PETER CUNLIFFE-JONES, Odi, Nigeria | Friday
NIGERIAN President Olusegun Obasanjo says the deliberate destruction of the southern town of Odi by the army on his orders a year ago is a “tragedy” – but continues to ignore appeals to rebuild the homes lost.
Obasanjo was making his first visit to Odi since he ordered the army on November 20, 1999, to move in and clear out a criminal gang which had killed 12 policemen.
The soldiers moved in and destroyed more than 1 000 homes in Odi and killed dozens of people in a week-long operation in which soldiers deliberately and systematically looted and torched the homes of those who stayed or fled.
Western governments at the time failed to condemn the outrage for fear of undermining the new civilian government of Obasanjo, who took over from military rulers in May that year.
“From what I have heard and from what I have seen, the tragedy of Odi … should have been prevented,” Obasanjo admitted to a crowd of 2_000 residents.
However, the former military ruler-turned president failed to accept any moral responsibility for the operation, and army authorities last year promoted the officer in charge from lieutenant- to full colonel.
Local council chairman Tari Bolou had moments earlier appealed to the president, before the whole crowd, to accept government responsibility for the “systematic, meticulous and complete destruction of Odi by federal military might.”
He requested financial compensation for the town, the rebuilding of all the homes destroyed, a rebuilt road and a landing jetty for the town.
But Obasanjo ignored the appeals and suggested that the residents themselves bore some responsibility, having failed to perform a citizens arrest of the criminal gang which had killed the 12 policemen.
“He said nothing. He has left me empty. I wanted him to say he would rebuild the town. I wanted reconciliation and rehabilitation. He gave us nothing,” said local community spokesman Sami Ebiye. – AFP
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