Edo United Nation Forward Looking Strategy

EDO UNITED NATION FORWARD LOOKING STRATEGY

By Reggie Akpata

22 November 2014

GEOGRAPHICAL SPACE

A starting point is the pre 1991 Edo state boundaries bordered by Ondo and Delta State.We have enough trouble ahead unifying even this limited geographic space so let's start here.Inside the pre 1991 state we are faced with people who swear they're not Edos; some say they're Fulanis, Yorubas and so on. To lump in an Ondo (that at the moment have made hay with their apportioned share of BRD) could be viewed as naive, same with Delta: Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhorobos who aren't likely to turn their autonomy in and take the risk of electoral politics when you have the population they don't.We have to be realistic; get what we can get and then negotiate with these groups.By insisting that they are part of this revolution can also mean no revolution at all; please even if it is one ward, we should declare our Independence; especially if that ward is Oredo, Oriomwan, BRD (Benin River Delta) or the multi billion dollar real estate "patch" we call GRA in Benin

just the other day here there was a near outbreak of war over the Koko Gas Plant between Itsekiris and Ijaws.The problem of the amalgamation of Asaba, Ibuzor, Agbor with Warri, Ughelli and Sapele is one even more fractious than our own situations; see this in the agitation that the titular head of government: Governor, "switch to their side"; probably reason why we keep hearing - spurred on by their ethnic political rivals - that they're Edos now as they seek to maintain hegemony in Delta State over the riverine Edos.

I'm not convinced that even if we declare, recover our side of the Benin River, that even then they will join us.Self determination that we seek may not be viewed as such by them hence their desire to install roadblocks in your path to this Independence.Despite the vacuous nature of development there, look for those folks to hope to find someone to be better than, hence the delight at your penury.It is only people who assess their progress on a global scale that will have half a chance, but remember we've had 50 years of "kids playing egalitarian games in a play pen", reassured that the poverty is well spread and no group advances beyond another.This is probably why not a single city - not even Abuja - has a sewer system and they're not planning any; Wuse and even that crazy neighborhood - in Abuja - on the hill (Asokoro) with all the fortresses masquerading as homes, has no sewer system. We're it not for the foreign made cars perambulating about, a person reincarnated from AD1100 would feel right at home.

self determination grew out of post war marginalization; how do we avoid that trap? How do we become inclusive in terms of development offered? I think we can progress as open border neighbors, joint development projects etc., but "love for Edo" is a term tempered with experience for many.Let us move with what we have otherwise we'll still be talking about this in 10-20 years. Other clans and dialet in other state may never agree with this. Let's go one step at a time: "Constitutional Monarchy" at the heart of a new land use act, call it the Edo land Use Act where the Crown trust regains GRA and much of the rest of the holdings of "government". Then a democratic government funded by taxes as is the government of other citizens of other nation states.

There are Benin City people fearful of the Lamoguns, to the extent that you will never carry them along, not to talk of all the other ethnicities (both children of Benin, and those that claim they're not).You have to give legitimacy to Nana of Itsekiri, and the Enogies and their ownership of any land being claimed by the government in their provinces; We are the center of ourselves and becoming the center for others - the post Midwest days till 1991 - has increased the animus towards us, we must face this fact

FACING A CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY

if not then the world would never have witnessed any change anywhere.The first step is a referendum surrounding some key ideas:

1. Land Use Act of 1977 is stupid anti development communist jargon! Repealing this act will serve to unleash billions of dollars into our economy.

2. Establishing a constitutional monarchy will unleash a moribund travel sector; we are replete with medieval towns from Benin City to Auchi, let's not forget the game reserves and parks Okomu etc.

3. Immigration suddenly becomes possible.The key though is engaging as many people as possible in a referendum, not yakking amongst ourselves. This had been the problem, the tendency - at the expense of action - to mull things over and over.What we can all do - especially if we're on the ground where this will be finally fought over - is to increase the discussion group and begin to poll and plan referendums with the easiest opportunities for participation, forget if you don't have the INEC list, soon your list will outpace the INEC list and your ways of "hitting" your target market will astonish.Action! Action! Action!

15,000 members of the forum on facebook EDO PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT FOR THE RESTORATION OF BENIN KINGDOM OF 1897 ) can take a vote, a global referendum. For me meetings must be "level ground affairs", no "high tables", no more NAZISM! In Rome, they met on "the floor", circulated, hence the stabbing of Caesar was possible. All this "Communist stadium stuff" that we practice is for concerts, music and so we must end attempts at mass indoctrination. We need more voting and less meeting; this is the only path to go from discussion to action. There are so many issues that we can begin to poll and to establish a manifesto concerning the things we find important. The other day a member opined about digital personal records. We figured this out by way of family morning greeting prior to the first millennium, we should surely be able to figure out how we can use technology to immediately identify people walking around on the street today and be able to have that information immediately available to any City Police officer on the spot; same for vehicle registration.