By Stephanie Goodluck
As the Rivers political crisis continue to lingers, renowned Niger Delta Activist and social crusader, Comr Keneware Emmanuel popularly and widely known as the ‘Pentiger’ has written open letter to Rivers lawmakers of Ijaw extraction.
Pentiger, who states that the creation of Rivers State has one of the first States in the history of Nigeria was made possible by the struggles and agitations of Isaac Adaka Boro and Harold Dappa Biriye.
When the Nigerian Civil war took place, it was Ijaw Youths under Boro, hurriedly recruited to the Nigerian army fought for the liberation of Rivers from the siege of Biafra.
Today, despite the creation of Bayelsa State from the old Rivers State, the Ijaws still maintain clear majority out of the 23 local Government.
It is therefore disheartening to see that Ijaw lawmakers would side with others in the name of politics and godfatherism to fight and impeach an Ijaw son from being the Governor of the State that Ijaw martyrs sacrifice their sweat and blood to ensure its creation.
In his words….
“Dear Ijaw Assembly members, you all knows that Rivers State was created because of the Ijaw people and we have ruled that state as such. But since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the majority Ijaws have been disadvantaged in producing the Governor. Our majority voice and votes have been manipulated, used to enthroned minority group as our leaders and Governors. They now claim the owners of the State when they have little or no place in the history of the State.
“The Ijaws have been neglected, marginalized, alienated and balkanized by the Nigerian State for long. Yet, we have continued to stand in truth, united in oneness, advocating for fairness, justice and resource control with the Ijaw socio-cultural groups like the INC and the IYC which gives the Ijaws an umbrella of unity and identity.
“The Ijaw advocacy has longed ago gotten global recognition and attention. We can therefore, not be fighting ourselves internally. Political power has we know is a major weapon of liberating, empowering, developing a people and we can’t afford to lose it.
“Therefore, I urge you to desist from any impeachment plot against your own brother because of political godfatherism. The Wike you celebrate was made by Ijaw people and you all know that.
You cannot leave a fellow Ijaw brother for an Ikwerre man who has turn himself to demigod that he is not in the state. Retrace your steps.
Be it spell that you are acting on, I declare them broken from your eyes now in Jesus name.
“The President Jonathan example is still very fresh in us. If we lose this, it will take us time to have it.
Forget any appointments you are being given or promised, it is your right to have it.
As Ijaw people, we have suffered enough to be used against each other internally. Go and withdrew your signatures and announced open that you are not part of the impeachment plan against your own brother, Governor Sim Fubara.
Let us support our own, to enable him succeed and develop Ijaw areas that are purely riverine in the State.
“Let me sincerely thank the two Assembly members that withdrew their signatures and made public announcement yesterday. It will be well with them and their generations.
Ijaw Nation can’t afford to retrogress but progress.
“Dear Ijaw Assembly members, go and do the needful and let posterity be proud of you. We can not sacrifice brotherhood, Ijawism in the altar of naked politics and godfatherism.
“I end with this words, you can retire from politics, but can’t retire from being an Ijaw.
A word is enough for the wise.
Keneware Peremobowei Emmanuel writes from Ogulagha, Delta State
