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07.03.2013 Feature Article

NAIJA UNITY ONLY EXISTED IN THE WEST - KAI 80 OR 10 % OIL

NAIJA UNITY ONLY EXISTED IN THE WEST - KAI 80 OR 10  OIL
07.03.2013 LISTEN

Have you ever wondered why Niger Delta and North-east billionaires are richer than their individual states? They cornered the oil market while their populations wallow in poverty. Most of them cannot live at home, they have to live and govern from Western part of Nigeria in relative peace of mind. Whenever they feel, they also live or govern from Dubai, United States and Europe where most of the money is saved for “feferity”.

It is the lack of a clear part for the future that has disintegrated the love, hope and unity that binds us. Every man is for himself, and suckers of hope by the way side. As long as we cannot agree that we need more than ten percent of all oil revenue to repair environmental damage in Niger Delta and oil block owners remain richer than their individual states, the West will remain the only area we can emulate for Nigeria unity.

The Nigeria National Youth Corps posting preference is an indication of where most students wish they can be posted. Many have protested and even stalled when posted to certain areas they consider not conducive to life and liberty. The main reason for posting to different areas is to know one another no matter where you come from. This is an indication that our youths are not so happy with our future in spite of oil resources.

Port Harcourt and Jos used to be the place to live and die. All Nigerians irrespective of their ethnicity were happy to live there. After the war, the oil brought Nigeria a curse. The greed of oil block owners fighting oil producing areas created lack of security and respect for human lives. Killing and maiming do not have the same shocking factor as it used to and people are wondering how low we are going to go before it gets better.

Nigerians from every ethnic group have gotten along in the West Nigeria for centuries where they come together to deliver the Country from colonialism. Harmony amongst them was almost taken for granted as no man's land. In Lagos and Ibadan, they competed for political and economic positions freely. The West was also enriched by the varieties of ideas, businesses and political contributions.

Yet some Nigerians still think there is no Western accommodation outside of Lagos and Ibadan. Those that have been in the other cities will be surprised at the numbers of Nigerians from many parts that have made West their homes. The debate amongst youths especially those becoming less tolerance of other Nigerians in their areas are alarming. They trade insults that can only be voiced in the West and nowhere else.

There is no other place in Nigeria where you can go and express yourselves against your hosts even in a mild civilized way than in the West before you are booted out, chased or made uncomfortable to stay. This is more of a compliment to tolerance that taps from other people contribution in variety of wills and purpose. No other region has benefited from it as much as the West. Most of us wish, the goodwill can spread not abused.

Sometimes to the annoyance of the host, people claim ownership of their host turf knowing full well that can never happen anywhere else in Nigeria. There is nothing wrong with vigorous debate, but there is everything wrong when it leads to bloodshed. Human should not be settling their differences with guns, machetes, bombs and drones in this century. We are supposed to be getting more civilized, not cruder.

Instead of the poor and angry population to stay at home and fight oil blocks owners as Boko Haram and MEND, they pour into Western Nigeria as beggars, slum dwellers, side road traders, arm robbers and kidnappers as if the West does not have enough of those at home. The result is turf fights between omo-onile, area-boys and hustlers looking to make a living surreptitiously from unsuspecting law abiding Nigerians.

Nevertheless, the most peaceful part of Nigeria right now is the West. While it shares some of the atrocities going on in other parts of the Country, the West remains the best place to shelter in peace and harmony, relative to other parts of Nigeria. We have other Nigerians that are very reluctant to venture outside the West for fear that Kidnappers may confuse them with oil block owners. Lately, we had some experience in Ogun State.

Every part of Nigeria except the West has agitated for a clean break at some point or the other. It has got to a point that many in the same West want their way out of Nigeria. The only problem is there is no part of the Country that can stand on its own without the help and support of fellow men and women we have taken for granted for so many years. As much as we cannot define a state within Nigeria, splinters will find unity.

After blaming the foreigners for almost everything, we were left with ourselves and nobody else to blame but Nigerians. So we start picking on one another. We also had our problems in the Western part of the Country. Some people even blame anything wrong with Nigeria as originating from the West. Most refer to Operation Wet-E!

Please note that Western Nigeria has never taken its problem beyond its borders and will not allow outsiders to force leaders on them peacefully, that is without a fight. Those that claim Awo had planned a coup could not point to one soldier in place or in the Armed Forces to carry it out, compared to today where oil block owners openly train militants and have generals in the Army. Or, militants' sponsor becoming head of state!

At the same time, it is better for each part to go its own way than to go on killing one another. This is so simple and easy to say but much harder to bring into reality. Is there really a Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Beroni, Kanuri or Ijaw nation without some cousins at the demarcation lines? Can we settle the issue of demarcation and cousins better as separate nations than we do now with a Niger Deltan as Head of State?

Many Nigerians have given up and look up to the sky for solution knowing full well that none will come as it has never come. The new money makers are now the oil blocks owners building Mosque and Churches and their preachers selling hope to discouraged people as if they have the answers. Human will exploit anything including helplessness.

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