Leaders of Ijaw (Izon) groups on Friday said the crisis in Rivers was an in-house issue and would not affect governance in Nigeria.
Mr Joseph Evah, the President, Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG), told Newsmen in Lagos that calm would soon return to Rivers.
Evah said this while speaking to newsmen after solidarity visits of Izon to Dr Frederick Fasehun, Founder of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) and Chief Gani Adams, OPC Coordinator.
Evah said that the groups were still consulting on the Rivers crisis.
“The problems in Rivers will not lead to any negative thing in the Niger Delta.
“We are doing our homework and our brothers in the Creeks are here to consult with us.
“I want to assure that there will be calm soon in Rivers,” he said.
Evah, however, decried what he described as massive negative campaigns deliberately spread by some people over the Rivers crisis.
On 2015 and North’s agitation, the Ijaw monitoring group leader said that, every Nigerian had the rights to fight for his interest and rights.
“The North has supported us before and they have the right to fight for their interest. We believe that they will reason with us along the line,” he said.
Earlier speaking during the courtesy visit, leader of the delegation, Chief Timi Ogoriba, described the crisis as an in-house affair.
He alleged that those fueling the crisis were doing so to cash in on it.
Ogoriba said that the solidarity visit was also geared toward getting support for Jonathan’s 2015 re-election agenda.
“We will continue to canvass support for Jonathan for 2015 because he has the constitutional rights to run,” he said.
He said that the solidarity visit was to seek the opinion of people on the President Jonathan’s administration, so they could advise him appropriately as their son.
“This is a nationwide solidarity delegation and not a campaign group.”
He said the aim was also to thank those who made it possible for Jonathan to be there and to build better relations for the benefit of the South South and Nigeria in general.
“We want to thank those who made it possible for us to be there and to get their advices,” he said.
In their separate responses, Fasehun and Adams said they would continue to contribute their quota through advice or criticisms for the growth of the nation.
