Ex-militant Ateke in an interview with PUNCH bares his mind on so many sundry issues in the country.some of the excerpts of the interview are below.
What was the reason for the fighting Nigeria?
We were fighting for our rights. We have the oil; we have the resources being used to feed Nigeria. But they did not want to give us anything and that explained why we were fighting. They refused to employ our people; instead, they (government) brought in foreigners to work in oil companies while we were suffering. That was why we determined we would fight our cause and make the authorities realise that we were not happy with the situation of things. We needed employment; we needed to work. We needed good hospitals, good roads and other social amenities, but there were none. We had to embark on the struggle to make them realise that we were being marginalised. Everybody knew that we were fighting for our rights. The Federal Government called us and asked us why we were fighting. When the late President Musa Yar’Adua called us, we came out to tell him and Nigerians why we were fighting and they reasoned with us and asked us to cease fight. We accepted and embraced amnesty. But in the case of Boko Haram, why have they refused to come out? What are they fighting for? Who are they fighting for? They (Boko Haram) members should come out and tell Nigerians why they are fighting. So, it is not right to compare us with Boko Haram. What is stopping them (Boko Haram) from telling Nigerians the reasons they are fighting? President Goodluck has called on them several times to come out and tell Nigerians their grievances, but they have refused to do so. So, we are not similar to them.
President Jonathan and Governor Rotimi Amaechi are from Niger Delta, but they have continued to disagree. What can you say to that?
Governor Amaechi is to blame. President Jonathan helped him in the past, so why is the governor biting the finger that fed him? The Goodluck that Governor Amaechi has been raining abuses on was the person that made him the Chairman of Governors’ Forum for the first time. Amaechi must see the repercussion of biting the finger that fed him. I can only advise him to reduce his temper because whatever you do to a man, another man will do it to you. President Jonathan loved him and supported him in the past and now, he is fighting the man that supported him. Take a look at Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State; he is loyal to the President and you can see how things are working out for him (Akpabio). But in all, I appeal to President Jonathan to forget the past and forgive everybody. He did not force himself to be the President of this country. It is God that ordained him the President.
Some former militant leaders, Tompolo and Asari-Dokubo, have threatened that there would be war should President Jonathan lose the 2015 election. What is your opinion on their utterances?
Maybe their statement was based on the actions of Boko Haram. So, they must have spoken out of anger. Look at what Boko Haram is doing, but they should know that they do not have monopoly of violence. They (Boko Haram) are doing this because President Jonathan is a humble and quiet man. Would they have tried this if former President Olusegun Obasanjo was the President? His government would have struck everywhere in the North, even little children would have been killed. We all know this fact, but Goodluck Jonathan has not done that because he does not want innocent people to be killed in trying to kill members of Boko Haram. The truth is that these people (Tompolo and Asari-Dokubo) spoke in annoyance. But for me, I will advise every Nigerian to shun violence and support a peaceful election. I also advise Nigerians to vote Goodluck Jonathan in order to avoid making the country a Sharia state.
