THE GRAND CONSPIRACIES AGAINST IJAW NATION BY LEADERS OF ETHNIC GROUPS IN THE NIGER DELTA

IJAW LEADERS PARTICULARLY OUR GOVERNORS SHALL NEVER PLAY SECOND FIDDLE OR SUBSERVIENT ROLES IN THE MIDST OF STABILIZING ROLES THAT WE HAVE CONTINUED TO PLAY

This is not time for any true son or daughter of the Ijaw Nation to sleep.

This is not time for any true son or daughter of the Ijaw Nation to play politics or gamble with the destiny and future of the Ijaw Nation.

As we read this piece, there is strong, grand conspiracies by leaders of the other ethnic groups and tribes in Ijaw Nation to set Ijaw people against themselves, while they further relegate Ijaw people politically and economically.

Sadly, they are doing the above in collaboration with some treacherous Ijaws who have formally accepted to play the role of Judas Iscariot against the Ijaw Nation.

It is quite unfortunate that such Ijaws are shameless. Otherwise, how can any Ijaw man or woman accept to play the role of second fiddle?

How can any Ijaw son or daughter conspire against any of the Ijaw Governors?

This is the first in the historic of democracy in Nigeria that we have two Ijaw Governors who will be sitting and working together either in the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Council of State Meetings and others.

So, all alright thinking and well meaning Ijaws need to rally around our Ijaw Governors instead of trying or attempting to pull any of them down because of the selfish interests of few individuals.

The political contraption called Nigeria has survived till this day because of the immeasurable and invaluable sacrifices of Ijaw Nation.

Before then, it was resources like Palm Oil, Timber and others mostly from Ijaw land were the commodities that were used to run most part of Europe during the European Industrial Revolution. The above was beside the highly intelligent, brilliant, resourceful, handsome, beautiful able bodied men and women from Ijaw land and Igbo land that were shipped in crates to Europe and America as slaves.

In the Pre-independence and Independent Nigeria, it is Crude Oil and Gas from mostly Ijaw land that has sustained the economy of Nigeria.

Larger percentage of crude oil and gas in Rivers, Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Ondo States are domiciled in Ijaw territory.

Unfortunately, while these enormous resources are used to develop other parts, Ijaw areas have been neglected and remains grossly underdeveloped.

STABILIZING ROLES OF IJAWS IN THE NIGERIAN STATE

What we have as Nigeria started at Akassa in present day Brass Local Government Area after Britain’s establishment of formal governance over the territory after the revocation of the trading licenses of their agents in the area whose exploitative exploration led to the ‘AKASSA GENOCIDE of 1895’.

The British colonial Administration that started at Akassa later moved it’s headquarters to Lokoja where the Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates of 1914 by Sir Fredrick Lord Lugard took place and later to Calabar before relocating to Lagos and now Abuja.

Nigeria would have become past history but for the roles and sacrifices of Ijaw Leaders. First was the advise of High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye to General Yakubu Jack Gowon to create twelve (12) states out of the then four regions: Northern, Eastern, Western and Mid-western zones.

The historic creation that marked a detour from regionalism to stateism helped to save disintegration of Nigeria during the Civil War.

The second was the sacrifices of Ijaw sons like High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye, Chief (Sen) Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo, Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, Captain Amangala, Captain Nyananyo Boardman, Captain Samuel Owonaro, Lieutenant Nottingham Dick and others during the Civil War that saved Nigeria from disintegration.

In the post-Civil War Nigeria, Ijaw Elders and Leaders have continued to work for the peace, unity, growth and development of Nigeria.

The Sweat and Blood of Ijaw people led to the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Presidential Amnesty Program (PAP), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

Sadly, while Ijaws who head the above institutions and establishments always run an all inclusive system, the reverse is often the case when it is the turn of other ethnic groups and tribes in the Niger Delta.

MOVING FORWARD, all sons and daughters of the Ijaw Nation should jettison all primordial and parochial sentiments including political party interests and put the collective interests of the Ijaw Nation FIRST.

Ijaws need to stand solidly behind and beside Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Sir Siminalayi Joseph Fubara of Rivers States.

They should be taken seriously as collective Ijaw Projects.

Haa Izon!

~~~ Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli aka Mirror and Conscience of Society.