Ijaw National Congress (INC) has asked President Bola Tinubu to create a committee to resolve the political crisis in Rivers state.
Gatekeepers News reports that the group also asked the president to call Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to order for escalating tension.
In a communique issued at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting on March 26, INC expressed concern over the declaration of state of emergency and suspension of the state Governor, Deputy Governor, and state house of assembly members.
The communique was signed by INC president Benjamin Okaba and national secretary Ebipamowei Wodu.
The group said the crisis in Rivers is a deliberate ploy to undermine and provoke the Ijaw people.
The communique reads, “The Ijaws are not fighting with the Federal Government under the leadership of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), neither are we fighting with any ethnic nationalities.”
“We have always been the glue that has bonded the nation together and therefore demand that we be equally treated with respect, fairness, equity, and justice in the affairs of the Nation.”
While acknowledging the president’s constitutional right to declare a state of emergency, INC maintained that he doesn’t have the power to suspend the Governor, Deputy Governor, and state house of assembly members or appoint a sole administrator.
The congress demanded a reversal of the suspension and urged Tinubu to “urgently set up a Committee of Eminent Nigerians to resolve the political impasse in Rivers State.”
INC also condemned “uninformed, misguided, and disrespectful utterances” by Wike against the Ijaw people, adding that his utterances were made while Ijaw leaders and other eminent elders and leaders of the Niger Delta were engaging Tinubu on peacefully resolving the crisis.
The communique added, “We therefore call on the president to call to order his political appointees, especially Nyesom Wike, as further denigrating utterances from him might be misconstrued as Nyesom Wike speaking on behalf of Mr. President and his Government.”
“We advise him to stop forthwith, every form of hate speech and denigration of any ethnic nationality that could lead to disharmony, disrespect and chaos in the country.”
“The Ijaw Nation has resolved that any further attempt to undermine and/or relegate our societal standing will be met with utmost resistance in the form of exploring any and every available legitimate and peaceful means to seek redress.”
