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'We're still in ruins!'
Ofonime Umanah
Sunday Punch
5 March 2006Odi is one town in Bayelsa State that rose from obscurity to limelight through the barrels of the gun. About seven years ago before it was invaded by armed men, the town maintained a rustic feature. The people were living in their homes and went about their businesses. But that soon came to a halt as gun-totting soldiers invaded the town and desecrated its age-long virginity.
The soldiers were venting their spleen over the alleged murder of seven policemen by residents of the town. The policemen, according to reports, were beheaded by misguided youths traced to the town, although the indigenes denied the allegation. That did not stop the soldiers. One quiet morning, thousands of armed men invaded the town and reduced the sprawling community to rubbles. Tears and blood flowed and life was literaly brought to a halt.
That invasion brought the community to limelight. Human rights bodies kicked. Reactions came from far and near. When President Olusegun Obasanjo finally decided to visit the town, he justified the military action and blamed the natives for allowing the killing in their town. Then he left. What followed thereafter were appeals that Mr. President should take steps to rebuild the town.
But seven years after, the residents are claiming that nothing has happened; that the town has been largely left to its fate. Those who could not reconstruct their houses are now refugees, hanging around. Our correspondent, who visited the community on Thursday, noticed that the people are still as dejected as they were in 1999 when they were chased out by the revenge driven soldiers.
A resident, Ishmael Ikia Iti, said he was already waiting for death because he could no longer cope with life, after the soldiers burnt his house. He said "life is very hard, and it's harder by the day."
Iti, who could not engage this correspondent in a long discussion, said since the invasion, he has had to struggle to live. Life, for him, had become miserable.
Pointing to the remains of his destroyed house, the 90- year-old man said, "I cannot build my house again because there is no money, there is no work. I am an old man. If I told you about my life, how I built this house after I came from Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1999, you will weep for me. Since the soldiers burnt it, my family and I have been miserable,"
Chief M.G. Melle, who is close to 70 years, also has a pathetic story to tell. When our correspondent visited his abode, he was dressed in a short. It took sometime for him to look for another cloth to cover himself.
He said since the invasion, life has taken a worse turn for him. "My house was razed and all I had were destroyed. I have not been able to put myself together since the incident," he said.
From being a proud owner of a big house, Melle, a Justice of the Peace (JP), now squats in a house given to him by a sympathiser. He told our correspondent that before the carnage, he was popular in round town. "I was enjoying. I'm a known figure in this area but right from when the soldiers came, I have been finding it difficult to enjoy myself. Life is not easy with me. I find it very difficult to enjoy my life. Right from that moment, things have changed and I have not been able to re-construct my house.
He recalled that government had attempted to offer help. "There was a time they (the government) made us to fill some forms and we submitted the forms to the government, up till now, nothing has been done. You can imagine a man like me, my condition is terrible. Look at the house I am managing( pointing to the hut), I'm not suppose to be in this type of building, somebody gave me this room to manage. I will like the government to come and help us in this community. I cannot even pay my children's fees again. Some have even returned home from school. Amidst tears, Melle lamented that his humanity had been tampered with.
Former chairman of the local government, Chief Millionaire Asangba, who was also the vice chairman of the Odi rehabilitation committee, believes the government owes people like Iti and Melle the duty to rebuild their houses.
He noted that the government had not been fair to the Odi people after deploying soldiers to destroy their town. He told our correspondent that having been involved in the move to rebuild the town, it was clear that the Federal Government had not shown enough willingness to rehabilitate the natives by rebuilding the community.
But he was grateful that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), which had not been established as at the time of the incident, was able to identify and embark on what he called concrete projects for the good of the people. While commending the state government for initiating some projects in the community, Asangbe said the government projects were left uncompleted, apart from the electricity project, which was currently in use.
"After the invasion, the state government did its own part. It even built structures for indigenes, though the contractor has not been able to complete work on the project. The state government was able to pay WAEC fees for students. When we asked for generator, they brought us a 500 KVA generator, which we are using today.
"But what we want is concrete rehabilitation. I was one of those who took the Federal Government to court, asking them to come and pay us compensation. The case has been there but we have no more money to pursue it.
"We pressurised them to come and do something but nothing was done. They said they wanted to allocate 1,500 houses to Bayelsa and the former governor (Diepreye Alamieyeseigha) said since Odi is having this problem, let 's give them 500 units. Up till now, nothing has been done."
He and the paramount ruler of the town, the Amananaowei of Odi, King Shine Apre, however, spoke glowingly of the NDDC. Asangbe said, "Even the president is claiming that he is using the NDDC to develop Odi and I am saying no. I can challenge him on this, because if you go to Opokuma, you will see NDDC projects. Was Opokuma burnt down?
"If you go to other areas, you will see NDDC projects, were those communities burnt down?" Pointing to the reconstructed houses, he said, "All these houses were burnt down. This one here is a new house. Whatever you are seeing in Odi, it is we, ourselves, who built them and the media helped us.
"I will say that NDDC has done better. I will give them a pass mark, but look at the houses the state government initiated not completed them; except the light. I will give the NDDC pass mark because their projects are completed."
He also made reference to the NYSC lodge that was built by the state government, saying it was abandoned. "If you go to the secondary school, some rehabilitation work was going on but everything is at a stand still. Now we cannot even say that they will come and build for us."
The community leader was bitter that a former commissioner had to bring people to the town to inaugurate a water project that was not functional. He called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, re-visit the town and rehabilitate it.
"There are people in this community, who cannot come out and build their houses again. It is either they are dead or they no longer have the money. There are some people who cannot buy one bag of cement.
"Look at our community, if the NDDC is building mansions for us, if the erosion is not controlled, everything will be a waste. We are facing extinction. That is also very important. Even the water we are talking about, not all parts of the community is enjoying it," he lamented.
http://www.earthrights.net/nigeria/news/2006-03-05.html