By Dickson Okafor
Christopher B. Sarki is former Route Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the National Chairman, Coalition to Strengthen Democracy for Good Governance Initiative (CSDGGI). In this interview, he said President Bola Tinubu has further motivate the Nigeria military by conferring posthumous award to the officers that were ambushed and murdered at Okuama community in Delta State.
He called government to put an end to the conflict between Okuama and Okoloba communities, saying that was how the unending conflict between the natives of Kafaf and the Hausa settlers in Zangon-Kafaf started.
Global condemnation has continued over the ambush and murder of 17 military personnel in Okuama community in Delta State, what is your take on the dastardly act?
The nation is still mourning over the ambush and murder of our 17 gallant soldiers in Okuama community while responding to distress call arising from a clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities in the South South geo political zone. There has been a dispute between two communities over ownership of an oil rich river across them. And because of the clamp down on illegal bunkering by the Federal Government, oil output fell, hence they began to fight over ownership of Okuama. Meanwhile, some illegal bunkers were destroyed and government appointed Tompolo to watch over the oil pipelines and ensure there is no more illegal bunkering operation in the entire South South. So, because of scarcity of funds, the struggle for the oil river heightened. To make peace between them, the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori invited the leaders of the two communities to sign a Peace Accord after every effort including police intervention to maintain peace failed. The fighting over the ownership of the Okuama community continued, the governor had no option, but to put up a distress call to the military to come and guide the area. But for the fear that their leaders may be arrested or killed by the Army, some hoodlums in Okuama ambushed and murdered the military personnel. That is exactly the cause of the problem between Okuama and Okoloba communities. Yes, peaceful meeting was held. To me, there is an absence of national value which makes people to use the national resources for selfish gain and this must stop. Why should a country like Nigeria that has been producing and exporting oil for the past 70 years not have a functioning refinery and a scientific way of metering, recording what leaves, what is pumped, what is sold and what is not sold? It is deliberate. It is not Niger Delta affair, but national interest because oil is Nigeria’s main source of income as the six oil supplying nation in the world. Unfortunately, this precious gift from the Almighty God has brought us more problem and division than blessing. In order to maintain peace between the communities, the army was invited only for a colonel, two majors and a captain and 13 military personnel to be ambushed and murdered at Okuama. It is because of inability of government to take full charge and regulate the oil in the Niger Delta that is why some youths from the area suddenly turned into militant leaders and warlords who engaged in illegal bunkering. And having made huge sums of money that is why they don’t have respect for constituted authority and this must stop. One cannot eat his cake and still have it. The Federal Government having considered the level of environmental degradation caused by mining and exploration activities in the region decided to implement a 13 percent monthly derivation to all the oil producing states aside monthly allocation shared to all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The question is, what moral justification do they have to engage in illegal bunkering thereby causing the government economic fortunes? If they have any reason to question any demeanor, they should channel that through their state government and community leaders or ask them how they manage the humongous money meant for their community are being spent. And not by killing soldiers while carrying out their legitimate duties. President Tinubu did not make mistake by picking these professional and committed crop of security chiefs headed by Gen. Christopher Musa who is never deterred by anything in achieving his set goals. All these and other security challenges will soon be a thing of the past.
President Tinubu during the burial of the military officers in Abuja gave an order that those behind the killing should be fished out and dealt with; isn’t that a huge task for the Chief of Defence Staff and Army Chief?
President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has further upheld the dignity of the military by giving a national burial to 17 killed military personnel in Okuama, Delta State who paid the supreme price in the line of duty by defending their father land. Commendation are still pouring in from across the world for President Tinubu’s magnanimous gesture of conferring posthumous award to the dead soldiers and also awarded scholarship to their children up to university level cash gift to the families. This has kept the hope of Nigerian military alive and it is a motivation for them to do more. Yes, it is a huge task for the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Musa to get those behind the dastardly act and punish them. And the CDS assured Nigerians that the killers of the Commanding Officer of 181 Army Amphibious Battalion, two majors, one captain, and 13 soldiers will never go unpunished. Few days ago, one of those on the wanted list of the Okuama killing, embattled Ovie of Ewu-Urhobo Kingdom in Delta State, Clement Oghenerukevwe Ikolo, Urhukpe 1, who was among those declared wanted by the military in connection to the killings, has surrendered himself to the Delta State Police command. The Monarch presented himself to the authorities to prove his innocence and disassociated himself from the wanted persons. Also, among the individual wanted by the Defence Headquarters is Mr. Omotegbono (a.k a.) Amagbem, he is a suspected militant leader in the Niger delta and others whose names I won’t mention here. So, the CDS is equal to the task and I assure you that very soon, all the wanted persons in connection with the killings will be fished out.
What you just narrated may not be the only cause of the conflict between the Okuama and Okoloba people, is there any other thing that may have led to the conflict?
What I just narrated is the true report that warranted Okoloba community to lay claim to Okuama land which they say belongs to them. As a retired paramilitary officer, the Road Safety Commission of Nigeria, I know the rudiment of conflict resolution. The unending conflict between the natives of Kafaf and the Hausa settlers in Zangon-Kafaf started like this. According to report, from the beginning, Okuama people only came to Okoloba to farm because it was a very fertile land and they gradually started settling there. The genesis of the problem is that now that oil is discovered in the river across the two communities, Okoloba is asking for tenements and Okuama people are saying no because they have great grandparents who are buried and have never paid rent to anyone, so why now in the 21st century. So, they refused to pay. And this has resulted to continuous fight and killing of themselves. When Governor Sheriff Oborevwori assumed duty, he initiated a peaceful meeting between the two communities and the leaders signed a Peace Accord, but they did not adhere to it, hence the reason for the invitation of the army. But the troops were ambushed and killed while responding to distress call arising from a clash between Okuama and Okoloba communities in the South Southern state.
Finally, the DHQ has confirmed the death of terrorist commanders especially Mainok, killing of insurgents, arrest of others and rescue of over 1,241 hostages in 3 months. This is in fulfillment of your prediction that the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa will fish out the terrorist leaders, what would you say is responsible for the breakthrough?
When the right person is in the right place, there will be positive result and that is what the CDS, Gen. Musa is doing as the result has shown. According to the Director, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Edward Buba, who made the disclosure, the terrorist commanders were killed in separate operations conducted in the northern part of the country between January and March 2024. Gen. Buba in a media briefing in Abuja, listed names of the terrorists kingpins to include Abu Bilal Minuki (a.k.a Abubakar Mainok), Head of Is-al Furqan Province (ISGS and ISWAP) and Haruna Isiya Boderi. He is a notorious terrorist who operated along Birnin Gwari Forest in Kaduna State as well as the Abuja-Kaduna Highway. But he was killed by troops on February 21, 2024. Others include Kachallah Damina, who was neutralised on March 24 by troops. He was killed alongside over 50 combatants including Alhaji Dayi, Kachallah Idi (Namaidaro), Kachallah Kabiru (Doka), Kachallah Azarailu (Farin-Ruwa), Kachallah Balejo, Ubangida and Alhaji Baldu, among others. According to Gen. Buba, on military operation conducted in the last quarter across the country, 2, 351 terrorists were killed with 2,308 arrested while 1, 241 hostages were rescued during the period under review. However, the military is ready and prepared, fully equipped and focused on what to do with the terrorists and their cohorts. So, the CDS and the military Chiefs are on course to end insecurity in the country soon.
Nigerians have condemned the hike in electricity tariff by FG because of the economic hardship they are already experiencing in the country since this administration took over the mantle of leadership, isn’t this another harsh economic decision by the government?
It is not the right time for government to hike electricity tariff considering the fact that the people are still in economic hardship caused by fuel subsidy removal, rise in exchange rate which is the reason a dollar is sold for N1,200. The best thing government should do is guarantee food security and security of lives and property across the country and the economy will improve. So, I joined other well-meaning Nigerians to call on government to reverse the hike in electricity tariff considering what the citizens are going through to feed themselves and family because of the economic hardship. It is sad that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved an increase of 340 percent in electricity tariff for customers under the Band A classification. However, it is not right for customers under the classification which represents only 15 percent of the 12million electricity consumers in the country. No matter the explanation of the Vice Chairman, NERC, Musliu Oseni that the review would not affect consumers on the other bands, we all know that every increment by the government has always affected the people negatively. So, whatever it is tagged, Nigerians are already going through economic hardship because of fuel subsidy removal and we won’t accept additional pains. I call on President Tinubu to reverse it.
PDP and the LP has gone back to the trenches even though their internal crisis has deepened to re-strategise for 2027, do you agree with the writing off of the APC and PDP by former governor of Kano State and Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso?
That is a political statement which is expected from politicians seeking relevance. Kwankwaso to have written off the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the race towards 2027 is a fallacy. He claimed that NNPP is being rebranded ahead of 2027 elections; this plan should be kept within the party and will be made known at the appropriate time when Kwankwaso will prove to Nigerians that indeed, APC and PDP are written off. In politics, talk is cheap and I assure you that before 2027, Kwankwaso’s political language will change. On PDP and the Labour Party back to the trenches, it is normal whenever elections approach. Yes, both parties are in a serious internal crisis which can only be resolved through compromise. PDP and LP have common challenges which are the choice of National Chairman which was the major reason that cost PDP the Presidency in 2023. And it may likely destabilise Labour Party before 2027. The Presidential candidate of Labour Party in 2023, Peter Obi did not attend the recent party’s national Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State because according to Obi, he didn’t promise Nigerians new political party but new Nigeria. Also, PDP has shifted the selection of new National Executive Council in the states where their tenure of chairmen has expired but has extended their tenure for three months to act as caretaker chairmen. So, let’s see how it will be after PDP has dismissed those who worked against the party and Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambition in 2023. When we get to 2027, we will know how strong PDP will be. So, it is too early to rate the present administration. Because from the look of things, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock come 2027.