they are your blood.
A lot of parents have been traumatised due to the fact that children they nurtured and trained turned their back on them at older age. Children should not abandon their parents for any reason.
As you grow up, situations may arise in marriage when you decide it is over with your spouse, but no matter the level of provocation with your parents, they will not despise you. Parents will also play a role in that regard. Problem arises in every family but how it is handled matters a lot.
Some children honour their mentors more than their parents. Although there are parents who shy away from their responsibilities. It is important that parents take full responsibility of their children. You cannot bring a child to the planet earth and refuse to perform roles as a parent. But parents may not quantify what they spent from childhood to adolescence. That is a blessing children cannot get from another person.
There are people who have attributed their failure in life to the fact that their parents, especially mothers are witchcraft. It is wrong to feel that your mother is instrumental to your failure in life. The only way to success is hardwork.
Let money not determine the level of love for your parents. Wherever a child goes, family is constant.
Eunice Choko-Kayode
Naturally, when a child is born, it is the role of the father and mother to decide a suitable name for the child. The husband and wife normally discuss and suggest the English or vernacular name of the baby.
But sometimes, when a baby comes into a family, grandparents hearts are usually filled with joy to the extent that they want to answer present, by giving their own names not minding the fact that the biological parents have given theirs.
This happens mostly when the marriage is an inter-tribal one. It also happens even in intra-tribal marriage. Grandparents want equal representation as far as naming a child is concerned. They also have special names as a result of circumstances surrounding the birth of the child.
This is still happening till date.
A lot of people have viewed this in different ways but there is nothing wrong about it. The most important thing is that the child bears as many names as he or she can. But one thing is certain, the child must bear one name in school.
Should circumstance determine a child’s name?
Women who are more emotional are always eager to name their children considering the circumstances surrounding the child’s conception and arrival.
The issue of grandparents naming a child comes up mostly when it is the first of the family.
In naming children by some parents in the olden days, they named their children according to the days in the week in which they were born, like Sunday, Monday, Friday and so on.
You may be shocked to hear that whether a child is given 10 names by parents or grandparents, when he or she grows up, will decide to change. There are several cases where some persons decided to change especially when they feel that the names given by their parents and grandparents do not give them joy. If they are not doing well in life, they may claim that their misfortune is caused by the name their parents.
Competition among children in schools be it primary, (kindergarten) and secondary come in different forms. It can be Mathematics , debate, quiz, spelling bee,competition, from organisations like Cowbell, multi-national companies, faith-based organisations among others.
They are organised mostly for selected intelligent ones, the best among their peers to represent a class, school or group. Prizes are normally set aside for the best as well as consolation prizes for runners-up at the end of each session.
The question is, are children willing to accept defeat when they fail? As parents, guardians, can you encourage your children or wards to accept defeat instead of shouting and comparing them with others who may be performing better either in schools or outside.
Some parents may be blaming their children for not doing well in competitions. They will like to tell their children if others who may perform better have ten heads. Those group of parents blame their children for every failure.
For your children to do better in competition, the parents too must have emotional intelligence. When you continue to blame your children for failure, how intelligent are you?
Some parents always want their children to be in the 1st position and unhappy whenever they secure 2nd position. There were instances where children smashed their trophies because they never got the position they wanted to get and their parents supported them.
Children should be able to accept it whether they win or not. They should be encouraged for every performance. Discourage the issue of “shame, shame, shame, shame”.
A parent says she always tells her children to win even if they will fail. Always give them the mentality that they can win. Children should be given the impression that they can win prizes and laurels in every competition.
Parents should not isolate their children from others in the neighbourhood. Allow them to play with others. Don’t threaten your children that you may not pay their schools fees if they fail. Comparing them with others may encourage or discourage them.
Coming first or getting award as a first class student from the university sometimes does not mean that the person is the best. And if the child does not merit any award in the lower classes, does not mean that he can not merit first class also.
It should be noted that coming first in academic competition may not really mean that the competitor will be the best at work place or business.
Accepting defeat is a way to move higher. Even if a child who competed with others did not come first, there are consolation prizes for runners-up. When you advise the child to accept defeat, you are encouraging her to win in next competition.
Remember all children cannot be on the same knowledge level Their learning abilities defer.
Eunice Choko-Kayode