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Locust Invasion

By CHIKA VICTOR ONYENEZI (Nigeria)

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  CHAPTER 4

3

THE PRESIDENT

                                                            

ASO ROCK VILLA                                                       [07:00, 3 NOVEMBER 2010]

  The first strike is penetrating deep into our bones. This dreaded man is determined to make us suffer. Our barns are under attack. Even the president is beginning to feel the beat of the drum. 
A Mercedes 500 cell with fleet of six escorts drives into the street of Aso Rock; the military men at the block cleared him. Every heavy government functionary in Nigeria goes with escort. They recognized him as the Director of State Security Service Mr. Eke, now in the last security control inside the Presidential Villa. An average person in height, fat, and plump, he has been in this office for three years. He scratches his tattered hair hard as though they are the cause of the disaster; he grows hair just like the Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka. No news has ever shaken him since his career like the one he got today; maybe that’s enough to make him scratch his hair like he is doing now. The security man knocks lightly at the glass of his Mercedes 500 cell and the driver lowers the glass. The procedures were not new for him.

“Sir your gun and identity Card.” the security man said. Mr. Eke takes out his gun and I.D and drops it with the security man. Takes a pip at the security man, “that’s all” he said

“Yes sir, you can go in.” he said, pointing at his parking position down the road. The procedure is clear, only his car drives in; the other escorts stay outside.

The villa is carved into the rocks and is beautifully landscaped; a rumor has it that the man that designed it never made it out; it is technically a marvelous architecture. Is so big that you can run inside of it for a day, no camera has ever captured a picture of it. No helicopter (except those cleared to land) fly’s over that territory, there is a standby order to blow it out. The flowers their receive their lawn two times a day; they are well kept the driver parks at a public park lot. Mr. Eke picks his files from the seat and walks down to the reception office at the entrance. 

“Good morning, Sir,” another security personnel said, he knows his boss; the man with a tick hair like Wole Soyinka.  Such men you shake once in a life time. He waves his hand. As he walks swiftly into the waiting room, another security approaches him.
“Sir, this way, the President is waiting.” He said leading him down to the fifth door. Other security personnel take him into the lift and they sink down into the earth. The falcon office is built ten feet below the ground. When they come out of the lift, other security guard was there and the first one went back. The one at the gate takes him through another passage. They come to another door. The security personnel scan his eyes against the wall. The door opens, he walks in, and the guard goes back. The Falcon Office of the President is lavishly furnished; Chandeliers hang on the ceiling, curtain surrounds the wall, a gold molded image of Nigerian past presidents hangs on the wall, Arabian rugs adorn the floor and the walls are soundproof, the tiniest cameras could be found here; as small as a sand grain. Every inch of their movement is being monitored by the control room.
The President is facing the large screen, watching the large oil spill and the waste aquatic organisms. A report that came through says that more than three hundred million dollars has been wasted cleaning the area only. The Nigeria National Petroleum Commission (NNPC) sealed off the pipelines six hours after the explosion, more than one million barrels of oil was wasted in less than the twenty-four hours. At the far end of the table was the Military General Commander, then the Defence Minister.

“Mr. Eke, come forward,” the President instructs.
“Good day Sir.” Eke greets, still brushing his hair as though they to be blamed.

The President is in no mood to reply any greeting. Eke sits in empty armchair beside the Defence Minister. He greets them. The President walks up to him.

“The Nation has been hit by militants; the security situation in Niger Delta is deteriorating. What are your men doing?”
“Sir much has been put in place to curtail the aggressiveness of these people. The intelligence report we got shows that more than seven militant groups are now operating in and around Niger Delta, the hit might have come from any of them, also some arrest has been made; but they had no link with crime scene ” Eke said, trying to explain.
“The Nation lost more than 500 million dollars, just in one day, aquatic life estimated to cost about six hundred million dollars terminated,” the President says, sounding nervous as though his personnal flow would be cut.
The General speaks up,” The Military Intelligent Unit sent in an undercover agent since last week, when we heard about the rising situation. Yes, he gathered that more than seven militants groups are rising there, also none has the capability of blowing an explosive sixteen feet below the sea, under such ocean current, none had such funding and personnel back up, Sir.”
“All this remains a mystery to me,” the President scratches his head, walks down to the seat designed specially for him. 
“What do we do now, that is like this? I need a solution!” he said, nearly shouting.

Mr. Eke knows that his system has failed in their basic duty of preventing such an attack, he sits up, and tries to explain few things for the President; maybe sounding professional will buy them more time,

“Sir, messages reaching us from Russia tracked an American report, indicating that a deadly terrorist called Drunken Marine is in West Africa, we are suspecting Nigeria. In addition, an American CIA agent was seen around Mortala Mohammed Airport tracking terrorists. From all indication, Washington knew an attack was coming. They have been waiting for him to enter.”
The President cuts in.

“Should we then take a military action?”, he speak as though diplomacy should be erased and a full scale attack mounted on this area; all because of people you don’t even know their location and mode of operation.

It is one question too big for Eke; his system seems to have failed to curtail them. This attack really rates them low but he manages to give advice.

“Sir taking military action against your own people is not advisable. Unless you want to exterminate them because of one man I guess, give more time for negotiation Sir, and Let my men work.”

The General cuts in sharply, as though to say enough of this your rubbish lets give them hell.

“More time! The nation lost more than seven hundred million dollars just in one attack, tension is building up among the oil firms. These are expatriates and they might decide to leave. I advice we should attack, the possible area of hideout has been mapped out in the Intelligent Unit.” 
Eke was not surprised at that, but he knew the implication are too many. Maybe he has one more say, is either they take it or live it, “Sir, President, think of a situation we attack these people, than causing more havoc. May be even causing a civil war, will the expatriates remaining there? We would let them know how insecure their lives are. We would let them know the type of militant groups operating around them. Think of where a civil war kicks off in our backbone, won’t it cause a crippling effect. Instead of funding our children education, we would be purchasing arms, burning down what we built. Sir, I strongly suggest that military attack is not advisable at all”
The Minister of Defence speaks up in support as though he can see the future; ANOTHER CIVIL WAR,” Yes Sir, I go with his idea, I think we should allow the State Security Service to work before thinking about attack. Let them fail first. Also since Washington know about this let us bring them in after all they would be ready to protect their interest knowing that most of the oil companies is theirs. Although we have no ties in the area of security personnel exchange or all those stuffs. However, they know a lot about this case, so we can collaborate to fish out this terrorist ‘Drunken Marine’, who is after them in our soil. Sir, let’s give the SSS a chance to prove their worth. Meanwhile I suggest we should inform the Nation, that the attack came from some leakage in one of the old pipes and engine of a flying boat ignited it, that pieces of the boat was recovered floating around the area.” It seems good to feed the citizens with lie, blindfold them so that they can’t see what’s going on: NOW TELL HOW DO THEY KNOW WHO TO LOOK OUT FOR?

The President looked at them, this good idea; at least remove international eye from us he thought.

“I think it is ok like that, Mr. Eke tell the press that a full investigation has been done on the cause of the explosion. That it came from ignition of engine of flying boat that there is cause for alarm. Meanwhile, let there be tight security around Niger Delta, even offshore and onshore. Send in heavy military guard into the oil companies. I would tell my Secretary to draft a letter to Washington” Mr. President said.

That is it, the DICE HAS BEEN CAST, who knows the outcome? The country is confused, living as a citizen of a confused state is another trauma.  
As Mr. Eke leave falcon office, he read the inscription on the wall, SO HELP US GOD.

TO BE CONTINUED……………………………………………….