The Ijaw professionals in the diaspora, a socio-cultural group dedicated to the preservation of the Ijaw interest worldwide, has cried out against what it calls a conspiracy to destroy the Ijaw agenda, through the pulling down of its leaders, following the loss of the Presidency by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
The group rose from an extraordinary congress in Atlanta, Georgia the United States (U.S.), last week with a resolve to sensitise Ijaw people of this deadly plot by her enemies, to be carried out, by using fellow Ijaws as was done to the President.
In a statement by its General Secretary, Mr. Akpoebi Okrowanta, the group lamented that the loss of the Presidency was avoidable, if the President was not betrayed by some of his fellow Ijaws he trusted, warning that such political miscalculations could repeat themselves, if they were not careful.
The Ijaws must void making similar mistakes by not pulling down its leaders, who can fill the big leadership vacuum existing today.
The group was particularly, concerned about attempts to destroy the stability of the only homogeneous Ijaw state for narrow political reasons, adding that any attempt to disregard the larger interest of Ijaw Nation in the new dispensation will quickly erase the giant strides already recorded by the Ijaw race, especially in Bayelsa State.
To this end, the group appeals to politicians to always consider what their actions will do to the overall well being of the Ijaw cause and subordinate their narrow political interests.
The group is taking other steps to implement its resolutions to prevail on Ijaw leaders to work in synergy with others and to punish offenders by exposing publicly their divisive activities.
It has set up a five-person committee to independently investigate allegations against prominent Ijaw leaders and draw up a code of conduct for all its leaders.
The group believes that the Ijaw race must not have a leadership vacuum ‘at a critical moment like this’ and believes that the legacy of the outgoing President, should strengthen Ijaw cause as well as strengthen and empower up and coming leaders, such as Governor Seriake Dickson to play a more nationalistic role and to mitigate the collapse of the Ijaw cause.
It is to this end that it frowns at the latest attempt by some detractors to tarnish his image, so as to make it impossible for the Ijaw race to continue in its upward progress, despite the loss of the presidency.
Already, the group has investigated and found to be untrue, the latest attempts to destroy the unblemished record of performance of the leader of the only purely homogeneous Ijaw State to the mud by linking him to a spurious claim of misappropriation of funds with what it claimed as a First Bank Chairman, as being distributed in the social media.
“We confirmed with the EFCC that no such complaints have been received contrary to claims that the EFCC was handling the case.
“With a fake website, the sponsors, who are strangely prominent Ijaw sons did not consider what the big picture of their action would be, but only concentrating on the immediately perceived political advantage.
“This is just one of the many cases we have investigated and if those concerned does not stop this self destruction, we shall publish their names for the world to see.
“Once again, we appeal to all well-meaning Ijaw people to prevail on the larger Ijaw community to work for their collective stability and progress as a way to ending the unfavourable tide that the enemy has woven for our people.
Signed:
1.Terry Leandon
2. Akpoebi Okorowanta
3. Sunny Engi
Ijaw Professionals in Diaspora, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
