National Publicity Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, in this interview with ANN GODWIN, among others, alleges that the Sole Administrator of Rivers State has taken sides with parties in the political faceoff, in a sinister plan to capture both Rivers and Bayelsa states.
The Ijaw nation has been at the forefront in kicking against the current political happenings in Rivers and Bayelsa states. What is the interest?
Our fight against what is going on in Rivers State is not just because Governor Siminalayi Fubara is an Ijaw man, but because what is going on in Rivers is against the constitution. What is happening is an oppression by an individual. The Ijaws don’t have any issue with the Ikwerres, we know very well that every ethnic nationality like the Ogonis, Etches and others are in support of Governor Fubara and they have consistently said, ‘leave the man whom we elected to govern us, to work and after four years, we will reassess him to ascertain if he merits the position’.
However, the recent happenings in Rivers and Bayelsa states are not just a source of concern for the Ijaw Nation but quite provocative. Not only is the removal of a democratically elected governor unconstitutional, but the governor was performing well, but just because somebody feels he is not loyal and when impeachment plots failed, they arranged a State of Emergency, claiming that the state was in crisis. As far as we know, Rivers State has been peaceful.
Recently, they have been using one George Turner to foment trouble in Bayelsa State by insisting that the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, must visit the state. It’s been halted, but who does that? You want to visit somebody, and the person says, ‘No, don’t come’, and you insist you must go. Why, what is your motive? This has already caused serious issues in Bayelsa. You know that Bayelsa is the only state with full Ijaw people and is very peaceful.
When an individual wants to cause a crisis due to selfish political reasons, the Ijaw people have vowed to resist and fight against that because we know we already have an issue in Rivers State, where they declared a state of emergency, confusion and seemingly a crisis. They intend to cause a crisis and probably think of declaring a State of Emergency in Bayelsa too, but they have failed; that will not happen.
We are aware Fubara is an Ijaw man but don’t you think that playing up the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the Rivers State crisis may undermine the real constitutional issues of the matter?
Let’s quickly correct that. Of course, the Ijaw people have played major roles in the Niger Delta region. God has also blessed us with the boldness of speaking out. God has also made us a people who will resist oppression. Maybe it’s because of the way we have suffered, been oppressed and neglected.
We have gone through sufferings, come out of it, and continued to fight against oppression, or for whoever is oppressed. We even fought for Wike to become a minister. Recall that when a Northerner, Sheikh Gumi, said that Wike cannot be appointed as the Minister of FCT, it was the Ijaw people, including me, who came out to say Wike is 100 per cent qualified to be made a minister. We stated that he is a Nigerian, and of course, he is qualified.
So, Ijaw people don’t like seeing people oppressed; we hate injustice. What is happening in Rivers State is total oppression, and it is in our blood to fight oppression. So, we are not supporting Fubara just because he is an Ijaw man, but we are against the injustice in Rivers State. Look at this, we have the upland and riverine agreement for governance even though it is not in the constitution but by understanding to live in harmony, it was meant that governance should go to the upland and riverine, the same way Wike had insisted that the North have done its own eight years in presidency and it was proper that the South take its turn, that’s the reason he supported President Bola Tinubu. In the same vein, we expected that after former Governor Peter Odili, had done his eight years, ex-Governor Chibuike Amaechi done his eight years and Wike, himself who is from the same district did eight years making it 24 years for upland, it is proper to allow power to move to the riverine axis so that someone from the riverine should also have the opportunity also to govern the state. That’s the understanding.
Even Wike initially came up with that idea, and now we have a riverine person as governor. You have done your right years; it is just ethical and fair to allow the man the people have elected to govern. He will do his four years and come back for re-election, if the people are satisfied that he has done well, then they vote for him for another four years, but you said no because you feel he is not loyal, you are fighting from every corner, one man cannot dictate for the people.
Is there division among the Ijaws? We have cases where some Ijaw people are supporting the emergency regime in Rivers State.
There is seemingly a divide in the Ijaw nation. Some persons are playing politics with the position of the Ijaw people and I want to say that even in Rivers State, we heard that other organisations have formed a group; but let me make it clear that the only apex socio- cultural organisation of the Ijaw people is the Ijaw National Congress (INC), under the leadership of Professor Benjamin Ogele Okaba and so, if some persons come up to make fake claims, the public should ignore them. Just like we have Ohanaeze and Afenifere, these are established organisations, so also is the INC.
We said this in our last meeting when we had the chiefs, traditional rulers, National Assembly members from the Ijaw extraction, and clergymen in attendance. We maintained our position that we will delist those Ijaw people who came up openly to work against the decisions of the Ijaw nation. We will list their names under what we call ‘the list of shame’ and ensure that their names are published as traitors of the Ijaw nation.
Eleven PDP governors have filed a suit at the Supreme Court over the Rivers Emergency rule, questioning the legality of a sole administrator. What’s your position on this move?
Yes. It is a positive step, and we are so sure that if not for party affiliation, some governors from the All Progressive Congress (APC), would have gone ahead to file a case against such action of Mr President because it is unconstitutional for a president to suspend an elected governor with claims of alleged crisis. Other governors may become victims tomorrow if they don’t rise to fight such illegality. The provision for Section 307 is there in the constitution, which says, yes, you can declare a State of Emergency, but to suspend a governor and dismantle democratic structures is not something we have seen anywhere.
What have you made of the actions and activities of the Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (rtd), Ibok Ete Ekwe Ibas, since he came on board?
First, I still emphasise that appointing a sole administrator is the highest level of illegality in Nigeria. The excuse they gave that he was appointed to bring peace between the two factions is false. His activities indicate otherwise, showing that they have cooked up an agenda already, and since he came on board, he has not taken any steps to bring peace. I’m unaware of any step by Ibas to bring peace between the governor and the Minister of FCT. He is playing a written script handed over to him, and it is very sad. Ibas should go and ask questions; his actions and activities are highly influenced, and we condemn them.
Look at the money they withheld; they released it to him to actualise their plans. The reason for withholding the money has it been complied with? Has the budget been presented? They should not take all of us for granted. That money has been released to the Sole Administrator illegally. Now that he has appointed Secretary to the State Government, he has appointed administrators for the various local government areas. We have seen the list. That list is illegal, and secondly, when you look at it, the names of those he appointed are all loyalists of Wike. So, everything that’s been done by the Sole Administrator is illegal. I feel sad that a man who has grown to that level in the military will subject himself to be used at this level because of selfish gains.
But Ibas said he remained impartial in the governance of Rivers State?
He is very partisan, and this is obvious in the activities he has carried out within this period. As I emphasised earlier, he is in Rivers State to play a written script handed over to him. Is there any war in Rivers State? The state has been peaceful, and governance has been going well. So, I had expected Ibas to call the parties concerned and stakeholders, traditional rulers, ethnic nationalities and some other state leaders to say what the situation is and what we can do where we find ourselves. But like a Nigerian movie, he suspended everything, including ongoing projects. So, I tell you, Ibas is 100 per cent partisan. He was brought to play a written script.
An Ijaw son, Tompolo, recently affirmed that Fubara will return to his seat as governor. Is that the general belief of the Ijaws?
We also believe that Fubara will return, and we are not just saying that he will return verbally; we will ensure that he returns. Tompolo is a man of few words. He is not the type who says too many things. Once he has said something, he also believes in what he has said. We will follow up, and we believe that the governor will return. But it is rather sad that the politicians who are supposed to show leadership deliberately play politics with everything for selfish interest. True governance is lacking in Nigeria’s democratic system; we no longer have true politicians.
I would say a few of them. If you go through history, you have the records of true leaders. In the South-West, you have the likes of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo; in the South-East, you have the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe; here in Rivers State, we had the likes of Chief Melford Okilo. They were selfless in their services and not for their gain.
Unfortunately, that situation is no longer there. Everything is about politics and not for governance; the leaders of today are not showing true concern for those they lead. It is all for their gain. So that’s the situation now, and I would say it’s unfortunate. Sadly, we have such a situation that people want to stay in power forever. They want to show that they are in charge, and to the citizens, they say, ‘To hell with them,’ all they are fighting for is just for themselves and their own immediate family.
