This is the brain child of Mrs Evelyn York
This article is published by Ephraim Jerry, reflection on the pains the Obolo bears for centuries.
Today, I woke up to the News on the radio that President Buhari will be commissioning Dangote Refinery which according to the News is Africa's Biggest Refinery.
Why I am not happy is that we are the producers of this Oil.
I am a village girl and a fisher man's daughter.
I have never benefitted from Oil drilling before. Recently my father's land at the fishing port was affected by drilling.
I remember when we were much younger, we (my Elder Sis and I) used to go picking Ntutut (periwinkle), Igbut (water snail) , and cut Efie (Oysters) , and we will mistakenly march pipelines buried deep in the black swamp and the efie on it will cut our legs. One day I nearly lost my big toe. The cut was deep.
From research, I discovered that we the "Obolos" in Akwa Ibom and Rivers State occupy the longest stretch of the Niger Delta mangroves belt, which also HOUSES THE LARGEST OIL AND GAS DEPOSITS IN THE GULF OF GUINEA - YOU DEY HEAR THE ODOUR ABI!.
Now instead of Governor Udom of Akwa Ibom State of all people to devise means of harnessing these resources given to him on a Platter, he diverted his attention and energy in the attempt to completely remove, exterminate, annihilate, eradicate a full, functioning Eastern Obolo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom from the Map of Nigeria so he can take over our resources. No challenge!!!
How come an individual is able to set up such massive refinery and an entire region or State can't boost of anything.
So the reward for the Obolos is to torment us, take over our land, take over our resources, and still call us names.
If the British Colonies could not exterminate Obolos in 1904, when the British colonial authorities decided to send a punitive expedition against us. The expedition which was led by Captain A.A. Whitehouse, with the aim of destroying Obolo as a political entity and reducing their influence among neighboring tribes in the Niger Delta. With the aim to take over the region for oil exploitation no be exploration oo.
History has it that on arrival, Whitehouse and his military team went straight to Alabie Town (Agwut-Obolo), burnt and destroyed the high altar of the deity of the Obolo monarchy, Yok-obolo, and the site of the House of Skulls.
After destroying the House of Skulls and the Shrine of Yok-Obolo, the British split Andoni into six parts, each attached to one of the six Native Courts in the Niger Delta, HOPING to destroy the Obolo politically.
They also succeeded in collecting some of the bronze arts and crafts during this expedition which are still on display in the British Museum.
Then WHO ARE YOU, O GREAT MOUNTAIN? BEFORE US YOU SHALL BECOME A PLAIN.
ANYWAYS, IT'S A NEW DAWN, IN ANY WHICH WAY, WE WILL FIGHT FOR WHAT IS OURS, AND THE GATE OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL AGAINST US.
WE WILL RISE, SONS AND DAUGHTERS
WE WONT STOP TALKING
WE WILL KEEP WORKING NO MATTER HOW LITTLE
WE WILL NOT BE SILENT!
DEM GO HEAR THE ODOUR!!
AFTER ALL, MAN IS NOTHING WITHOUT VIOLENCE ACCORDNING TO MY MAN OF GOD?
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