He did a lot for that region. Not only because it is the hen that lay the golden eggs for the country but because of the plight of the people of that region. President Yar’adua named Air Vice Marshal(retired) Lucky Ochuko Ararile (70), the Ovie of Umiaghwa-Abraka Kingdom in Ethiope-East Local Government Area of Delta State as the pioneer coordinator of the programme.
The scrapping of the Niger Delta is a big setback. In the struggle for full emancipation of the Niger Delta, several men and women were in the fore front. They include Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro (10 September 1938 – 9 May 1968), known as “Boro”, Ken Saro Wiwa (10 October 1941- 10 November 1995), Dr. Okoi Arikpo (20 September 1916 – 26 October 1995), Sir Egbert Udo Udoma, KBE, (21 June 1917 – 2 February 1998), John Togo, Chief Wenike Opurum Briggs (10 March 1918 – 21 April 1987), Chief Eyo Ita Esua (14 January 1901 – 6 December 1973), Obong Victor Bassey Attah (86), late Captain Samuel Timinipre Owonaro (Rtd), Nottingham Dick, Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye (1920-2005), Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (born 1971), Chief (Dr) Edwin Kiagbodo Clark (97), Asari Dokubo, Jaja of Opobo, Nana Oadelomu (1852–1916), Henry Okah (65), Ateke Tom(60), Farah Dagogo(42), Soboma George, John Togo, Solomon Ndigbara and many others.
Between February 20, 1966 and March 7, 1966, at Yenogoa in the Port Harcourt Judicial Division, Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, Samuel Timipre Owonaru and Nottingham Dick appeared before Justice John Aniemeka Phil-Ebosie from Anambra state, for treason, contrary to section 37 (1) of the Criminal Code (Federation). The same Justice Phil-Ebosie later became Justice of the Federal Court of Appeal.
The case was retried on December 5, 1966 in the Supreme Court with the then Chief Justice of the Federation, Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola (1 February 1906-29 January 1993), Justice Charles Dadi Omeha Onyeama(26 April 1916- 5 September, 1999) and Justice George Baptist Ayoola Coker (27 January
1917-7 February 1981), presiding.
By Section 108 of the Electoral Decree 1977, the fourth Chief Justice of the Federation, Hon. Justice Darnley Arthur Alexander GCON, named Justice Ebosie along with Justice S.J. Ete and Justice Alkali Alhaji Abubakar as a member of the Gongola state electoral tribunal on July 2, 1979.
In 1982, Justice Phil-Ebosie was awarded the Commander of the Order of the Niger by President Aliyu Usman Shehu Shagari GCFR.
Before pronouncing judgment on June 21, 1966, Justice Phil-Ebosie requested Adaka Boro to make his speech, he said “Today is a great day’ not only in your lives, but also in the history of the Niger Delta. Perhaps, it will be the greatest day for a long time. This is not because we are going to bring the heaven down, but because we are going to demonstrate to the world what and how we feel about oppression….Remember your 70 year old grandmother who still farms to eat, remember too, your petroleum which is being pumped out daily from your veins, and then fight forever your freedom”. My people “had long sought a separate state, not because they loved power but because their conditions were peculiar and the authorities did not understand their problems. There is nothing wrong with Nigeria. What is wrong is the total lack of mercy in our activities”.
I think Major Adaka Boro was right afterall. We don’t understand the people of Niger Delta. We tend to judge the people of that region by the bluff, blusters, lifestyle, threats and uncoordinated efforts of some their leaders. We assumed that since we made one of them, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (67) who served as President between 9 February, 2010 and 29 May, 2015, that we have found solutions to their problems. Not at all. A lot of mystery has enveloped that region. Real distress. The page is not turning there.
Real suffering is still going on in that region. Very terrible suffering.
If we are to go with the argument that the huge budgetary allocations to the Niger Delta Ministry, the Amnesty Programme and the NDDC can’t be justified then there is no Ministry or agency in the centre, that can escape the hammer.
By Presidential fiat, President Muhammadu Buhari on August 21,2019 established the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. He then put the following Agencies under the Ministry. National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, North-East Development Commission (NEDC), National Emergency Management Agency, National Agency for Prohibition and Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Senior Citizens Centre and National Commission for Person with Disabilities.
