As opposition to Prof. Ibrahim Gambari’s headship of the steering committee of the proposed Niger Delta Summit reaches frightening level, with leaders of the area as well as militants threatening fire and brimstone, the man at the centre of the controversy has called for caution so that Nigeria does not lose what he called national control over the Niger Delta issue.

•Gambari Photo: Sun News Publishing

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Gambari, an under secretary general of the United Nations (UN) has asked all the stakeholders to realise that the Niger Delta question has assumed an international dimension so much so that it could attract the intervention of the international bodies, including the UN if not managed well. He had told newsmen, after conferring with President Umaru Yar’Adua, that Nigeria could not afford to handle the matter shabbily in order not to lose the right of internal control over it.

“As you know, whenever something becomes international, you have intervention by the international bodies, including the UN and many times you loose the national control. We must, in my view, not loose national control but address the issues comprehensively, looking for a lasting solution so that there will be no need for another summit. I hope, this is a personal opinion,” he pointed out.

He explained that because of its importance, all Nigerians should see what is happening in the Niger Delta as a national problem and not that of the people of the area alone and so should regard themselves as stakeholders in the issue of Niger Delta. He contended that the summit being proposed “is not a summit of the Niger Delta, by Niger Delta for Niger Delta”, but a national summit, which required the attention and support of every Nigerian.

“Beyond our shores, we also have the international dimension to the Niger Delta situation because for those of you following the event, you know that when you have an issue in the Niger Delta, it immediately reflects itself in the global oil prices, which is, therefore, of concern to countries in our region and also even beyond. There is also the issue of small arms and light weapons and the militarization of the area, which further complicates the issue and we also add the national security dimension,” he further stated.

Gambari said his release by the UN for the assignment, in spite of his other pressing engagements, was in response to the request of the Federal Government. Already, he said following President Yar’Adua’s appeal to the UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, the world body dispatched three senior UN technocrats, who he said had since been working with the office of the vice president to help prepare one of the documents for the summit.

Rather than read meanings into his appointment, he said he should be seen by all as a member of the Nigerian family, who has brought with him credible credential for the assignment. According to him, he has been in public life since 1983, served in 1984 as a cabinet member at the age of 39 and later as an ambassador for 10 unprecedented years, in addition to his wonderful connections. The fact that he is not from Niger Delta, he stresses, does not mean he is unaware of the situation in the region and the pains of the people.

He said: “If that were the case, why am I, a Nigerian being sent to Burma, Myanmar to help them solve the problem of democratization, of human right, of marginalization? Why am I asked by the Secretary General of UN to go to Iraq to deal with the issue of economic reform, the issue of security, including reducing the level of violence, including political issue and national reconciliation? It is not who you are but what you do and how you do it.

“I am promising you that the confidence that the president and the vice president and the Secretary General of the UN have in me, the reason for releasing me to come for this work will not be betrayed and you may have to judge by my past records of accomplishment in the task in which I am given. So I am appealing to those who have doubts, to give me the benefit of the doubt and wait until we see the outcome, which I believe will be very different from what we have been used to in the past.

“We hope to do a very good job because we want this summit to be different from the previous summits.

We want a summit that will address the issue of the Niger Delta comprehensively, looking at all aspects, the issue of decades of neglect, poor physical infrastructure, poor social infrastructure, education and health, environmental degradation and also the issue of the perception or the reality of marginalization and also economic development particularly employment for the teeming youth.

Are you aware of the wide spread protest by the people of the region over your appointment as the chairman of the steering commit of the summit and how would this summit be different from the others?

For the first one, I don’t know whether your description of wide spread protest is true. There has been some, but we are very free people, independent-minded and have different opinions about many issues, including this one. I welcome constructive criticisms. In other words, if the intervention is to say listen let’s address concrete issues, I am ready to grapple with that and we will respond appropriately.

I am proud to be a Nigerian and I do not apologise for that, neither should I be asked to apologise for that or the accident of where I happen to be born in. This is a very serious national assignment and that is why we must not be distracted, we must not address minor issues and that is why your second question is very important.

What will be different in the outcome of this summit? You are right we have had many commissions, conferences, talks, Ogomudia Commission, Popoola Report and all kinds of other reports but this one will be different for two reasons.

This one is going to take a holistic comprehensive approach. Looking at the national security dimension, the issue of physical infrastructure, social infrastructure, unemployment, the perception and reality of marginalization and the global aspect of this issue. And then we are going to analysis all previous efforts; we are not going to try to reinvent the wheel; we are going to take notes of all the efforts that have been made in the past, what are the gaps, why have they not produced the desired results and come up with recommendations that are clear, practical, implementable. So this is going to be qualitatively different.

If the clamour against your appointment continues, will you step aside?

No. I was requested to do this. I didn’t ask for a job because I am actually gainfully employed, as you probably know. So the president and the vice president requested the UN to have me released for this assignment. As long as they will like me to continue this and I have reaffirmation that this is their position, I will continue. But having said that, I will absolutely reach out to all and every stakeholder with legitimate input to be made to give us a chance, let us prove ourselves, judge by the results of our action and the process that we are going to put very much in place.

One of the fears of the militants is the fact that allegedly called one of their forebears in this struggle, late Ken Saro Wiwa, when he was hanged by the government of Gen Sani Abacha a common criminal. They feel if, indeed, such a comment came from you, then you are actually not in the right position to be appointed to head this summit. What is your reaction to that?

First of all, this is an event that happened about 13 years ago. It is very important for those who are making the quotations to go back to what I said and in what context. I was then the ambassador of Nigeria, defending Nigeria and my major concern at that time was not to have sanctions placed against our country. As you know, it is very easy for sanctions to be placed on a country and is very difficult to have them removed. And people of Nigeria, I felt had suffered enough and what needed to do at that time was to move towards a return to a democratic rule.

So I think we are in a situation we need to move ahead. As I said, this issue of Niger Delta is not an Ogoni issue. It is not a Niger Delta but a national issue and we need to move ahead and we should all work together to address it because that is the best way to move forward and is an issue with international dimension and consequences.

The question that agitating people’s mind is, do we need to talk before the provision of infrastructure in the Niger Delta? They said that before the nation started building Abuja, there was no talk and when Lagos was built, there was no talk. Why does that of the Niger Delta require talk?

First of all yes, you are right, we cannot suspend action to address the challenges of the people until the end of the summit or because of the summit. Actions have to go on and there is nothing stopping the actions from going on in terms infrastructure development, in terms of social development, education, health, environmental degradation.

But we have reached a new level of militancy in the region that we believe cannot be addressed only by singling out, no matter how important the issue of physical infrastructure. We have to take a comprehensive look at what are the root causes of the discontent. Who are the people engaged in manifesting this discontent? How can we separate who have legitimate grievances from those who have other motives? How do we prevent this issue from getting out of hand so that it becomes an international issue?

As you know, whenever something becomes international, you have intervention by the international bodies, including the UN and many times you loose the national control. We must, in my view, not loose national control but address the issues comprehensively looking for a lasting solution so that there will be no need for another summit. I hope, this is a personal opinion, that the summit will end all summits because it will address the challenge in a new way in a different way not as a talking shop.

In a situation where the people of the region boycott the summit, what are you going to do?

That is a hypothetical question. I don’t think it will be in anybody’s interest to boycott. We are going to discuss issues affecting Nigeria, not only the issues affecting the people of the Niger Delta. It is not in anybody’s interest not to be present. It is important to come, state your views clearly, participate with other Nigerians to find a lasting solution that will bring peace and justice to the area. Peace with justice and development in the Niger Delta will not be just for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta but all of us in Nigeria.