THE BENDEL AGENDA: A HALF CENTURY VISION RESURRECTED

By
 
CHIEF (PROF) OJE AISIKU 

A vision informed by ideas, conviction and common public interests never dies, such a vision survives with enduring durability, never yielding to narrow partisan politics and personal interests. The event of June 14, 2002 at the residence of Chief (Dr.) Osaigbovo Ogbemudia is an embodiment and a testimony of such a vision of patriotism, courage and public service. When eminent citizens of the old Mid-Western region met under the auspices of the Bendel Consultative Council (BCC), they were not just making history, but resurrecting the vision of a pan Mid-West people agenda. A vision instigated in part, by the event of
January 7, 1952 inaugural session of the Western House of Assembly in which the Alake of Abeokuta in his address ignored the presence of representatives from Benin and Delta Provinces. One of the outcomes in terms of reaction to the Alake's address, was that Oba Akenzua II of Benin who was at the meeting, embarked upon a crusade for the demand of recognition and assertion of the ignored people of the Benin and Delta sections of the old western region. The Oba succeeded at convening for the first time, an Inter-Provincial Conference in Benin City, on September 18, 1953, attended by Traditional Rulers and political leaders from both Benin and Delta Provinces. The role of His Royal Majesty, Oba Akenzua II will be elaborated upon later in this paper.

 
A Brief Excursion Into History.
It is important to remind Nigerians for the benefit of historical records, that the only state or region created in this country through a democratic process, is the old Mid-Western region. The creation of Mid-Western region in 1963 was the culminating landmark achievement of years of bold agitation by the people of the region. These men refused to remain silent and do nothing about the persistent marginalization and discrimination, first in the hands Yoruba Western Region and thereafter, by those who chose to see Nigeria in the lenses of the old tripod of Northern, Western and Eastern regions. Thus as we commend the event of June 14, 2002, we need to remind ourselves with humility and eternal gratitude, the pioneering efforts of Oba Akenzua II and others.
 

Recalling the history of the agitation and struggle for the creation of Mid-West from the old Western region gives me a renewed sense of state-pride. I derive a special personal challenge to join the current Ogbemudia-hosted initiative, and
to say to all, let us put aside personal interests and work together for the unity of the entire Niger-Delta area. We should not allow the Vision of our past heroes to die! Indeed, a vision grounded in ideas, conviction, and patriotic pride lingers on to inform and to awaken succeeding generations from inertia.

We should also recall with a deep sense of appreciation and admiration, how the Benin Monarch, Oba Akenzua II, in his opening address at the 1953 Conference, set in motion the unified action for the freedom of Niger-Delta. The Oba's
opening address contained terms that are still very relevant today; terms that should energize all minority nationalities in their struggle to assert themselves as equal members of the union of Nigeria. Consider the following brief excerpt from the address as illuminating example; noting in particular, the Oba's reference to Benin-Delta as a sovereign nation:

"I hope everyone will pull his weight in this National struggle at this critical time when all the Nations of this country called Nigeria are fighting hard to assert their National status ---. Benin-Delta was a sovereign Nation before the occupation of the country by the British" --(Micheal Vicker, 2000, p.71)
 

The words and sentiments of the Oba are as relevant and inviting for action today, as they were in 1953. Contemporary political developments in our country reveal very lucidly and forcefully, that the discrimination and marginalization of Midwest still exists. This is why all well meaning Bendelites should embrace and give momentum to the initiatives and spirit of the BCC.
We must always remember that when the Midwestern region was constitutionally created on October 1, 1963, it was in fulfillment of a dream of our forefathers who discovered quite early that we needed an identity that would be ours within the new nation of Nigeria. My position is that there is indeed a greater need today for that togetherness than when our political
forefathers first demanded for our own region. It would have been a great act of abdication of political and social responsibilities if we were to abandon the project for which they struggled so hard and whose fruits have come to us as inheritance.

 
The June 14 Initiative
June 14, 2002, would for the people of the now defunct Midwestern region, be a date to be highlighted on our communal calendar as the day some prominent citizens of that rich region of Nigeria said NO to the continued attempt to scheme the Edo-Delta people out of high elective offices of the nation. ( e.g. Presidency and Vice, Senate Leader, Speaker, etc.) Indeed, June 14 marked the new beginning of a journey of geo-ethnic assertion and political resurgence. Hence I captioned the June 14 BCC meeting, a resurrection of half a century vision, realizing the stimulus and impetus of the 1953 conference.

 
While there are bound to be diverse and, possibly, conflicting opinions about that socio- political resurgence, the point must be made that it was one coming together whose occurrence has been long awaited by many concerned inhabitants of this once glorious entity within the Nigerian federation. Particularly, in the face of the dynamics of the contemporary geopolitical
tendencies in the country, it was obvious to most of us who are actively engaged in the inevitable social engineering process in these areas that the old Midwest was bound to find its bearing someday, one way or the order. Call it nostalgia or self-preservation in a very turbulent political environment where only the strong and united survives. Both reasons, no doubt, fit the situation.

 
Many people of the old Midwestern region, have found themselves circumstantially orphaned within the larger family of the Nigerian system which has in the last several years been gravitating towards a noticeable form of regional revivalism in the critical contexts of the phenomena of resources allocation and strategic political realignment forces clearly regimented along the
regional contours of the pre-states days. That is why after the amoebic splitting up from one to seventeen, the North has managed to hold on to its Northern-ness with the new-found Arewa movement as its arrow-head in this emerging national reality. For the Western region, even though we now have a constellation of states in place of the old single west, the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) has seen to it that the West continues to be one entity all for its own purpose and interests. The Ohaneze of the East completes this process. But whither the Widwest or Bendel?

 
The vacuum that existed then, in this remarkable development was created by the non-existence of the testamentary and institutional edifice holding aloft the flag of the old Midwestern region which was the fourth co-equal region within the Nigerian federation. This has been variously referred to by several concerned citizens of the two succeeding states to the old Bendel as the Midwestern Question: the Bendel Paradox or the Atlantis of Nigeria, sarcastically coined after the famous mythical continent that is said to have vanished into the deep sea bed along with all its illustrious civilization.

 
As Dr. Samuel Ogbemudia, a two time governor of the territory in question, under whose auspices the inaugural meeting was held, rightly puts it: Let it be said that many years hence, that some elders, leaders and people of the old Midwestern region, fired by social, economic and political dynamics of the time, came together to articulate appropriate responses to contemporary national, regional and sub-regional developments. Coming from him, these sentiments are well understood. One other person that could have been able to say so is Prof. Ambrose Alli of blessed memory. Of course, all those heroes who inaugurated the first Midwest government, dead or alive, would no doubt endorse the same sentiments and even with greater pride.

As someone very deeply concerned about the positive and realistic revival of that rich and beneficial intercourse which is naturally engineered and facilitated by the factor of good neighborliness between these two political families, I would instantly add that it must not be allowed to fade into the dustbin of history that these people once met and spoke so eloquently about doing business together but nothing concrete happened thereafter. It should be a matter of perpetual collaborative intercourse within the Commonwealth of Midwest which is the historical responsibility of the two successor states, a process that must be nurtured into a much stronger bound as dictated by our past intimate and productive cohabitation. Our children must be taught
the history of the that past in such a way as to educate them about the oneness of the destinies of these people as an intricate amalgam of related and interrelated minorities within the "wazobia" of the tripod formation that the post-military Nigeria has unashamedly assumed.

 
My belief is firmly rooted on the fact that until we know where we are coming from as a people, we are not likely to fare well in our inevitable match into the future. My vision for these two states, offspring of the old Midwest, is that our purposeful collectivity is a condition sine qua non for a fruitful and beneficial participation in the Nigerian federation.

I am aware that while we were together, like in any human family, we had very serious misgiving and disagreements on several things but it remains a political reality which we cannot run away from that there are very many issues on which our destinies are tied together inseparably and more or less permanently. In a very simple way, we are already bitterly aware that because of our
manifest tendency to be loners on the national arena, we are not always able to relate with any of the other former regional blocks on a respectable level of equality and that means that until we come together, nothing available nationally on the ubiquitous "zoning" formula, no matter how defined, will ever get to us. This is in spite of the fact that it is from these two states a considerable proportion of the material and human resources of the nation are sourced.

 
So, I congratulate the men and women who have deemed it fit to formally initiate an idea that has been floating openly across the cities, villages, forests and swamps of these areas for a long time now. My conviction is that if they did not hold that meeting, others who are equally propelled by similar motive and inspiration would have eventually arisen because the time for such a serious meeting of kinsmen has come for our people. It is also gratifying to note that a second meeting has since taken place and certain infrastructure, as fledging as they might be, have been instituted. Since the longest journey must begin with a single first step, one can only hope that the spirit with which we have started is not permitted to wane at the altar of interpersonal squabbles and clannish pettiness unduly motivated by current partisan politics. Rather, all Bendelites should rise up and give the movement a supporting hand on a footing of equality of commitment and motivation.

 
In this connection, all politicians, workers, farmers, students and intellectuals from the Commonwealth of Bendel must put their heads together and fashion out a durable institutional mechanism for the sustenance of this reunion (which is inevitable, though) for our proper and productive participation in the Nigerian system which does not care much about the weak and the unorganized. I have no doubt that there are several important issues that actively unite the two states. From resources control to equal participation in the national arena to cultural renaissance amongst these very rich and diverse communities, the two states are faced with the same problems which none can effectively solve by acting along.

 
For this goal to be realized, I humbly suggest that we de-politicize the internal workings of the Commonwealth of Bendel. Whatever political parties we belong to should not be a limiting factor. Rather, let that fact be the insurance for us that we are able to invest in all the possibilities confronting us as dictated by the diversity of our affiliations. In order words, there must be recognized certain fundamental issues that are beyond partisan politics for which the Midwest must rally together as a people with one voice.

 
I have it as a vision that the time will come when children from the two sister states will be having periodic sporting and other competitions in mutual preparation for their dominance at the national and international levels as was the case in the days when "Up Bende" rented the air. I also envision a time when politicians from Edo and Delta states would jointly go to Abuja and say as their counterparts from the other regions are presently doing in one voice. :this is our position, the Midwestern position, the Bendel Agenda. And since two are always better than one, their voices presently muted in their individual-ness
would become a lot louder and more effective and it would reflect, in more respect for the people of the state at the national arena. This is not an illusion, it is a fact of life, as we all know, there is unity in strength; another crucial reason to keep the flames of June 14 glowing.

 
A Word of Caution.
We must resist the temptation to succumb to the euphoria of the moment in our consideration of candidates to support or not support in the present dispensation. I believe that strategically, we need more time for sustained and calculated political maneuvers to achieve election success. However one thing is clear in this new initiative: our collective resolve, our common goal and interests, a BENDEL AGENDA non-negotiable now, or in the future. We need time to build alliances and to sell our agenda to other ethnic minorities with similar interests and demands such as resource control, resource allocation, and federal presence. Politicians from the Benin-Delta Zone must be prepared to re-examine their present political affiliations and loyalties. The lessons of the old Benin-Delta People Party (BDPP) initiated at the 1953 conference are worth considering. Let me reiterate I am for a Bendel Agenda, a Bendel platform to promote our special common interests. We can pursue su ch interests
through a p arty or parties, through support for candidates who truly feel our pains and actively support our interests. Our support should no longer be taken for granted, never again should we allow ourselves to be "zoned out" of high elective offices of the land.

 
In concluding this paper, I want to draw attention to a disturbing trend in Edo State. As we condemn the persistent zoning out of Edo - Delta from national elective offices, we in Edo state should not do the same; particularly with respect to Edo North Senatorial district. Edo North deserves sincere consideration in the 2003 gubernatorial election. I am not suggesting that
senatorial district of origin by itself, should be the primary condition for fielding a gubernatorial candidate. I am suggesting emphatically that equity demands that the only senatorial district left out in all past dispensations, deserves first consideration this time; provided the qualities of merit and integrity are adhered to. We must consider from all aspirants the qualities of credibility, maturity, vision, knowledge, sensitivity and responsiveness to the people. A candidate with a track record of sincerity, probity, accountability and the Will to make service the benchmark of holding public offices. As we move to the larger Bendel Agenda, Edo State has an immediate political challenge: to elect the best candidate because the present Edo State needs salvaging; a feat
that can be achieve only by a person with a great heart and perceptive insights, intellect, vision and integrity. This is a must for the future of our dear state, considering the present state of neglect, insensitivity, disrepute and the pervasive atmosphere of greed and corruption.

Up Edo, Up Delta, Up Bendel! Long live a Nigeria of true federalism.
 
*Professor Oje Aisiku is a Tenured Professor of Education in the United States of America. A traditional chief in Ora and a Gubernatorial aspirant in Edo State.

July 2002