7th April, 2020
Our attention has been drawn to an unfounded, mischievous and unguided open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, blackmailing and backstabbing Ijaw nation while demanding for an Itsekiri son to be appointed as the next PAP coordinator.
The authors of the said kindergarten open letter, the purported Movement for the Protection of Iwere Homeland, Development and History (MPIHDH), and a factional and insignificant Itsekiri National Youth Council (INYC) adduced that Ijaw nation arrogates every benefit in Niger Delta to itself, and went further to incite other ethnic groups in the region against Ijaw nation as an attempt to discredit the hard earned reputation of Ijaw nation.
The said letter was signed by some jobless Itsekiri youths whose trade mark is blackmailing Ijaw for cheap recognition and minimal favours.
We wouldn't have join issues with the said miserable mischief makers, but silent as well means consent, hence we decided to straighten the record.
It is only an insane person will say Ijaw is arrogating everything in Niger Delta to itself. Those who are grounded in history will agree that it is Itsekiri that is arrogating everything to themselves. It is appalling that Itsekiri who doesn't have a complete local government area is pairing shoulders with almighty Ijaw nation.
Itsekiri should not hurry to forget how it used to arrogated Ijaw and Uhrobo lands and other general benefits to itself in Delta State which brought about WARRI crisis in late 90s till early 2000. Except an insane, every one knows that the presidential Amnesty programme is not meant for every Tom, Dick, and Harry but it has a targeted persons. It was meant for arm agitators, and at the time of the declaration of the programme, it was only the Ijaws that were into arm agitation with the Federal Government.
The programme was designed to benefit only the Ijaw arm agitators and not to benefit the number of ethnic groups in Niger Delta region. Ijaws died and their Communities in Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Edo and Ondo were invaded and burnt down in the struggle for resource control and self-determination which birthed the presidential amnesty programme.
The Ijaws were tagged as militants, criminals, oil thieves and seapirates. Itsekiris were the first persons we extend hand of fellowship to, but it rejected it. They responded that the Itsekiris were not militants and oil thieves. Same benevolent was extended to the Uhrobos and they embraced it.
The Itsekiri who called Ijaw agitators criminals and earlier back down the hand of fellowship, later protested and that they were marginalised in the programme, and seeks to be considered in the programme. The then coordinator of the programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, out of benevolent offered them about Five hundred slots. Itsekiri should have been grateful to Ijaw nation and not to write Concocted stories against Ijaw nation.
It is our candid advice that Itsekiri should stop the unfounded and mischievous agitation as it is provocative and inimical. As far as Ijaw is concerned, Itsekiri does not merit the office of the coordinator of the presidential Amnesty programme but if they will be remorse and be grateful we may consider them for some other administrative positions since they are our historical children.
Suffix to say, Ijaw is the largest ethnic nationality in Niger Delta region, and we are the highest producers of oil and gas in Nigeria Federation.
It may interest you to know that Ijaws are not only in 24 local governments in Niger Delta but in over 30 local governments and about 12 states in the Federation. Ijaw homogeneous states are; Delta, Edo, Ondo, Bayelsa, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Rivers , Akwa-Ibom, Cross River etc.
However, we want to urge the public to disregard every concocted lies peddled by the purported open letter. It was not true that Ijaw arrogates every thing to itself in Niger Delta. Ijaws are the most peaceful and benevolent in the region.
Therefore, we want to charge President Muhammadu Buhari not to be deceived by the concocted lies of the purported Itsekiri groups. He should disregard their blackmail and mouthmail. They are interested in fermenting fresh trouble in the region. We want them to be called to order for the interest of peace because their new twists and turns are capable of threatening the existing peace in the region.
Signed
Comrade Ozobo Austin,
National president
Mayor Timi Ogobiri,
National acting Spokesman
Comrade Emma Keneware,
National Acting Secretary.
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