A
coalition of Niger-Delta activists under the aegis of Vanguards of
Nigeria’s Democracy (VND) on Saturday said it has uncovered clandestine moves by President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress to
probe the administration of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and send him
to prison on trumped-up charges.
A statement issued by the
spokesperson of VND, Mr. Osaghae Ogiemudia, in Abuja said recent events
in the country have revealed that the Buhari’s regime was out to deal
with the Niger-Delta people, especially the Ijaw ethnic group in
Nigeria.
The coalition, therefore, advised the Ijaws to support the
re-election of their “only son and only Ijaw governor, Henry Seriake
Dickson in the forthcoming elections in Bayelsa state and resist all
moves by APC to take over power, through the back door, noting that, all
Ijaw people defecting to APC from PDP are all traitors.”
According
to them, the plot to imprison Jonathan has been perfected with the
ongoing controversy over Excess Crude Account and the allegation
levelled against the immediate-past Minister of Finance/Coordinating
Minister of the Economy, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala by Edo State
governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
Ogiemudia said, “The whole plan has
been perfected and we know the direction of all the noise by Oshiomhole.
We know their target and that is Jonathan. We, the members of the
Vanguard of Nigeria’s Democracy are aware of some clandestine moves made
by the APC led government to probe, investigate, malign and imprison ex
President Jonathan. We are already aware of the trumped-up charges the
APC government is leveling against a man who has diligently served the
Nigerian State at the highest level of government.”
Read full statement below…
We
the members of the Vanguards of Nigeria’s Democracy (VND) wish to call
the attention of the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu
Buhari to the unsavory and patently repugnant action by the APC led
federal government, especially the anti-Niger Delta and the anti-Ijaw
posturing of the APC led administration. We believe the anti-Niger and
anti-Ijaw posturing is against democracy, good governance, equity and
good conscience.
1. There is no gainsaying the fact that the most
liberal political parties that has ever ruled Nigeria is the Peoples
Democratic Party. The political Party demonstrated this in terms of
appointments in line with the federal character principle, of key
appointments, which cut across ethnic, religious and geographical
barrier. This is why most objective analysts described the PDP as a
national Party in terms of spread, popular support in all geo-political
zones, appointments and structures. The former President Dr, Goodluck
Jonathan even conceded defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari even before
the presidential election results were formally declared by the
Independent National Electoral Commission. This is the climax of
political maturity and the aura of good governance and political
sportsmanship, which the PDP radiated in the political landscape of the
nation. Unfortunately the All Progressive Congress, APC does not have
these liberal characteristics. The APC, within the short period it has
been in office has demonstrated that it is not only anti-Niger Delta,
but acutely anti-Ijaw in nature.
2. The anti-Niger Delta and
anti-Ijaw posturing of the Party has been demonstrated in several ways.
No sooner the APC led administration took office that the Director
General of the State Security Service – Mr. Bassey a minority man from
the Niger Delta was relieved of his appointment. No reason was given for
the action. In his place a Fulani man was appointed. Mr. Lawal who is
in an acting capacity demoted Ms. Marilyn Ogar another Niger Delta
Director. The reasons of the demotion are still shrouded in mystery.
3.
Then President Buhari unilaterally cancelled the waterway surveillance
and security contract awarded to the Delta-born Ijaw peace maker Mr.
Government Tompolo. For those who know, this contract has drastically
reduced oil theft, oil bunkering and violation of oil facilities in the
Niger Delta waterways. The award of the contract was necessitated by the
incessant cases of oil theft, bunkering and destruction of oil
facilities.
4. The Amnesty students have written to President
Muhammadu Buhari to keep the Amnesty Programme running because the
well-being of Niger Delta Children is at stake. Let it be noted that the
Programme was introduced by a Northerner President Umar Musa Yar’Adua
from the same State with President Muhammadu Buhari to reduce militancy
in the Niger Delta Region, which provides the foreign exchange of
Nigeria. Part of the letter written to the President reads: “We are the
3,063 students/beneficiaries of the Special Educational Scholarship
under the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty program run by the Office of
the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta. We have not
received our allowances for upkeep and Accommodation for 3 months and we
are now destitute in large numbers all over the world; United Kingdom
625 students, South Africa 69 students, United States 275 students,
Malaysia 180 students, Philippines 50 students, Russia 45students,
Belarus 53 students, Dubai 23 students and the rest are spread all over
the globe from Grenada to Australia. That the acting head Engineer
Jaiyeoba Tikolo be authorized to pay our Allowances, Tuition, Salaries
and other attendant basic office cost.”
The students continued:
“We were told that the former Special Adviser Hon. Kingsley Kuku in the
absence of Permanent Secretary handed over to the most senior Director
Engr. Jayeoba Tikolo on May 29, 2015. We are appealing that the
government authorize and appoint the Acting Head of the Presidential
Amnesty Program Engineer Jayeoba Tikolo as a signatory and this should
not be difficult”. Ordinarily, the APC led administration should have
understudied how the Presidential Amnesty Programme was run before
replacing Hon. Kingsley Kuku but President Buhari replaced the man
running the programme because Hon. Kingsley Kuku is an Ijaw man. This we
believe is the climax of APC’S anti-Ijaw posturing. Till date President
Muhammadu Buhari and the APC government has not considered the plight
of the students abroad. Why? because most of the beneficiaries of the
programme are Ijaw youths.
5. SACKING OF NIMASSA DG: The immediate
past Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi is one of the principal
appointment given to the Ijaws of Bayelsa State. Ex President Jonathan
appointed Akpobolokemi for a tenure of four years in 2010 and renewed
his appointment in 2014. Such appointment just renewed less than a year
ago should have been kept until his tenure expires but the APC led
government threw caution to the winds and sacked the DG of
NIMASA.President Buhari did not state the reason for the sack.
6.
We the members of the VANGUARD OF NIGERIA’S DEMOCRACY are aware of some
clandestine moves made by the APC led government to probe, investigate,
malign and imprison ex President Jonathan. We are already aware of the
trumped-up charges the APC government is leveling against a man who has
diligently served the Nigerian State at the highest level of government.
7.
The APC led Government should take notice that the appointments made so
far are skewed in favour of the North, as no Ijaw man has been
appointed. While An Ijaw President did not discriminate in appointment,
President Buhari is implementing a Northern Agenda. (Vide: some of the
appointments)
1. Director-General of the State Services, Lawal Daura, Katsina State – North
2. Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. Amina Bala Zakari, Jigawa State – North
3. Director, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Mr. Mordecai Danteni Baba Ladan – North
4. Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, Kano State – North
5. Chief Security Officer, Abdulrahman Mani – North
6. State Chief of Protocol, Mallam Lawal Abdullahi Kazaure – North
7. Aide De Camp, Lt.-Col. Muhammed Lawal Abubakar, Kano State – North
8. Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu; (North) –
9. Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, South-West
WE are watching with keen interest.
CONCLUSION:
The
Nigerian State and specifically the APC led government should take
notice that the Ijaw race, which is the dominant ethnic nationality, has
never been conquered. From the days of the slave trade, through the
legitimate trade to colonialism and to the present day, the Ijaw race
has never been conquered. The Ijaw race produces about 70% of the
resources sustaining the country and it will be foolhardy for any
government to undermine the capacity of the Ijaw ethnic nationality to
be marginalized. We are a peaceful and law abiding people and we believe
in the indivisibility and corporate existence of Nigeria, but certainly
the Ijaws have a way of resisting injustice, sectionalism and
inequality AND NOT EVEN THE APC ADMINISTARTION CAN ATTEMPT TO CONQUER
THE IJAW NATION.