January 21, 2010
The Steering Committee of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta (CENND) met on Saturday, January 9, 2010 in Port Harcourt to review the state of the nation. The meeting deliberated extensively on the leadership vacuum that has been orchestrated and sustained by the ruling oligarchy as a result of the unfortunate situation occasioned by President Yar’Adua’s ill health that has rendered him temporally unfit to preside over the affairs of the country.
The Steering Committee of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta (CENND) met on Saturday, January 9, 2010 in Port Harcourt to review the state of the nation. The meeting deliberated extensively on the leadership vacuum that has been orchestrated and sustained by the ruling oligarchy as a result of the unfortunate situation occasioned by President Yar’Adua’s ill health that has rendered him temporally unfit to preside over the affairs of the country.
It also reviewed and deliberated extensively on the situation wherein the sitting Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been prevented albeit illegally, from assuming the mantle of leadership in order to fill the vacuum that has now been created. This strategic, macabre and unprecedented plot contains in it the seeds of self-destruction. At the least, it has created a dangerous political and constitutional precedent that will continue to hunt us as a people. To be sure, those who hatched this unholy plot have clearly subverted our constitution. The Conference in the light of the unfortunate situation took certain decisions and approved this communiqué for release in order to present before the Nigerian people the views of our people in the Niger Delta on the unfortunate situation.
President Yar’Adua’s Ill Health
Conference is in sympathy with the President over the suffering he must be going through as a result of his ill health and joins other Nigerians in wishing him speedy recovery.
However, Conference disapproves of, and condemns the situation wherein the unfortunate incidence has been politicized especially, by the ruling oligarchy and members of the President’s Yar’Adua’s party. We sincerely hope that the same people are not capitalizing on this development to scheme for power and milk the country’s treasury dry in the absence of a de facto leader who is effectively in charge of the affairs of our nation. Conference also warned all those who think that they can take an undue advantage of the situation in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the dire consequences of such actions especially for the continued existence of our country as a political entity.
Vice President Jonathan
Conference reviewed the unfortunate position of the Vice President and his predicament in the ongoing curious drama now playing out in Abuja. It noted that even though the Vice President was elected into office with the President on the same political ticket, the move to shut him out of governance has been executed in a manner that gives the impression that he has never really been taken and accepted as a leader by his party and the ruling oligarchy. What a pity!
Conference is also further troubled by several allegations that are being borne out and supported by the treatment being meted our to the Vice President to the effect that pressure has been mounted on him to resign his office in addition to other designs to prevent him from assuming the mantle of leadership which the Constitution rightly confers on him. This in addition to other designs is responsible for the Vice President being shut out of activities that ordinarily should devolve on him in the absence of the President. Conference regards these as unconstitutional and calls on the purveyors of the mean and unconstitutional acts to retrace their steps immediately in the interest of our collective responsibility to ensure the continued existence of our country.
The Niger Delta – Our Region
Conference as the apex body of the Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta is deeply grieved over the treatment being meted to our people and region. There is no doubt that the region is regarded as the colony of some other more “powerful” Nigerians who have always subjected it to several indignities. As a colony therefore, our people are regarded as colonial subjects and treated far worse than was the case when all of us as Nigerians were under the British colonial rule. These conclusions follow logically and are in fact strengthened by the current treatment being meted to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and by implication, our region. The question was asked during the meeting, if Vice President Jonathan had been a Northerner from the ruling Nationality, would the unconstitutional breech he is being subjected to have been tolerated?
It is pertinent in the circumstance to remind Nigerians in general and those acting out this unholy and illegal script in particular that our region:
i. Produces almost all the resources that go to finance all government projects in Nigeria.
ii. The continued mistreatment of our people in spite of the fact above has reached a level that our people can no longer tolerate in silence.
iii. It will amount to fool hardiness for anyone to believe that the militancy in the region has been curtailed by the disarming of our freedom fighters and therefore the mindless exploitation of our resources can continue unchallenged while our people are sidelined and disrespected in the business of governance.
iv. Mindful of the allegations in the rumour mill, Vice President Jonathan must on no account resign from the position that he is occupying because it is the same election that produced President Yar’Adua that brought him into governance and therefore his mandate is of the same value, quality and standard of President Yar’Adua.
Self Acclaimed Niger Delta Leaders
Conference is appalled at the grave yard silence by notable self acclaimed leaders and those who are purportedly representatives of our region over a matter they were expected to have demonstrated their loyalty to us by speaking out and denouncing the ugly drama being played out in Abuja. It is sad to note that when it actually mattered, these leaders have again failed our people.
The impunity with which agents of government are disregarding the rest of us is loathsome. In particular, we note the following:
i. The absolutely irresponsible statement made by the Attorney General that President Yar’Adua can rule from anywhere including his sick bed abroad. We like to remind him and others like him that Nigeria is not a monarchy and Yar’Adua is not the king of Nigeria but its President.
Conclusion
As is customary with us, we watched the ugly scenario playing out in Abuja for a considerable length of time before making this reasoned statement. As a result therefore, our conclusions represent our final position on the lingering constitutional crisis. We urge those who are stoking the embers of disunity by the actions to have a rethink and do things with consideration for the feelings of our people who have endured decades of mistreatment, disregard, cheating and disenfranchisement in the hope that those who perpetrate evil in our country will have a rethink. Finally, we continue to hold a watch brief on this unfolding and unpleasant drama as we continue to prevail on our people to remain peaceful. We therefore call on Nigeria and her ruling elite to do what is right and is within the contemplation of our Constitution. All machineries should immediately be put in place to ensure that Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is installed in position to fill the avoidable vacuum created by the President’s ill health.
Signed By:
Prof. Kimse Okoko Mr. Michael Orobator
President Secretary General
Issued on behalf of Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND]
#64b, Abacha link Road, G.R.A. Phase III, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 08033097274, 08056037816
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It also reviewed and deliberated extensively on the situation wherein the sitting Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been prevented albeit illegally, from assuming the mantle of leadership in order to fill the vacuum that has now been created. This strategic, macabre and unprecedented plot contains in it the seeds of self-destruction. At the least, it has created a dangerous political and constitutional precedent that will continue to hunt us as a people. To be sure, those who hatched this unholy plot have clearly subverted our constitution. The Conference in the light of the unfortunate situation took certain decisions and approved this communiqué for release in order to present before the Nigerian people the views of our people in the Niger Delta on the unfortunate situation.
President Yar’Adua’s Ill Health
Conference is in sympathy with the President over the suffering he must be going through as a result of his ill health and joins other Nigerians in wishing him speedy recovery.
However, Conference disapproves of, and condemns the situation wherein the unfortunate incidence has been politicized especially, by the ruling oligarchy and members of the President’s Yar’Adua’s party. We sincerely hope that the same people are not capitalizing on this development to scheme for power and milk the country’s treasury dry in the absence of a de facto leader who is effectively in charge of the affairs of our nation. Conference also warned all those who think that they can take an undue advantage of the situation in flagrant violation of the Constitution of the dire consequences of such actions especially for the continued existence of our country as a political entity.
Vice President Jonathan
Conference reviewed the unfortunate position of the Vice President and his predicament in the ongoing curious drama now playing out in Abuja. It noted that even though the Vice President was elected into office with the President on the same political ticket, the move to shut him out of governance has been executed in a manner that gives the impression that he has never really been taken and accepted as a leader by his party and the ruling oligarchy. What a pity!
Conference is also further troubled by several allegations that are being borne out and supported by the treatment being meted our to the Vice President to the effect that pressure has been mounted on him to resign his office in addition to other designs to prevent him from assuming the mantle of leadership which the Constitution rightly confers on him. This in addition to other designs is responsible for the Vice President being shut out of activities that ordinarily should devolve on him in the absence of the President. Conference regards these as unconstitutional and calls on the purveyors of the mean and unconstitutional acts to retrace their steps immediately in the interest of our collective responsibility to ensure the continued existence of our country.
The Niger Delta – Our Region
Conference as the apex body of the Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta is deeply grieved over the treatment being meted to our people and region. There is no doubt that the region is regarded as the colony of some other more “powerful” Nigerians who have always subjected it to several indignities. As a colony therefore, our people are regarded as colonial subjects and treated far worse than was the case when all of us as Nigerians were under the British colonial rule. These conclusions follow logically and are in fact strengthened by the current treatment being meted to Vice President Goodluck Jonathan and by implication, our region. The question was asked during the meeting, if Vice President Jonathan had been a Northerner from the ruling Nationality, would the unconstitutional breech he is being subjected to have been tolerated?
It is pertinent in the circumstance to remind Nigerians in general and those acting out this unholy and illegal script in particular that our region:
i. Produces almost all the resources that go to finance all government projects in Nigeria.
ii. The continued mistreatment of our people in spite of the fact above has reached a level that our people can no longer tolerate in silence.
iii. It will amount to fool hardiness for anyone to believe that the militancy in the region has been curtailed by the disarming of our freedom fighters and therefore the mindless exploitation of our resources can continue unchallenged while our people are sidelined and disrespected in the business of governance.
iv. Mindful of the allegations in the rumour mill, Vice President Jonathan must on no account resign from the position that he is occupying because it is the same election that produced President Yar’Adua that brought him into governance and therefore his mandate is of the same value, quality and standard of President Yar’Adua.
Self Acclaimed Niger Delta Leaders
Conference is appalled at the grave yard silence by notable self acclaimed leaders and those who are purportedly representatives of our region over a matter they were expected to have demonstrated their loyalty to us by speaking out and denouncing the ugly drama being played out in Abuja. It is sad to note that when it actually mattered, these leaders have again failed our people.
The impunity with which agents of government are disregarding the rest of us is loathsome. In particular, we note the following:
i. The absolutely irresponsible statement made by the Attorney General that President Yar’Adua can rule from anywhere including his sick bed abroad. We like to remind him and others like him that Nigeria is not a monarchy and Yar’Adua is not the king of Nigeria but its President.
Conclusion
As is customary with us, we watched the ugly scenario playing out in Abuja for a considerable length of time before making this reasoned statement. As a result therefore, our conclusions represent our final position on the lingering constitutional crisis. We urge those who are stoking the embers of disunity by the actions to have a rethink and do things with consideration for the feelings of our people who have endured decades of mistreatment, disregard, cheating and disenfranchisement in the hope that those who perpetrate evil in our country will have a rethink. Finally, we continue to hold a watch brief on this unfolding and unpleasant drama as we continue to prevail on our people to remain peaceful. We therefore call on Nigeria and her ruling elite to do what is right and is within the contemplation of our Constitution. All machineries should immediately be put in place to ensure that Vice President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is installed in position to fill the avoidable vacuum created by the President’s ill health.
Signed By:
Prof. Kimse Okoko Mr. Michael Orobator
President Secretary General
Issued on behalf of Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of the Niger Delta [CENND]
#64b, Abacha link Road, G.R.A. Phase III, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 08033097274, 08056037816
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