IJAW NATIONAL CONGRESS (INC): PRESS RELEASE ON THE CRISIS IN RIVERS STATE

At a special meeting of Congress held in Abuja, Nigeria on Tuesday July 9, 2013 the Ijaw National Congress INC, the umbrella body as well as the mouth-piece of all ijaw people and organizations in Nigeria as well as the Diaspora, considered the critical events in River State, especially the fracas that occurred in the State House of Assembly; the reactions from certain groups and individuals and resolved as follows:

That the unruly conduct of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the ensuring physical combat in which dangerous weapons were used is unfortunate and is condemned by Congress in the strongest terms. All the persons involved in that fracas have brought shame and odium upon the people of the state. It is even more disheartening to recall that our youths with their impressionable minds were offered such dishonorable displays on International Television and the social media by their fathers and “role models”, especially since these leaders routinely advise our youths to “shun violence” and not to allow themselves to be used as “Thugs”.

 

The Ijaw National Congress also frowned at the many rash, ill-informed and          ill-motivated comments in reaction to the ugly events in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The undue haste with which the Nigerian House of Representatives passed a resolution to take over the duties of the Rivers State House of Assembly would seem like pouring fuel on fire in a bid to douse it.

The action of the House of Representatives not only amounts to an “impeachment” of the entire Rivers State House of Assembly in total negation of the spirit and letter of the often-quoted Section 11 sub section4 of the 1999 constitution, but is also the legislative equivalent of a state of emergency declared on Rivers State. The INC however commends the measured and non-partisan decision of the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to first send a fact-finding mission to Rivers State before reaching a decision.

Congress totally rejects the subjective, graceless and unchivalrous resort to disrespectful finger-pointing and name-calling directed at President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife Dame Patience Jonathan by various groups and individuals, especially by world renowned Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka who ought to be more interested in peace-making.

 

Congress is puzzled at the Perennial tendency of Professor Soyinka to dabble into every event in Rivers State with the usual insults and blame directed at Nigeria’s First Family. Congress insists that insults are insults even when couched in high-sounding literary flair. This resort to stoking the flames in Rivers state rather than sueing for peace is unhelpful and dangerous.

 

Congress also frowns at the brazen interference of a few Northern Governors to wit, Alh. Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso of Kano state, Alh. Sule Lamido of Jigawa state, Alh Aliyu Babangida of Niger state and Alh. Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state, whose state is at the moment under a state of emergency due to Boko Haram insurgency. Congress also decries reported cases of the visiting governors being stoned or booed by crowds in Port Harcourt. It is not in our character to harass visitors no matter how obnoxious their motives may seem to us.

 

The INC believes that this politically motivated solidarity visit of the governors to their colleague in Rivers State is ill-timed and insensitive. We do not recall them paying similar visits to their colleagues in states ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency in the North. We strongly urge them to discontinue such antics in the interest of peace in Rivers state. A similar visit by a few other governors a day later also seems to create the impression that opposition governors do not care for the views of Rivers people as long as the crisis suits their own political calculations. We pray that this is not the case.

 

The INC hereby calls on all Rivers people to be circumspect in their utterances and actions. We pointedly emphasize that the solution to the crisis in Rivers state will be worked out by Rivers people themselves. Let no one be deceived by the current media blitz by outsiders who are only out to confuse issues regardless of the flowery speeches employed by the biased commentators whose aim is to set brother against brother. The outsiders are social scavengers whose only wish is to play politics with the future of Rivers state and the destiny of its teeming masses.

 

The Ijaw National Congress INC, which presides over large tracks of Rivers state which harbors aboriginal Ijaws in their settlements is a recognized state-holder in the affairs of Rivers state. Congress is therefore duty-bound to proffer solutions to ensure peace in the State.

 

We hereby call all factions in this dangerous socio-political war to cease from making any further press statements aimed at condemning or vilifying the Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Honorable Chibuike Amaechi, the minister of state for education, Hon Chief Nyesom Wike, The Law Makers of the State, the ruling party (PDP) in the state, the Police Commissioner Mr Joseph Mbu and all other persons.

 

The INC affirms that the only practical solution to the current empasse is dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect as no group in the crisis can hope to prevail through acts of brigandage and under-hand tactics.

 

We take this opportunity to urge the House of Representatives to rescind the ill-conceived idea to take over the functions of Rivers State House of Assembly. The National Assembly should rather broker peace between the factions. This may require taking the extra-ordinary step of inviting all factions and some  non-partisan groups to a neutral venue for a peace parley.

Congress hereby warns for the avoidance of doubt, that outsiders’ meddlesomeness and sinister manipulation of the situation in Rivers state to cause further mayhem will be resisted by the INC. The lives of Ijaw people and other citizens of Rivers state are more valuable than the greedy calculations of political adventurers from outside the state. We are not ignorant of the devices of those who wish to grab political power and the resources of Rivers state and other Niger Delta states by pretending to be crusading for “Democracy, Rule–of law and Due process.”

 

Congress also wishes to make it clear that our resolve to support the plans and programmes of the Jonathan administration remains unshaken. We urge all Ijaw people and all other groups in Rivers state to work for the restoration of peace and cohesion in all spheres of governance in the state.

There is nothing currently wrong with Rivers state that cannot be corrected by what is right in the state.

Leaders and people of Rivers state be vigilant!!!

 

                                                                                  

VICTOR BURUBO (PST)                                                                 

National Publicity Secretary                                                                           

 Ijaw National Congress INC.