During the era of colonialism, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was reached between the Niger Delta region and the British administrators, that a sovereign independent nation would be granted independence after exploration and exploitation of natural mineral resources for thirty (30) years. The MoU was entered before the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates in 1914 piloted by the British Governor-General, Sir Fredrick Lord Luggard.
Retrospectively, this was the idea behind the desire to have the Republic of Biafra which fueled the civil disorder led by the Ikemba of Nnewi, late Chief Emeka Odimegwu Ojukwu in 1967. However, due to lack of adequate planning and consultation, the dream could not scale through as the Nigeria Civil War ended on 12th January, 1970 in favour of the Nigerian troops. It is obvious that the step taken to declare such a sovereign entity was hasty and not properly articulated, hence, the fall of Biafra.
Two decades ago, the cause for the emancipation of the Niger Delta took a modern dimension with the Ogoni-born Human Rights Activist, late Kenule Saro Wiwa, (popularly known as KENSARO), championing the cause of the Niger Delta.
Saro Wiwa used Ogoni ethnic nationality as a study case to fight for proper repositioning of the entire Niger Delta region as an oil producing region in need of corresponding attention it deserves from government.
Unfortunately, the gallant efforts made by the Human Rights Activist were cut-short by the General Sani Abacha’s milittary junta.
There is no doubt that all over the Niger Delta, there are oil wells at various locations being explored by multinational oil firms operating within the axis of the Niger Delta for the past fifty-seven years. It is, however, sad that the region is devastated as it has lotsd its socio-economic values and has continued to suffer abject neglect from government even when it is the goose that lays the golden eggs that sustain the nation’s economy. In fact, it is these ugly and anti-social conditions of the area that spurred late Ken Saro Wiwa into advocating for the resource control, for which he was silenced to death by hanging along with four others. Although, Ken is out of sight and existence on the planet earth, his legacy lives on.
It is instructive that some self-centred personalities who played double standard over the noble cause of Ken Saro have realised their mistakes and are now regretting their actions.
They are like the Jews who beat their chests for cruxifying Jesus Christ, only to realise later that they have cruxified an innocent person.
It is no gainsaying that every nooks and crannies of the Niger Delta region are chanting the crusade for resource control and appropriate placement of the Niger Delta region in the scheme of things. Obviously, oil and gas flaring has done a lot of unquantifying damage to the ecological system of the Niger Delta region. Pollution has become the order of the day and the landscape can no longer yield enough cash crops just as coastal species are paralysed. Economic plantations have been adversely affected. Pure and clean drinking water ais difficulty come by. The entire environment of the Niger Delta is hazardous, leaving the socio-economic well-being of the people in jeopardy.
There is no doubt that oil and gas are the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, yet the Niger Delta sub-region wallows in negliect and abject poverty. What a high level of injustice and marginalization!
If the Niger Delta is not adequately favoured at this time when a son of the Niger Delta is the President and when the region is feeding the nation, one could imagine what would be her fate when oil and gas are no more because nature is drastically changing on daily basis. The region should not be pacified with some political positions. What we need is the autonomy to control our God-given natural resources.
At this juncture, one would plead with President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to look into the crucial position and condition of the Niger Delta region and earnestly expedite action to save the region from socio-economic, political and natural collapse from gas flaring.
Of course, it has been asserted that  time and tide do not wait for anybody. This is the golden opportunity to act wisely to deliver the derided region from untold calamities just as Mordecai and Queen Esther wisely and meaningfully ultilised their positions and privileges to save the Jews from annihilation by a tyrannical and dictatorial economy in the land of Shushan (Esther 4 vs 11-16).
Ominyanwa, a public affairs analyst, wrote in from Port Harcourt.