By Robinson Ariyo
We today welcome you all to another press briefing. Not too long
ago, we had one, at which we decried the senseless killings of our brothers and sisters in the creeks by attackers identified to be Ijaw militia.
While we elected to pursue that in a civilized manner, we are still waiting for the wheel of justice to grind to a halt.
Today, barely 8 (Eight) months later we have again called on you to
register yet another blow delivered below our belt; the difference on
this occasion is that this is not coming from the Ijaw militia, but as
you might presently be able to judge, it is coming from the Presidency
and most likely with the conspiracy of the Governor of Delta State.
Let us be quick to respond here to those who will want to say that
the Governor of Delta State is an Itsekiri man. Our response is that we
should remember that the same Governor has not wasted any opportunity to
emphasise the fact that he is a detribalised Deltan; a fact that has
continued to show throughout his dealings with the people of the State.
To his credit therefore, he is not an Itsekiri but a hybrid. He is all the tribes in Delta State merged in one.
Now, the reason why we are here today!
We were woken up to the sadness of the exclusion of the Itsekiris
from the list of delegates scheduled to brainstorm on the details of a new arrangement for Nigeria at the National Conference
set to commence on the 17th day of March, 2014. “How is this possible?”
some of us have asked without any answer; not even a senseless one.
We recall that after several weeks of preparation, the Federal Government
released the names of 483 prominent Nigerians who are expected to
hammer out the details of how we are to live together as a nation after
100years of forced union.
As expected, resource control and devolution of powers are key
items on the agenda of the conference. Let us keep in mind that as at
today, Delta State is arguably the topmost on the chart of oil producing
states in Nigeria.
And it is not in dispute that in Delta State, the Itsekiri ethnic
nationality accounts for the highest proportion of this national
treasure. This fact the Presidency and indeed our detribalised Governor
know very well.
With the conspiracy to exclude the Itsekiris from participating in
this conference and the fact that over 20 delegates of Ijaw ethnic
extraction are on board, Nigerians need to revisit the set of criteria
finally chosen by the Presidency to make this possible. But first a few
questions:
1. What kind of rationality in the circumstances could be behind the complete exclusion of the ethnic group with the highest contribution of natural resource to the commonwealth?
2. Why is it that the only time in the history of delegate
conferences when the Itsekiris have been excluded happens to be when a
Niger-Deltan became President of the country and an Itsekiri man who
happens to be a detribalised became Governor of Delta State?
3. Have the Itsekiris by this exclusion been segregated from Nigeria and allowed to discover their destiny?
Prior to this day, would any of us have imagined that a list of 483
delegates would be released by the Federal Government of Nigeria and
there would be no single Itsekiri name? We are talking about 483 here!
Even if we concede that 9 (Nine) more names are being awaited, we all
know the criteria with which those additional names would be chosen and
none of them will guarantee for sure the inclusion of an Itsekiri name.
But even if the criteria finally bring in one Itsekiri name as being suggested by some quarters, the questions continue:
1. Why is it that it is in the case of Itsekiri that we have to wait in panic until the last 9 (Nine) names are released?
2. Why is it that we have to agitate, shout and cry out before our dues are paid?
3. Is just one delegate if eventually allotted sufficient for an
ethnic group that accounts for about 30% of the resource in issue?
We suggest that it is because in this instance, the selection
criteria for the delegates were rigged from inception to favour one
ethnic group above every other ethnic group in Nigeria.
Be patient, we will presently demonstrate this fact.
Early in the life of this Conference arrangement, it was clear that
the preponderance of opinions was that selection of delegates be done
along the lines of ethnic nationalities.
Renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze re-affirmed his
position several times that representation to the proposed national
conference be based on ethnic nationalities, which according to him is
the “soul” of nation.
Despite the emphatic views of this erudite scholar and that of many
other well-meaning Nigerians, the Presidency went ahead with a
different selection strategy because to go along the line of ethnic
nationalities will not allow the “discretion” that has sustained this
mass scale of rigging.
The Presidency would not have been able to guarantee that Ijaws
have the well over 20 slots which they now have. While the Itsekiris
have none, Isokos and Urhobos have only about 3 jointly.
The cripple excuse given by the Presidency was that there are too
many ethnic groups in Nigeria. We had anticipated this strategy hence we
very quickly reacted in our representation to the Presidential Advisory
Committee on National Dialogue/Conference in Benin City, Edo State on
the 28th day of October, 2013. We quote:
The Dialogue/Conference should be composed of such number of
delegates from ethnic nationalities officially recognised (gazetted) as
an ethnic group by the Federal Government of Nigeria or by each of the
36 states in the Federation prior to the announcement of this
conference; provided that no ethnic group shall be represented by more
delegates than another ethnic group. I.e.
once an ethnic group has been selected on this basis from a state,
that same ethnic group shall not be again selected as being from another
state.
Delegates from each of these ethnic groups shall hold consultative
fora with their constituents and collate views that will constitute
their position at the conference.
At the level of the consultative fora, delegates shall ensure that
the views of all segments of the group are heard and deliberated upon
and the most popular of these are then documented as the position of the
group.
Now that the Presidency has gone ahead to execute its strategy of
lopsided representation of delegates to suit the President’s ethnic
group, we call on all other ethnic groups in Nigeria to peruse the list
of delegates against the alleged criteria and determine how much each
has been cheated in this scheme before we proceed any further with the
conference.
There is a proverb in our local dialect; “ The smell of fart will
tell how the faeces will be”. We can now begin to perceive the outcome
of this confab.
And as the latin maxim goes; “Nemo dat quod, Non habet” meaning;
“you cannot give what you do not have” We will concern ourselves here
with the very obvious cases of rigging as they affect Itsekiri.
1. Traditional Rulers
Here the Itsekiri Monarch meets the criteria but an Ijaw Monarch does too and so an Ijaw Monarch was picked by “discretion”
2. Christian Leaders
Here the Itsekiri Pastor who is probably the only person who has
held the position of President of CAN and PFN simultaneously meets the
criteria but an Ijaw Clergy does too and so an Ijaw Clergy was picked by
“discretion”
A breakdown of the rigging per category:
1. Elder statesmen
-2 Ijaws
2. Retired Security and NIA officers
-1 Ijaw
3. Traditional Rulers
-1 Ijaw
4. Trade Union Congress of Nigeria
-1 Ijaw
5. National Women’s Societies
-1 Ijaw
6. Market women Associations
-1 Ijaw
7. Christian Leaders
- 1 Ijaw
8. Civil Societies
- 1 Ijaw
9. Nigerian Diaspora
- 1 Ijaw
10. People living with disabilities
- 1 Ijaw
11. Socio political/Cultural and ethnic Organisations
- 1 Ijaw
12. Professional Bodies
- 1 Ijaw
13. Senators Forum
- 1 Ijaw
14. Federal Government
- 3 Ijaws
15. Bayelsa State
- 3 Ijaw
16. Former L.G.A Chairmen
- 1 Ijaw
The above are the selection criteria that have enabled this degree
of massive rigging which has not only short-changed other ethnic groups
but has almost guaranteed the non-participation of a key stakeholder;
Itsekiri.
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