Ijaw National Congress has accused President Bola Tinubu of encouraging Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike to forment crisis in Rivers State.
INC president Benjamin Okaba, said by keeping silent while Wike is attempting to weaken the political process in Rivers is openly in agreement with the former Rivers State governor in his attempt to unseat govenor Siminalayi Fubara.
Okaba said, “We are already angered that the government of President Bola Tinubu has marginalised the Ijaw people. In Delta State, where three persons were picked for a federal appointment, none are from the Ijaw nation.’
“Meanwhile, the Ijaws are the most economically viable in that state. We are noting all of this. But for him to keep quiet and allow Wike to misbehave shows that there is some tacit support. And we shall not take that. As we speak, our people are so angered; our people are so frustrated to the extent that we can no longer guarantee if things continue in this way, the safety of the oil installations in Ijaw land and our region.
“And if you (President) take us for granted, continue. A day shall tell whether the Ijaw people are still those who will say a thing and make it come to pass. Since 1958, Nigeria has been surviving on the oil that comes from Ijaw land. Today, we are crying about marginalisation; we call it environmental degradation. The Ijaw nation is most affected when you talk of climate change and all that. But daily, we are treated as if we are not humans. This must stop. 40 million Ijaw people are angered and aggrieved. And they are saying that a slap on Governor Fubara is a slap on the entire Ijaw nation. Any attempt to further close up or political space to remove Siminalayi Fubara from office is a call for fire.”
