-By Zik Gbemre
ON THE IMPERATIVE FOR TINUBU TO DROP TOMPOLO'S STOOGE AS PAP COORDINATOR
It is imperative to address some baseless responses by some Ijaw persons on my reflection, 'Tinubu Must Nullify Appointment Of Tompolo's Stooge Dennis Otuaro As The Coordinator Of Presidential Amnesty Program'.
Amnesty was not set up for Ijaw tribe alone otherwise it would have been named Presidential Amnesty Program for Ijaw Nation. The creation of Delta State was the struggle of mainly Urhobo people apart from E.K Clark that joined them.
Although E.K. Clark's mother was Urhobo from Erhuwaren town of Ughievwen clan in Ughelli South. Are the Urhobos of Delta Central the only people that have governed Delta state? Even the Itsekiris who were against the creation of Delta State had Emmanuel Uduaghan as governor for 8 years.
Those who agitated for independence are not only people who have become Heads Of State/Presidents of Nigeria. Those who fought for Democracy under the military administrations are not even elected President of Nigeria except Bola Ahmed Tinubu of recent.
Obasanjo was in prison when a group of Nigerians fought for democracy from United States Of America(US) and in Nigeria immediately after the Annulment of June 12, 1993 Presidential Election. Obasanjo was the first beneficiary of the pro-democracy fights under the military administrations.
Those who were active Pro-democracy Activists during the military regimes were mainly living/hiding in US or hiding in Nigeria, and Wole Soyinka, Frank Kokori, Abraham Adesanya, Micheal Akpobome Egi, Andrew Edevbie, Kofi Egbo, Daniel Obaro,Shehu Sani, Anthony Enahoro, Beko Ransom-Kuti, Femi Falana, Kudirat Abiola, Gani Fawehinmi, Alfred Rewane, Alex Ibru, Ndubuisi Kanu,
Mike Ozekhome, Ayo Adebanjo, Bola Tinubu, Gbenga Adeniji,Ayo Opadokun, Yinka Odumakin and wife-Josephine Obiajulu Okei-Odumakin, Lanre Arogundade, Ebitu Ukiwe,Tai Solarin(who actively participated in one of the protests in Lagos before he passed) and few others were the architects of June 12 Pro-democracy agitation though what we have now is not democracy they fought for in the first place hence I refer to it as a half-baked democracy.
In Delta James Ibori, Emmanuel Uduaghan,Ifeanyi Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwori didn't take part in the agitation for creation of Delta and June 12 Pro-democracy protests but they all benefited from the struggle of both agitations.
Nobody is a monopoly of violence and responses by some Ijaw people are offensive. As responded by Michael Egi, "I think we should all become militants and start blowing up all the oil facilities in our domain since only the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Jaguda pays. They are the only ones ruling Nigeria now states and federal."
"It's amazing how IYC is responding to Olorogun Zik Gbemre criticism of the presidential Amnesty program and interchangeably use Niger delta in place of ijaws, while we all know that the ijaws alone do not make up the whole of Niger delta and the struggle for equity was not fought by ijaws alone.
"The Urhobos, itsekiris, Isokos, Akwa-Ibomites, Ukwuanis, Binis, Esans, Afemas, and Cross Riverians, Ikwerres, are also Niger Deltans. While Zik Gbemre do not begrudge our ijaw brothers, he believes that there should be tribal fairness.
"We must not let the Nigerian government use divide and conquer method to cause us to fight among ourselves. The enemy is the Nigerian state. Let's be fair to each other."
Like I have said before and will repeat again that it is a dangerous trend that does no party any good if Tinubu fails to reward the law abiding tribes in the South-South of the Niger Delta region while gratifying Tompolo a known violent militant who brands self Niger Delta agitator fighting for his pocket.
Is it not shameful that Tompolo has built a house for the Nigerian Military in Effurun Army Barracks as Transit House? What a shame and disgrace on President Tinubu and his Military Chiefs! Let it be known that some Ijaw people who responded to my write-up on Nullification of the appointment of Tompolo's stooge, Dennis Brutu Otuaro that Urhobo which is my tribe doesn't envy Tompolo for being violent.
Tinubu must know that Delta State and Niger Delta region doesn't belong to Tompolo and only Ijaw people. Delta State is owned by every indegenous person in the region. The same Tompolo and his Tantita were given Multi-Billionaira Surveillance Contracts and that doesn't end illegal bunkering and vandalization of pipelines in the South-South of the Niger Delta region.
If Tinubu's led administration can appease the violent minded, they should as well have had a program for the peaceful minded tribes in the South-South of the Niger-Delta region.
I am not begrudging Tompolo and his people for making their choice to be violent since they discovered that it is paying them and turning Tompolo and some Ijaw people to Billionaires, they won't stop.
I am disappointed with traditional rulers and leaders of other tribes in the region for not telling Tinubu the truth. The Administrator/Coordinator of Presidential Amnesty Program given to Tompolo's stooge Dennis Otuaro must be nullified and given to military General of other tribes.
It is wrong for President Tinubu to donate what belongs to every person in the region to Tompolo. Tompolo is not a leader of other tribes in the region. Tompolo is Ijaw youth leader and his leadership doesn't not extend to Urhoboland and this is glaringly known to Ijaw Youth Council Western Zone who reacted to my write-up.
Tompolo is a violent ex-militant no matter how he is painted by his people.
Zik Gbemre
September 26, 2024
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