History is laced with so many movements or struggles for causes, however the one big difference between a successful movement and one that is not, is a clear cut vision of what the movement hopes to accomplish and the best path in getting there. Examples of visionary leaders who led a successful movement are Mahatma Ghadi, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. These leaders were able to identify the fine line between leading a legitimate struggle legitimately and becoming hoodlums or public enemies.
I write about the MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) cause of which I, as well as most well meaning Nigerians are well aware and have always been sympathetic towards. The recent actions of MEND rebels are however fast depleting the goodwill and sympathy of both the international and local community, and can at best be described as a becoming a nuisance. This is no way to lead a struggle for what is a well known legitimate cause.
MEND leaders do need to do a little bit of soul searching,they need to go back to the drawing board. They need to ask themselves if the tactic of hostage taking, and blowing up oil installations is really working? Who are those really affected by such acts? What can they hope to acccomplish by such acts? is it really worht it? After all Albert Einstein one of the greatest minds of all time did say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Blowing up oil installations does have an environmental impact on the very land that is being struggled for; such environmental impacts remain unknown as at now but can rest asured that it would be felt for many years to come. Secondly, what does hostage taking really accomplish? A ransom of money maybe. Such an action does have much deeper boomerang effects. It leads to loss of credibility and tends to dis-legitimize the cause or struggle. Most of the hostages being taken are innocent oil workers who are just doing their job! The second and more worrisome effect is that it tends to enhance the proliferation of crime. We are beginning to see an increase in copy cat kidnappings and lootings from mushroom rebels and dissident groups that use the cause as an excuse to carry out crimes for profit. None of this in the short or long term can be good for the Niger Delta region.
The Nigerian State does indeed need to address the issues of Federalism and resource control, however how we get there is another story altogether. In regards to this there are basically two factions in the political class of Nigeria. There are those who would like to keep the status quo for the simple reason that it benefits them, and there are those who would like to see Nigeria move forward and become a true federal state. It is obvious that the present system has failed, it is simply not working. In my previous blog, I talked about, the present state of affairs being asymptomatic of a deep rooted problem in Nigeria.
The MEND leaders need to realize that they are Nigerians, and being part of Nigeria is not the problem. It has never been. The problem is not Nigeria but the cabal of selfish leeching individuals who have clung on to power for the better part of the Nation's 5 decades of existence. We would have found a solution to the Niger Delta Crisis, and a myriad of other problems plaguing the Nation, if we can figure out a way to get rid off these parasites in government. Nigeria needs new talent, young blood, fresh minds, new ideas, new vision. Then and then only would we begin to see the emergence a beautiful new Nigeria, a progressive new Nigeria, a beautiful new Federal Republic of Nigeria. The solution to the Niger Delta problem does not lie in kidnappings, blowing up installations or sectarian acts of violence; it lies in the true political emancipation of the people and citizens of Nigeria.
I write about the MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) cause of which I, as well as most well meaning Nigerians are well aware and have always been sympathetic towards. The recent actions of MEND rebels are however fast depleting the goodwill and sympathy of both the international and local community, and can at best be described as a becoming a nuisance. This is no way to lead a struggle for what is a well known legitimate cause.
MEND leaders do need to do a little bit of soul searching,they need to go back to the drawing board. They need to ask themselves if the tactic of hostage taking, and blowing up oil installations is really working? Who are those really affected by such acts? What can they hope to acccomplish by such acts? is it really worht it? After all Albert Einstein one of the greatest minds of all time did say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Blowing up oil installations does have an environmental impact on the very land that is being struggled for; such environmental impacts remain unknown as at now but can rest asured that it would be felt for many years to come. Secondly, what does hostage taking really accomplish? A ransom of money maybe. Such an action does have much deeper boomerang effects. It leads to loss of credibility and tends to dis-legitimize the cause or struggle. Most of the hostages being taken are innocent oil workers who are just doing their job! The second and more worrisome effect is that it tends to enhance the proliferation of crime. We are beginning to see an increase in copy cat kidnappings and lootings from mushroom rebels and dissident groups that use the cause as an excuse to carry out crimes for profit. None of this in the short or long term can be good for the Niger Delta region.
The Nigerian State does indeed need to address the issues of Federalism and resource control, however how we get there is another story altogether. In regards to this there are basically two factions in the political class of Nigeria. There are those who would like to keep the status quo for the simple reason that it benefits them, and there are those who would like to see Nigeria move forward and become a true federal state. It is obvious that the present system has failed, it is simply not working. In my previous blog, I talked about, the present state of affairs being asymptomatic of a deep rooted problem in Nigeria.
The MEND leaders need to realize that they are Nigerians, and being part of Nigeria is not the problem. It has never been. The problem is not Nigeria but the cabal of selfish leeching individuals who have clung on to power for the better part of the Nation's 5 decades of existence. We would have found a solution to the Niger Delta Crisis, and a myriad of other problems plaguing the Nation, if we can figure out a way to get rid off these parasites in government. Nigeria needs new talent, young blood, fresh minds, new ideas, new vision. Then and then only would we begin to see the emergence a beautiful new Nigeria, a progressive new Nigeria, a beautiful new Federal Republic of Nigeria. The solution to the Niger Delta problem does not lie in kidnappings, blowing up installations or sectarian acts of violence; it lies in the true political emancipation of the people and citizens of Nigeria.
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