.Warn FG Against Use Of Force
Ahead of threats by Niger Delta Avengers and other militants in the Nigeria oil rich Niger Delta region, that they will declare a Niger Delta Republic (NDR) tomorrow August 1st 2016, some prominent elders and leaders of the Ijaw nation, weekend warned the militants against their threat to declare a Republic of Niger-Delta. The leaders noted that what Ijaw nation wants is true federalism and not another country.
Ijaw leaders at a consultative meeting in Warri oil of Delta State, hosted by Ijaw national leader, Chief Edwin Clark, said: “The elders and leaders of Thought of the Ijaw nation call for the immediate restructuring of the Nigerian nation along the lines of peaceful federalism, and noted that this is the panacea for the sustainable development of Nigeria.” Bayelsa state governor, Hon Henry Seriake Dickson, Deputy Governor of Delta state, Mr. Kingsley Otuaro, former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Sir Gabriel Toby, former Minister of Culture, Alabo Tonye Graham-Douglas and ex-Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Brodrick Bozimo attended the meeting. Also at the meeting were former national chairman of the Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria, HRM Pere Charles Ayemi-Botu, Mbene III, Ama-Okosu of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom, Alabo Tobin-West; Chief Boma Obuoforibo, INC National Chairman, and Sir NGO Martins Martyns-Yellowe, Chairman Civil Service Commission on the current dialogue with militants and stakeholders in the region, they stated in a communiqué, “As a demonstration of sincerity of commitment to dialogue, Federal government should immediately withdraw the military from all occupied Ijaw communities, particularly Gbaramatu kingdom.” The leaders also noted the “non-inclusion policies of the present administration, which has led to the alienation of some components of the federation, particularly the Ijaw nation from the main stream of national development” and called on Mr. President to “redress this ugly state of affairs.” Furthermore, they said the prevailing trend of executive/legislature face off was negatively affecting governance and enjoined both arms to work in harmony in the interest of the nation. The meeting noted the impact of various activities of militant groups of the Niger Delta on the national economy and ordered them to cease further attacks on crude oil and gas facilities and embrace the offer of dialogue offered by the federal government. They also called on the FG to release the 10 innocent students of Gbaramatu kingdom. “The meeting passed a vote of confidence on the Chief Boma Obuoforibo-led leadership of the Ijaw National Congress. We condemn the move to scrap the Nigerian Maritime University approved by the preceding Federal Government with temporary site at Kurutie and call for the immediate takeoff of the university,” the leaders said in the communiqué.
Chief Clark noted in his opening remarks that any planned or ongoing dialogue between the federal government and militants amounts to a nullity without the involvement of Ijaw leaders. He emphasized before the leaders went into a closed-door session that they converged to reach a common ground on the renewed militancy and its impact on the Niger Delta and Nigeria. “This is not the first time this kind of crisis is happening. In 2008 and 2009, similar incident happened and Gbaramatu was affected, elders, leaders intervened and we got Amnesty. “Today we hear that federal government is planning, already talking or negotiating with militants and nobody has consulted us. That will not work. These children are our children and we cannot fold our hands when they attack them and pretend not to notice. We must be involved in what government wants to do,” he said. Gov Dickson in his remark on the occasion, felt vindicated on the stance of the Ijaw leaders in tandem with his earlier position on the current situation in the Niger Delta and state of the Nigerian nation. “I have said there is no need for more wars in the Niger Delta, certainly not in Ijaw land as the matter is not for war-war but jaw-jaw. I am delighted that our leaders are thinking in that same direction. This meeting is like a prelude to a larger, more comprehensive Ijaw meeting of all our leaders that the government of Bayelsa state would host in no distant time,” said.
Earlier in the week, the governor, in an interview with State House journalists in Abuja shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, reacted to the threat recently credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, that if dialogue with the militants and federal government fails, the Army would resort to the use of force.
Earlier in the week, the governor, in an interview with State House journalists in Abuja shortly after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, reacted to the threat recently credited to the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, that if dialogue with the militants and federal government fails, the Army would resort to the use of force.
He stated: “I have said that the issues in the Niger Delta, the terrain, the historic nature of the issues and challenges are such that military solution may not be the way forward. For us who are products of political system who are at this level, we have a duty to mobilise communal and local leadership, we have a duty to support the work of intelligence and security agencies are doing, we have a duty to ensure that issues are better appreciated and that we fill the communication gap.
“And where there are issues those issues need be addressed and is also our duty to network like I’m doing to ensure that problems that are identified as the route cause of some of these challenges are looked into.
“The military solution, as I have always maintained, is not the right option, we are hopeful that the ongoing discussions will yield the desired result. I have always been in support of negotiations, of dialogue as the sustainable way forward. Dialogue will bring out the issues and then we will all unite around these common issues to move our country forward.”
Dickson also stated: “I came in this afternoon to have discussions with Mr. President. That is because my position has been and I believe that it is the right position every political leader should take which is that after general elections political leaders and citizens must unite and address common issues and find solutions to the problems of our country. All over the world, once nations have crisis, once nations come under attack, leaders unite across political lines.
“And today, I came to have discussion with Mr. President and I thank him for that opportunity and we cross fertilized ideas around issues of security.
“Of course as you know Bayelsa is central to the maintenance of law and order and stability in our country particularly in the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa is the epic center of the issues that has to do with the Niger Delta. And we had fruitful discussions on the need for political leaders, governmental and political leaders to work together to support the work of the security agencies and foster better understanding of even people who have grievances and that we are committed to do together.
“I also want to use this opportunity to appreciate Mr. President for his non-interference in the political processes that played out in Bayelsa in the last general elections. And as you are also aware, yesterday (Tuesday), the Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja delivered judgement upholding my election and affirming my emergence as a true product of the democratic exercise of rights of our people in the December 5th and January 9th.
“Again, I want to use this opportunity to appreciate Mr. President for his non-interference contrary to the propaganda and the name dropping that some politicians back home and even in Abuja embarked upon. There is no name they didn’t call, there is no claim that they didn’t make but I’m telling Nigerians, I’m telling Bayelsans to disregard all that propaganda, the president never had anything to do by way of negatively influencing of the last general elections in Bayelsa and also the outcome of the Tribunal proceedings.
“That is important because if our nation must move forward, if our democracy must be strengthened, if our nation must move forward, if our democracy must be strengthened, if our nation must be stable, then institutions must be allowed to grow.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on my opponent, brother and friend and fellow citizen of Bayelsa and all others to join hands with us so that we can render service to our people and a stronger more stable and prosperous Bayelsa.”
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