November 3, 2007
You are yet to state your position on the Supreme Court victory of Rotimi Amaechi over Celestine Omehia with regards to the governorship of Rivers State. Should we assume that your silence is a sign of approval or endorsement of Rotimi Amaechi as Governor of Rivers State?
At this time, all we have to do is watch closely and analyze the potential benefits to all our people. We have watched with great distaste the speed with which many people and even some stakeholders have jumped into the Amaechi praise singing bandwagon and it is very appalling. People don't learn and that is why we would continue to make mistakes.
While we are happy to see that Celestine Omehia is gone, even though it is painful that he moved into his country home with the 'coffers' of Rivers people, it is important that we stay alert to avoid the mistake of yesteryears where many of our so-called elders and stakeholders conspired to foist people on us and then turned around to condemn these people when the relationship went sour especially when their personal and selfish interests were not met.
First of all, let us remember that the people of the Bantustans of Rivers State did not vote for Rotimi Amaechi to be the governor. I do not believe that PDP's emergence as the winning party directly translates to Amaechi declaration as governor. There is something wrong somewhere but that can only be dealt with if we have sincere and true politicians and stakeholders who know how to call a spade a spade and can garner the confidence to challenge the appointment of Rotimi Amaechi as governor of Rivers state. This will be difficult as people are financially weary and are therefore hungry to be dished out a little of the national cake. No one wants to be counted out from the sharing of the goodies, so they are ready to take what they see.
I would not be surprised that at some point in time, when it is clear that the sharing formula is not good enough, some measure of rancor will begin. Threats and counter accusations will then be hurled across all the parties involved in the current unaligned coalition of interests.
Do you agree that Rotimi Amaechi is a lot more Ijaw friendly than Omehia, going by the recent appointments that have been made and his visits to the various elders of Ijaw nation
Sometime ago, we declared that Omehia must go and the Good Lord answered our prayers. Now we are saying that Amaechi should hit the road. It appears he is on the right track for now. But that again is not enough for now. We have to quickly restore the years and value that the cankerworm has eaten.
What should interest the people of Rivers state (Ijaws inclusive) should be the provision of good leadership across the board for all Rivers people. That is where the true test of leadership is.
Celestine Omehia started his government by creating a politics of dissension and exclusion. He patronized ethnic disharmony and attempted to create an Ikwerre and Ijaw divide, forgetting the peculiar history that both ethnic groups have shared in time past. Now he is gone. His cookie has been burnt even though he cannot be too hungry having blown up about 113 billion naira in the few months he was in power.
What benefit would a visit to an Ijaw elder be if the people still wallow in squalor? Of what benefit would an Economic Advisory Team be if Rivers people are not provided with the tools they need to live productive lives?
Rivers people must learn to stand up and fight for themselves. The era of "siddon-look" don pass. We must learn to face our leaders head-on if we want true development and an improvement in the quality of life of our people.
It is too early to pour praises on the new government. Let them show working.
We want to see Rotimi Amaechi traversing the length and breadth of Rivers State. We want to see Amaechi as a governor of the people and not a governor imposed on the people by the Supreme Court.
It is heartwarming to see the inclusion of enterprising young men like Dumo Lulu Briggs and technocrats like Professor Nimi Briggs being included in the Advisory team even though it is difficult to explain the inclusion of some others. How can Uche Secondus help in economically strengthening Rivers State? That man is a sycophant par excellence. Some people do not have the ability to tell the truth the way it is because they cannot think for themselves. How can you expect them to think for the state? We have to be frank with ourselves.
Anyway, let us watch and see. Cracks on the wall will not take too long to show especially when there is something seriously wrong with the substructure.
In spite of the efforts of the government to quell the unrest in the Niger Delta, there has been increasing incidents of militant attacks in some parts of the Delta? Is the Joint Revolutionary Council involved in these attacks? Is there any end to the unrest in the Niger Delta?
The Joint Revolutionary Council has not been involved in any attacks since the release of Dokubo-Asari. The recent attack on a naval vessel which resulted in the loss of lives of a few people was not an attack by MEND as reported by a certain "Gbomo Jomo". That attack which eventually went sour was carried out by sea pirates and not the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta. It is childish to lay claim to an attack of that sort because you are close to the key boards of a computer and you have access to an email address. The season of deceit is over.
There is a report that the recent release of the SAIPEM hostages taken on October 26 facilitated by the exchange of millions of naira as ransom?
I think I understand the origins of this story. Someone was not happy about not being involved in a hostage release situation and got really mad about it.
Much as I do not have complete knowledge of all the related issues, it is important to note that a lot of effort is put into any campaign for a successful release of hostages both on the part of the rescuing team and those of the hostage takers. It is therefore a sign of ungratefulness for anyone to attack the integrity of people who came out to save a situation because they were not involved in the process which was a criteria put up by the abductors.
Recently, there was an incident at Pennington River. Do you have any information about this?
The incident at Pennington River was orchestrated by sea pirates and not by MEND as declared by a certain "gbomo jomo". I have treated this question earlier.
Nigerians are beginning to develop increased confidence in the judiciary especially in the context as being the last hope of the common man. Do you agree to this? If for instance, Buhari wins his petition against Musa YarÁdua and the current leadership is given the marching order and Buhari insists on continuing with an Ijaw as his Vice President, who do you think Ijaws would present for Vice Presidency?
These days, anything can happen. Ijaws can and will never be short of a competent and capable person to stand guard for us at higher centers.
Not too long ago, I listened to a Northern stakeholder Ahmadu Abubakar present the position of Northern elites with regards to issues that border on the continued unity of the Nigerian state. He stated without blinking an eye lid that the North was tired of insults from the South because of oil land therefore the North will not waste any time in such an issue arises. That is the kind of thinking we expect from the North if the need to remain as one country prevails because what we have right now is a forced alignment of various ethnic nationalities without a proper sharing arrangement of accrued and earned income. It is important that a sovereign national conference where the aspirations and true wishes of all the ethnic nationalities that were forcefully conscripted into the Nigerian state be convened to enable the various groups decide if they want to continue in the Nigeria sojourn.
If Buhari comes up today and demands for an Ijaw Vice President, fine. I am sure the Ijaws will come up with one without wasting time. We have many of the Professor Kimse Okokos, The Dr Eneyos etc name them who can effectively handle such mantles and who can match Buhari in discipline, integrity and maybe toughness. It would be suicidal to present someone who Buhari can easily march over. I believe that when push comes to shove, issues will resolve themselves appropriately.
What is your position on the visit of Senators to the creeks of the Niger Delta? Do you consider it to be a worthwhile venture? Did you assist in the process to ensure a smooth trip for the senators?
Senators felt like retreating in the creeks and you want me to present my position on this? Funny. Nothing to say for now except for the loud mouthed David Mark who had the audacity to impugn on the collective integrity of Ijaw and Niger Delta elders. He is a stupid man.
David Mark has no right to cast aspersions on the integrity of our elders whether they have failed us or not. He is lucky to still be manning the seat of senate president having being foisted on the senate by the PDP leadership.
Was this not the same David Mark who assaulted the coffers of the Ministry of Communications in his time as Minister only to elope to others lands to avoid the gallows of Abacha?
Was this not the same David Mark who joined Omehia to lambast Ijaw elders because he wanted to be a party to the looting of Rivers State? Where is his Omehia today? We cannot listen to such people because they have a pedigree of imprudence and impurity.
Was David Mark not one of the first persons to clear the now ousted Patricia Etteh? Does that speak of him as having good judgement? Nay!
Are you impressed in the performance of Goodluck Jonathan as Vice President? Has he been attentive and responsive to the demands of the people from the Niger Delta?
I am not in a position to answer that question right now. Questions like that will require you to visit the villages and creeks of the Niger Delta and find out from the people how the appointment of Goodluck Jonathan has changed their lives.
You can then be able to do a comparison between those who have benefited from his largesse and those who have not. Only then would we be able to arrive at a good conclusion.
How would you assess the performance of the various governors and governments of the Niger Delta states thus far? Anything to be happy about?
First of all, how many of the governors in the Niger Delta were truly elected by the people? Secondly, how is it possible for someone who was not elected by the people to be able to respond to the real needs of the people?
I think it is time you journalists begin to conduct polls in all states of the Niger Delta. Hundreds of millions of naira is being spent on overseas trip and vanity. How can real benefit come to the people? There is too much wastage and base avarice.
There are allegations that the leader of the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force Alhaji Asari Dokubo is now turn coat and has abandoned the Niger Delta struggle to pursue personal interests and agenda. What do you have to say about this?
Allegations? Who made the allegations? Or did you concoct this one? How can Dokubo-Asari be a turn-coat? What reasons do you have to suggest this? Give me the reasons so that I can attempt to deal with the issues one by one.
However, if turn-coat means that Dokubo-Asari rejects the perpetration of criminal acts and outright brigandage by people who use the struggle as a cover for their criminality, fine. This is the time to get real.
The struggle for the liberation of the Ijaw and Niger Delta people has been infiltrated by bandits and hardened criminals who feel they can continue to impugn of the successes of our campaign by undermining the content, integrity and purity of our aspirations. They will fail. It is therefore within our mandate to dissociate ourselves from them and condemn them. There has to be a clear distinction between 'heroic combatants' and 'hardened criminals'. There is nothing heroic about criminality.
Is it not you journalists who have been screaming that the line between criminality and true armed agitation is blurred? Now is the time to deal with that problem. So far, so good.
There are plans for a Niger Delta Peace Rally in Abuja. How much contribution does your group intend to make towards the successful hosting of this rally?
Who told you my group is involved in this rally for peace in far away Abuja? Is it in Abuja that we have the current unrest in the Niger Delta?
Have you contacted the conveners of the rally to find out the true objective of the rally? Sometimes you need to be sure of whether the conveners are trying to rally funds to line their pockets or they really have the aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.
How will a Niger Delta peace rally affect and impact on the unrest in the Niger Delta? So much effort is being channeled on doing the wrong thing.
What Niger Delta stakeholders should be focused on at the moment is putting strategies and processes in order for a successful Niger Delta Summit in Abuja so that the aspirations, demands and needs of the impoverished and disadvantaged people of the Niger Delta can be effectively and fruitfully articulated.
Niger Deltans should be rallying round to get their acts in order rather than putting together useless rallies after monies have extorted from unknowing and ignorant people. This is sheer stupidity.
Thank you all for your patience.
Cynthia Whyte
Spokesperson,
Joint Revolutionary Council
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