The leadership of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has thrown its weight behind its former president, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, saying that his recent comment that there will be no peace if President Goodluck Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015, is not an act of treasonable felony, while condemning the call for his arrest.
IYC, in a statement issued in Abuja by its National President, Mr. Miabiye Kuromiema, said that the council and entire people of Niger Delta welcome the call for Asari’s arrest, but stressed that the youth from the region have indicated their readiness to go with Asari anywhere he is taken to.
The statement reads in part: “For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state unequivocally that the position of Alhaji Dokubo-Asari is not in any way inimical to the stability of Nigeria nor is it an act of treasonable felony but a modest appreciation of the likely fall-out of the Aso Rock politics in 2015.
“The IYC supports, gains inspiration and will continue to toe the same path on this national question as it affects the Ijaw Nation, the Niger Delta, the Middle Belt and our associates in Yoruba land and Far North on the rights of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek re-election 2015.”
IYC stressed that: “President Jonathan remains the thread that holds together, a deeply divided nation; the flow of resource from our region to run the country, streams of policies that are stabilizing and attracting investors confidence without precedence in the nation’s history. This he continues to do in his unusual calm but courageous, process-led and systematic surgery to build a diversified economy to support productive growth and right the legacy of consumerist oriented and reckless leadership of the past five decades that has left us with a culture of consumerism, corruption, putrid institutions and now outpouring violence against ordinary Nigerians for which they now blackmail him with incompetence, cluelessness and Weakness to instigate and deceive ordinary Nigerians with less critical and historic sense of presence of mind.”
Speaking further on Dokubo-Asari’s position, the IYC said: “Dokubo-Asari, a son of Ijaw Nation and Niger Delta, whose right of expression is clearly and completely guaranteed by International Human Right norms and consistent with the provisions of the Nigerian constitution decreed into effect by military leaders from the north.
“As former IYC Leader, Dokubo-Asari has deep understanding of the aspirations, grievances and desire for the overall political self-determination, and sustainable development of Nigeria’s Nations and its people. He also understand that our region continues to bankroll the Nigerian political economic enterprise over five decades but with resultant despoliation of our environment, destruction of our values and social support systems with political impunity and reckless maiming and killing of our people.
“He is aware that current federal structure and Constitution is deliberately foisted on us all to the particular disadvantage of masses of Nigeria and has constrained the progressive development of Minority Nations and ordinary masses of Nigeria, making the National Assembly a usurper of peoples sovereignty.
“He is also aware that 90% of the supposed Amnesty agreement remain unimplemented particularly where it pertains to the issues around the environment, infrastructures, equity participation in Oil and Gas Investment through the Yar’Adua’s model of the PIB, Human Capital development proposal, etc.
“He is similarly aware that failed efforts to force President Jonathan out of office using the Boko Haram idea, in their typical attitude of conceited sense of superiority, to make the nation ungovernable which President Jonathan with calm and unusually firm control is putting a check on, is part of their new frustrations leading to blackmail for an Amnesty for the faceless Boko Haram and its ideologically barbaric Islamization agenda.
“Asari subscribers to the Kaiama Declaration which articles insist on Ijaws remaining part of Nigeria, expresses solidarity, joint struggle and peaceful coexistence of Nations of Niger Delta, Middle Belt, Igbos and Yorubas, Hausa/Fulanis and Peoples movements working collaboratively for the emergence of a just and equal social order for all Nigerians.”
The IYC president added that: “It is in the context of these and the sincere and objective analysis of the state of our polity, anchored upon, especially the monstrosity of the political creation called Boko Haram and its damage to the Nigerian State and its peoples originating or living in the North and Part of the Middle Belt, and continued abuse of a sitting President, that we feel deeply ashamed of the resolution of the House of Representatives and the characters that lead that institution.”
The IYC, however, condemned the call for arrest of Dokubo-Asari by some northern members of the House of Representatives and the governor of Niger State, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu, who it said is suffering from ‘halitosis’.
“The call by the Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, a man known to be suffering from halitosis, and members of the House of Representatives is not only questionable, but a derogation of the nature of political thinking in our country.”
IYC wondered why such calls were not made when similar statements made by northern leaders in the likes of General Muhammadu Buhari, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, Dr. Adamu Ciroma, Lawal Kaita and their likes, “who had openly promised to make Nigeria ungovernable if President Jonathan wins the presidential election.”
“Indeed, true to their threats, Nigeria has been in the deep ocean of politically-engineered violence in what is now described as the Boko Haram scare. What can be more inciting and provocative than these statements credited to supposedly elder statesmen? Why were these self-acclaimed patriots calling for the heavens to collapse over Dokubo-Asari’s comments when they were made and published in the media?
“Where was Governor Aliyu and those Rep members alleging treason by Dokubo-Asari and demanding that the comments credited to the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, be investigated by the Inspector-General of Police when the real inciting statements that have ruptured the unity of this country were made? Do Buhari and his ilks enjoy a different set of rules in Nigeria?”
The IYC also stressed that: “Till date, the irritating statements have not been refuted by these northern leaders and no one has called for their necks.
“As a people and council, we welcome the demand for the invitation of Dokubo-Asari both by the IGP and the House of Representatives. But, we might not be able to cap the pressure from thousands of our youths that have indicated their willingness and readiness to accompany him to honour the invitation. Soon and very soon we shall not wait to be invited but we shall pour out into the National Assembly to reclaim our sovereignty.”
