Dan: It’s the black gold that was given to us by God, and which is the liquid gold—oil—on account of its discovery in Oloibiri. From that second, the Niger Delta folks have suffered segregation and neglect, which has resulted within the oil spillage in that space. Some thieves and a few oil corporations have taken benefit to complement their pockets out of the struggling of the folks. For a very long time, the folks have been complaining. It began from Isaac Adaka Boro, who began activism for minority ethnic rights and later declared the secession of the Niger Delta area of Nigeria on 23 February 1966; then all the way down to Ken Saro-Wiwa, who led a non-violent marketing campaign in opposition to the Nigerian authorities for the environmental degradation of the land and waters; and all the way down to the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), the socio-cultural youth group of the Ijaw folks.
The likes of the Asari-Dokubo, Common Boyloaf, Common Africa, and Ateke Tom took the grievance to an entire new degree in the course of the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo as president of Nigeria, involving militancy, kidnapping of expatriate employees of crude oil corporations, and bombing of crude oil services to attract the federal government’s consideration to the neglect the Niger Folks. Sadly, some corrupt and egocentric folks took benefit of it.
In case you take a look at Dubai, for instance, they’ve oil, after which they had been ready to make use of what they’ve to rework their cities. It’s a factor of disgrace that in Nigeria, the place a lot is taken, the federal government who carries the load of the nation can’t present primary facilities of their communities. Water, good roads, electrical energy, hospitals—we shouldn’t have that. For that purpose, the boys determined to make use of the facility of the gun to draw consideration for his or her voices to be heard. That is simply the genesis of the disaster of the Niger Delta folks with oil.
It was fairly simple for me to direct and choreograph as a result of the play and its messaging and the cultural expressions within the play are part of me.
Eseovwe: Okay. Not too long ago, we had a Niger Delta son because the president of the nation, Nigeria. That is speaking about Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Do you wish to remark about his administration and the way it impacts the Niger Delta points?
Dan: He tried in his half, however a tree doesn’t make a forest. He positioned religion on some who betrayed him. They had been purported to empower the youths, do the roads, after which make some beautification across the Niger Delta area. However they did not try this.
What occurred to him was that he had belief and perception within the those who had been round him. Once I imply the folks, Ijaws that had been round him. When he got here into energy, into the seat, he was capable of put mechanisms in place, after which his folks turned his instant direct topic. Then, he gave them the facility to undergo placing issues collectively, however they failed. That is what I am saying. It was not his fault. It was a results of the betrayers across the workplace that he trusted.
Eseovwe: We are able to rightly say that the Niger Delta folks sabotaged the struggles of the Niger Delta folks.
Dan: Advantageous, we are able to say that as a result of the chiefs did that. If a bunch of persons are given cash, they have an inclination to show in opposition to their complete group combating for a simply trigger.
Eseovwe: In The Battle, you identified the infighting that was prevalent among the many Niger Delta folks due to the oil wealth. Now, what do you suppose instigated these infightings?
Dan: Sadly, selfishness and greed are on the root of the issues confronted within the Niger Delta area. The officers in control of managing the funds coming from the oil wealth, together with state governors, authorities officers, group heads, and leaders of thought, are extra keen on sharing the wealth of the folks relatively than creating the area. This has resulted in division and infighting among the many folks. Even the militant leaders, who declare to be combating for freedom, have grow to be targeted on cash and authorities contracts. This led to sabotage of the motion.
Within the opening scene of The Battle, the Amanayabo of Opuloama group proclaims that the state authorities has given the group some funds for the event of the group; nevertheless, as a result of he needs to steal the cash for himself and a few chiefs of the group, he unilaterally decides what the cash can be used for, appointing his cronies Chief Asoyen and Chief Sokari. It’s the embezzlement of those funds by the king and a few of his chiefs that set out the battle within the play.
There have been different chiefs that had been in opposition to what the Amanayabo did, like Chief Lokpobiri, and he was banished from the group by the king. The act of the grasping and corrupt Amanayabo and his chiefs rapidly introduced pandemonium to the group, which resulted to a revolt by the militants, who’re additionally grasping and after the cash that the federal government has given to the group. They need their very own share of the cash as a substitute of specializing in the battle for the liberation of their folks. The well timed intervention of Lokpobiri, who had returned from exile, stopped the combating; and with a shifting speech, he was capable of get each the corrupt king and chiefs and the militants to see the larger image and give attention to the event of their folks and the combat for useful resource management of their oil wealth.
Eseovwe: That these inside conflicts hindered the Niger Delta’s efforts to manage their oil wells.
Dan: Some folks genuinely care concerning the welfare of others and may voice their issues successfully. Elder Clark is a good instance of such an individual who, like Lokpobiri within the play, has been a number one advocate for the Niger Delta folks, significantly within the combat for true fiscal federalism in Nigeria. Because of this every state in Nigeria would have full management over its pure sources and solely pay a small share to the central authorities. That is particularly essential for the Niger Delta states, as it will allow them to take cost of their growth.
