| BACK TO WAR : •Asari-Dokubo
says he may soon go back to armed struggle
BY ONUOHA UKEH
Tuesday, November 9, 2004
|
Alhaji Mujahid
Dokubo-Asari
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
| |
When recently Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, leader of the
Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), surrendered about
188 automatic weapons to the Federal Government, following
the meeting he held with President Olusegun Obasanjo, many
could have thought that his struggle had ended. But this is
far from the truth.
Dokubo-Asari told Daily Sun in Port Harcourt recently that
the struggle continues until the Ijaw nation achieves self-determination.
According to him, one more river left for him and members
of his group to cross is a sovereign Ijaw nation.
"The (last) river is one that would restore back to
us our nation. We were an independent people. We were free
until Britain deceitfully and fraudulently conscripted us
into Nigeria. We are determined to be free again. That is
one more river to cross," he said.
Dokubo-Asari said that self-determination was the ultimate
goal of his struggle, stating emphatically that "it can
never be compromised."
The soft-spoken young man, who engaged the Nigerian military
in armed struggle for nine months, said he decided to surrender
his arms to prove to the world that "we are not the people
who are making wars, it is the Nigerian state that is making
wars on us."
He revealed that his group would resort to armed struggle
again if the Federal government "rolls out their oppressive
and destructive machinery against us."
Dokubo-Asari spoke on other things, including the desirability
of a sovereign national conference, the Obasanjo government,
his family, among others.
The last river to cross
The river is one that would restore back to us our nation.
We were an independent people. We were free until Britain
deceitfully and fraudulently conscripted us into Nigeria.
We are determined that we will be free again. That is the
one more river to cross. We have crossed many rivers. But
that one more river for the restoration of our legitimate
right to self-determination and nationhood is still outstanding.
Self -determination is the ultimate goal of my struggle.
It can never be compromised. Can anybody ever compromise his
life?
The struggle continues
Even with the surrendering of arms, the struggle is not over.
The struggle can’t be over. The struggle is both mental
and physical. I think we have started the mental part of the
struggle. If the Nigerian state refuses to allow us to go,
then we have no alternative to use the physical. The separation
would be predicated upon the Nigerian state and its action.
Meeting with Obasanjo
Nothing concrete was agreed upon. We told him we want self-determination
and the convocation of a sovereign national conference. Those
were the only important issues discussed. All other issues
discussed were raised by him. He told me that Nigeria will
not break up during his own time. But he gave us his words
that we are free to carry out the campaign for these fundamental
issues.
I don’t think there is any agreement between the Niger
Delta Peoples Volunteer Force and the Nigerian government.
There is no such agreement.
Disarmament
Why we are returning arms? My dear, that is a difficult question
that a lot of people have asked me and I have asked myself.
But there are leaders in this region, progressive leaders
who said that since I have been guaranteed this constitutional
right to go about calling the people to come out for the purpose
for agitating these issues, I cannot have the guns and also
call for peaceful settlement of the resolution of the issue.
This is not the first time. In South Africa, when Mandela
was released, there was nothing on the table. But gradually
it is bound to come. The road to self-determination and resource
control is inevitable. It is unstoppable. So we will continue
till the last and we will win.
Although we have surrendered out arms, I don’t trust
the Federal Government. I don’t. But we want to prove
to the whole world that we are not the people who are making
wars. It is the Federal Government that is making wars on
us.
Why meeting with Obasanjo
I was invited several times, but on that day I decided that
since this man had invited me several times I should see him.
And I went. Not that we were afraid of them or anything. I
would not have been afraid of arrest. Why should I be afraid
when there were many people who would continue the struggle?
If I was arrested they would have felt the wrath of the people
of Niger Delta. There is no issue on that. They would have
seen the wrath of the people. Our people were on red alert.
Does it mean that if you were arrested, Nigeria could have
boiled?
I believe so.
October 1 deadline
We did not give the oil companies any directives. We asked
the embassies to withdraw their citizens, that failure to
do so, whatever harm that befall them after the issuance of
this communiqué they will be blamed. That was the wordings
of the communiqué. Anybody who felt threatened and
ran away at that time may have panicked.
Armed struggle
The IYC (Ijaw Youth Congress) had always viewed armed struggle
as the most viable alternative to peaceful negotiation. Achievement
of the desired goal is not for today. Achievement will be
reckoned by the events of tomorrow.
Sources of arms
We bought them in Ijaw land, in Ijaw territorial waters. If
you want to, we can take you there. You can buy as much as
you want. When we want to go I will invite you, so we can
go together, if it becomes necessary that we have to buy again
to fight.
Funding of Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force
We get funding from Ijaw people and volunteer funding. Those
who are working with us don’t make secret donations.
They are very well known. I will not name them for obvious
reasons.
Assessment of the Obasanjo government
I don’t know whether there is a government. I have not
seen the programme or felt the presence of the government
around me. I wouldn’t know. I only saw government in
Abuja, where our money is being spent. I saw government in
Lagos, but in Ijaw land there has not been the presence of
government.
Cultism in Rivers
Well, some politicians were sponsoring it. But now everybody
is afraid. Everybody is afraid that they’ve been exposed.
Maybe they are doing it surreptitiously. I don’t know,
in more secretive way. For now, there is no officer sponsoring
any cult activity in Rivers State.
Between sovereign national conference and armed struggle
The armed struggle was used to demand sovereign national conference.
So sovereign national conference is far better than armed
struggle. However, if after the talks at the national conference
and there is no implementation of the decisions, then we will
go back to armed struggle. We are not afraid of them. In as
much as we are desirous of peace, we cannot be taken for granted.
If they feel we are small and they can crush we will fight
to the last man.
Agenda of the sovereign national conference
Since the conference is sovereign, all issues will be discussed.
All issues on the continuous existence of Nigeria, whether
it will become defunct or some people will remain Nigeria.
At that time, maybe most of us would be in a stronger position
to tell them that and insist on what we are supposed to do.
Peaceful means of separation is the best form, without bloodshed,
without bad feelings, without ill-feelings and hatred. If
that is not possible, if the Nigeria state refuses to listen,
then violence becomes inevitable.
Self-determination
Self-determination comes first before any other thing. Self-determination
encompasses everything. And that, as far as I am concerned
and to our people, is what we want. Nobody can give us that
which we do not want.
Nigeria
Nigeria of today? Nigeria of today is evil. Nigeria is a bandit
state.
Battle with Nigeria military
They are human beings and we are human beings. We were in
our natural habitat. They were from outside. We were bound
to conquer them.
Political appointment
I will not jump at political appointment under a nation that
has taken away the sovereignty of our people, has taken away
our resources, has been killing and maiming us. But under
a sovereign Niger Delta nation I will accept to serve.
Duration of peace
We don’t know. It is predicated on the behaviour of
the government of the Nigerian state. If they roll out their
oppressive and destructive machinery against us, we have no
other alternative than to fight them back. Yesterday, two
of our men were killed by men loyal to Ateke Tom, so you find
that the peace is not sustainable.
Will one be right to say that armed struggle may start again
any moment?
Yes, you are right. It depends on the circumstances.
Niger Delta governors
Like I said before, they are Ali Baba and the 40 thieves.
Ali Baba is there, the 40 thieves are there. They have achieved
nothing. There is nobody here that can be given a pass mark.
Governor Peter Odili
Odili is not a problem. Odili is also a victim, a victim who
believes he can gain from the system that has for so long
impoverished him, has dehumanized him. We are all victims.
I don’t think he understands this. But one day he would
understand.
Ceding of Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon
Bakassi is Cameroun. Bakassi is Cameroun. I had said it on
AIT two years ago in my interview with them. That interview
was stopped mid-way by security agents from Abuja when I was
on air live. Bakassi is Cameroon. Bakassi has always been
Cameroon. Bakassi has never been part of the contraption called
Nigeria. By the treaties that were signed, Bakassi was part
of German-Cameroonian territory that became a mandate territory
when it was split between the French and the English.
Relationship to other groups
We have very good relationship, with MOSOP, MASSOB, OPC, and
Isoko Youth Movement. We network. Although, our approaches
are different, we have the same goal leading to sovereign
national conference, leading to the sovereignty of the various
nationalities that make up this contraption called Nigeria.
School drop-out status
It’s the business of those who think that I am a school-out.
For me, I have completed my education. I read a lot to acquire
knowledge. I read all sorts of books - law, humanities,
classic, philosophy etc. The last time I went to Abuja, I
bought books worth more than N700, 000. If you come to my
house, you will see books scattered all over the place. I
am educated. For me, I have completed my education.
Conversion from Christianity to Islam
I was born a Christian. But I decided to become a Moslem.
I changed to Islam, without trying to run down any religion,
because I felt Christianity does not answer many questions
about oppression. I see Islam as a religion whose thrust is
on struggle and exertion of rights. I felt that my ideal would
be better achieved under the Islamic religion.
Today, I am not the only person that is a Moslem in my family.
Members of my family are Moslems. In fact, my children are
better Moslems than myself. But I am a good Moslem, in my
case. I pray five times as required of Moslems. I fast during
Ramadan. I give zakat (alms) as required of me as a Moslem.
I strive to do what the Prophet Mohammed commanded.
Family
My family has been scattered because of the struggle. I have
two wives and children. But they have been scattered. I am
in touch with them. It is natural that with me in a struggle
like this, members of my family would also be at risk. But
so far, none of them has come to any harm except that they
are missing a father’s presence.
Typical day in the camp
We have many camps where our volunteers are stationed. The
camps are in the thick of the bush in our territory. Our day
at the camps start around 5 am with prayers. The Christians
hold their prayers separately, just as the Moslem. Also, adherent
of Egbesu hold their prayers at the same time.
After the prayers, there will be parade, after which the volunteers
would go for training, both physical and military. That was
how we operated in the creeks for nine months. Within this
period, we faced danger. The Nigerian military attacked us.
There was a day, four planes attacked us. The volunteers shot
at them. I promised them that any of them who shot down a
plane would get a prize of N1 million.
Relaxation
I relax by reading books, all sorts of books.
How would you like to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as Alhaji Mujahid Abubakir Dokubo-Asari,
an Ijaw man, a God-fearing Moslem, who loved his people and
his freedom.
Relationship with women
Women? I love books and women. I don’t go to parties.
I don’t keep late nights. So if you are waiting for
me to kill me on the road, you are wasting your time. I enjoy
the company of women. I like books.
I don’t have concubines. I have two wives. But I enjoy
the company of women. I feel more comfortable in the company
of women. I confide more with women.
|
