PORT HARCOURT— ASARI Dokubo’s rival for supremacy in Rivers State, Ateke Tom, said yesterday that his group had surrendered its arms to government, and preached a new message of peace to his supporters. “Peace is necessary for development. We can only free our people from the shackles of poverty under a peaceful atmosphere,” Ateke said at a rally in his home town of Okrika.
Oil prices which soared to $50.12 per barrel last Friday partly on account of the tension generated by the Dokubo saga slid by 32 cents to $49.80 in early trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange
In London, the price of reference Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery in November slipped 39 cents to $46.23 in late afternoon deals.
However, the weekend deal between the Federal Government and the Rivers State militias continued, yesterday, to generate reactions from a cross section of Nigerians. Dressed in a white sports T-shirt and white trousers and accompanied by hordes of aides, Tom was cheered by dozens of jubilant supporters and villagers. Many motorists and motor-cyclists parked their vehicles as a mark of respect for a man they worship as a god. Men and women, young and old, bowed and were prostrate on the ground as Tom made his way through the crowd. As he gave his speech, a group of stern-looking and gun-wielding policemen and soldiers looked on, in apparent approval of the event.
There was much drumming, dancing and singing by a cultural group in the town. Some of them had “Ateke wants peace” written on their almost naked bodies. The rally, the first in a series, was organised to mark the end of hostilities between Ateke Tom’s group — Niger Delta Vigilante Service — and the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, led by Asari Dokubo.
“We will hold a similar peace rally in Port Harcourt and other places. I will go to Buguma to meet my brother, Asari and he will also come here to pay me a visit,” Tom said.
“We thank Obasanjo for his prompt intervention to restore peace to Rivers State. We will never allow this ugly incident to repeat itself,” he said, referring to Friday’s ceasefire and disarmament deal in Abuja. The two gangs signed the agreement, brokered by President Olusegun Obasanjo, to sheath their swords after months of violence for the control of oil in the region. Asari had made a similar pledge during a rally at Amadi-Ama on the outskirts of Port Harcourt, on Sunday. “Ateke is our brother, our son. He has regretted for allowing himself to be used by enemies of the Ijaw nation and we have forgiven him,” he told the gathering. “He has dropped his guns and we have dropped ours. If he picks the guns again, we will pick ours,” he warned.
A community leader in Okrika commended the peace initiative of the two Ijaw members. “Both of them are our sons. I am sure there was a misunderstanding somewhere. But now that they have agreed to work together, we will support them as a people,” Tamunoseipirbie Kiri said.
Ex-NBA chief backs Obasanjo
Reacting to the peace agreement between government and the militias, former national president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief O.C.J. Okocha said: “This peace deal that is going on between the Federal Government and the young men could be a good thing if government makes sure that all militia groups all over the country are disarmed. If is done through dialogue, all will be well. I have to commend the young men (Ateke and Asari) for their courage; for being able to bring government to a negotiation table even though there are some questions about their methods. I give them kudos for their courage and perseverance.
“Having said that, I would like to say that this development shows clearly that there is a need for a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) where the people can sit and discuss on how best we can move the country forward. The current development attests to that need.”
Former ANPP governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Chief Sergeant Awuse said: “Frankly speaking, I don’t have anything to say for now… I would like to see the end of the matter first before I make my comments because I don’t quite understand what is going on there.”
Alabo Graham Douglas, former Minister for Aviation, said: “I have not been officially briefed on the matter. I would like to reserve my comments until I’m fully briefed. I would, however, like to say I am happy at the way things are going. On television I saw the Federal Government and the young men reaching some agreements and I hope those agreements would be honoured.”
Obe slams FG
Human rights activist, Mrs Ayo Obe, said the action of the Federal Government showed that peaceful means were easily crushed, but those taking up arms against the Nigerian state were called to negotiation table. “While I do not know much about the agreement Dokubo signed with the Federal Government, what is obvious is that those who adopt peaceful protest against the government are chased out of the streets, but those who take up arms against the Nigerian state are given executive flights to Abuja for talks. That is the kind of country that we have now, peaceful means, it seems, is crushed.”
When asked about the plans by government to organise a conference, Mrs Obe opposed it, saying: “I do have any faith in a conference the government is going to organise, because it would be like what General Sani Abacha did when he organised a national conference that became nothing more than a talk shop. In any case, when they say they are organising a conference, who are they doing that with? Is it with the warlords? Abacha started like this and ended up creating something that was completely useless.”
In his reaction, Senator Saidu Dansadua of the ANPP commended Obasanjo for brokering the agreement, but objected to the convocation of a national conference, which he believed was a ploy by the elite to exploit the masses. He also argued that the problem in the Niger Delta was not resource control, but poor management of resources in the zone.
“The agreement between Obasanjo and Dokubo is a good development and should be commended. The government by adopting dialogue has come out with better results, and we should encourage the government to continue on that track. But we should not lose sight of the fact that the peculiar terrain of the zone is contributing to the problem and we should encourage Obasanjo to pay more attention to how derivation funds are utilised. It is important he examines how NDDC operates, I say this because I find it disturbing that in spite of enormous funds accruing to littoral states and NDDC, there is a loud cry by the people. It looks NDDC is not different from the defunct OMAPDEC,” he said.
Oil prices slide
Meanwhile, oil prices slid below the psychologically critical 50 dollar a barrel mark yesterday as tensions eased in Niger Delta. The price of light sweet crude — which is well suited to refining into petrol and of which Nigeria is one of the main suppliers to the US — for November delivery fell 32 cents to 49.80 dollars a barrel in early trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, down from Friday’s record close of 50.12.
In London, the price of reference Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery in November slipped 39 cents to 46.23 dollars in late afternoon deals. “The main news is the Nigerian one,” said Lee Elliott, a trader with GNI-Man Financial. “There is a small resolution. A deal has been struck between the rebels and government representatives in Nigeria.”
Military officials said yesterday they had ceased military operations in the area following the peace deal, but there were reports of fresh killings in one village. “I would not say we have suspended operations, but we have been asked as you say in the military to observe a marking time or, simply put, hold-up action,” Captain Onyeama Kanu, spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF) patrolling the Niger Delta region, said in Port Harcourt. “What this implies is that we will remain where we are, but have to be vigilant as we continue to monitor the situation,” he said.
