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Carnival in P�Harcourt as Dokubo returns
By Tony Eluemunor
Abuja Bureau Chief
and Odudu Okpongete
SnrCorrespondent,
Port Harcourt
Port Harcourt out aside its regular fare of staccato sounds of gun shots
on Sunday and for once allowed a carnival of singing, dancing and acrobatic
displays to usher the leader of the niger Delta People�s Volunteer Force
(NDPVF) Asari Dokubo back home.
People in their thousands trooped out to honour their son, whose image
has now been boosted by the reported peace deal and the promise of a welfare
package he got from a rather aloof federal authorities in Abuja to uplift the
Niger Delta.
Port Harcourt reminded everyone of the glory days when it lived up to
its name of Garden City. Reliefwas felt everywhere and the city residents were
confident that the truce would endure.
Dokubo was driven in a red posh convertible car through major flash
points in the city, such as Amadi-Ama, Fimie and Ozuboko where his ecstatic
supporters, including a large number of women and children, eagerly waited to
catch a glimpse of him.
For five hours, between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., the Ikwerre Road axis,
leading through the Eastern By-Pass to the Amadi-Ama-Abuloma Road, was locked
in a heavy traffic jam as a long convoy of his loyalists in several cars, buses
and motor-cycles engaged in acrobatic displays on the road.
Initially, the people appeared scared on hearing of Dokubo�s arrival,
but they later summoned confidence and joined the train on realising that �the
boys� were not carrying dangerous weapons.
Most of the supporter swaved white handkerchiefs in the air signifying
their readiness for peace.
The NDPVF leader,accompanied by officials of the Ijaw Youth Council
(IYC), held consultations inall the Okrika communities where he stopped by to
express sympathy withresidents, most of whom were caught in the cross-fire
during the heady days of the conflict.
Amadi-Ama, Fimie and Ozubokoup to Abuloma town were scenes of heavy
fighting in the bid by rival militia gangs to take control of the areas.
Some of the residents of the area who spoke on Sunday said the triumphal
entry of Dokubo into the city signified the final onset of peace in Rivers
State. They expressed hope that the peace deal would stand the test of time.
Napoleon Dagogo, who witnessed the rally at Ozuboko, expressed hope that
the Federal Government would support Dokubo to bring peace, describing him as a
freedom fighter.
Said he: "Asari is a hero to us in the sense that in the past one
year we've been living inbondage, we've been suffering but we cannot be afraid
of anything again; we can sleep well and enjoy ourselves freely. Everybody is
very happy to receive him and pray for him. He's fighting for justice and
truely, the Almighty God has put peace through him�.
Meanwhile, Daily Independent has learnt that a United States of
American diplomat sat through all the talks between the Federal Government and
the militia leaders at the weekend.
Dokubo himself confirmed this to reporters in Abuja before he left for
Port Harcourt, Saturday. He said that the American involvement in the talks was
deeper than has so far been acknowledged.
On Saturday, MsClaudia Anyaso, Country Public Affairs simply said �I do
not know about that. That is all I can say for now�, when asked about the
American involvement. Several attempts to get her on the phone on Sunday
failed. But a voice close to the American Embassy said that it should not be
surprising that the US has taken a proactive action in an area that is of
strategic interest to it.
�The Niger Delta is now not only strategic to the US, but to the world
economy because of the hiccup in the Middle East. Yes, the US firmly has its
sights on the region and monitors closely every event there,� she said.
This American involvement in the peace talks may be the very first
strategic achievement of the American Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. John Campbell,
who once told DailyIndependent in Abuja that, when given the option of
suggesting where he would be posted to, he mentioned Nigeria.
Sunday Independent had reported
exclusively that the U.S. was the real force behind the Abuja peace meeting
between the government and some of the militias of the Niger Delta, on the one
hand and between the Niger Delta Volunteer Force and the Niger Delta Vigilante
Force led by Tom Ateke, on the other hand.
A source close to Aso Villa said that the Federal Government did not
really take seriously the Dokubo-led Volunteer Force�s threat to begin a full
scale war in the Niger Delta. �And even if the threat became serious, you know
it was against President Obasanjo�s character to begin to parley with the same people
he called �miscreants� in his Independence Anniversary speech�.
Daily Independent learnt that
despite fears for Dokubo�s safety, he was relatively very free while in Abuja.
He chose to be responsible for his accommodation and so stayed at the Executive
Suites hotel, just behind the sprawling ECOWAS Secretariat in Asokoro District
of Abuja.
The talks, which were suspended during the weekend, are expected to
resume on October 8 when issues concerning the local politics of Rivers State
and the lingering chieftaincy disputes in Okrika and Buguma would be addressed
among other unresolved issues.
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