We don’t want your money
Some days ago I saw a news story about the Asaba Development Union seeking compensation from the FG over the Asaba Massacre which happened 52 years ago today. Bear in mind that when we did the half-century memorial two years ago, we were very clear that monetary compensation was not one of the demands, so I wonder what has changed. This is what I’ve talked about in my column today.
The thing about monetary compensation in Nigeria is that it can very easily cause trouble. Let me tell a story…
The town of Evwreni is located 150km away from Asaba. In August 1999, the Evwreni Youths Association wrote a letter to the Shell Petroleum Development Company giving them an ultimatum to build a hospital, community centre, a borehole for the town, and tar the two roads in town — the Warri-Patani Road, and Palace Road. In addition to these four demands, the EYA asked that Shell build a fence around the Ovie’s Palace, and install a telephone line for him.
In response, Shell offered to pay homage and royalties to the Ovie Owin Kumani in cash, and also offered some jobs and scholarships to the EYA. This last bit of information was kept from the majority of EYA members.
Eventually, the EYA found out and went on what was initially a peaceful protest to the Ovie’s Palace. Unfortunately, armed palace guards, paid for by the Delta State government, shot at the protesters and killed one of them. Nine others were alleged to have sustained bullet wounds.
Following this incident, Evwreni elders called for the dethronement of Ovie Kumani, and eventually the situation boiled over on 20 January 2000 when the youths stormed the palace and murdered Kumani, and another elder, Chief James Fashe.
This story illustrates the danger of monetary compensation in the system such as we have in Nigeria where systems of accountability are weak, and where because of a culture of impunity, the incentive to just take cash and make for the hills is strong.