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IJAW NATION GROUP CONDEMNS ASARI DOKUBO UTTERANCES
By Mohammad Yau.
Ijaw Consultative Assembly has described the recent utterances of Mojahedeen Asari Dokubo as garrulous and joke taken too far in his efforts to foster alliance with Hausa /Fulani of northern extraction .
In a press statement issued on Monday from Yenegoa by the President of the body and the Secretary, Julius Ekpokememi and Chief Tariebi Ari recognized the genuine alliance between the North and the South over the decades as legendary.
The utterances of Dokubo , according to the release was on the testament of the renaming of the Niger Delta Ministry to Ministry of Regional Development to accommodate other regional agencies created for the purpose intended.
While further describing his video utterances as vociferous, with the impression that government’s decision was an abberation, a direct confrontation against the ijaws of the Niger Delta by the current administration.
His impression as an attempt by the present administration to whittle down the growing all round development in the Niger Delta, is a calculated attempt to whittle down the success been recorded in the last one year by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the region.
While giving the impression to Nigerians as a betrayal of the ijaws by the Yorubas, his beliefs of derailing the original government developmental efforts is erroneous.
The body maintained that in as much as he is entitled to his opinion, the die is not cast for Asari Dokubo to lead a leadership forum for the emancipation of the ijaws in the Niger Delta.
While identifying his idea of eating from both side of his mouth , they warned on the consequences of creating needless altercations between the Ijaw nation and O’odua nation as unacceptable .
Ijaw Consultative Assembly said the self imposed leader of Ijaw nation , Dokubo’s ploy to amass needless wealth, recognition and connection from the present administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has failed.
“The ever garrulous, talkative, Mojahadeen Asari Dokubo, recently went a notch further in his regular tirades, bumbling about a self assigned resolve to lead the Ijaw Nation into an alliance with Hausa/Fulani of the north.”
“He cited past alliances that existed between the North and Ijaw pioneer leaders of the 1950s/1960s. ”
“Asari’s burst of temper came on the heels of the reconfiguration of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, to accommodate development agencies recently created for other zones, by the federal government, and renamed, Ministry of Regional Development.”
“In a recent video making the rounds on social media, the vociferous Asari saw the innovation as an aberration – a sacrilegious affront against the people of the Niger Delta Region, most especially the Ijaw Nation, by the President Tinubu led federal government.”
“Asari whined endlessly of the change as a Yoruba agenda to abort the existing template adopted for the Niger Delta region’s development – a design to whittle down the geopolitical zone’s progress and interest.”
“Asari Dokubo called the federal government action a Yoruba betrayal of Ijaw People.”
“Asari opined that new nomenclature tends to derail the original intent and purpose for the establishment of the Niger Delta Ministry.”
” The Mojahadeen is entitled to his opinions, even if he spoke from both sides of the mouth. We know he once talked glowingly of Ahmed Tinubu before and after the general elections of 2023.”
“However, we don’t know where the bus left him, which led to this doublespeak.”
“The Dokubo’s comments were meant to incite unrest in the Niger Delta, but up to this moment of putting pen on paper, they haven’t sparked the spontaneous convulsions he contemplated, or fuelled a vista of feud between the Ijaw Nation and Odua People. ”
“His self-serving outburst has had little or no impact.”
“It is in fact unclear who appointed Asari Dokubo the Ijaw nation’s leader, or its spokesperson. His incendiary and inflammatory rhetoric only serves to seek attention from the Federal Government. His activism has for long lost credibility, and his influence is limited to a handful of illiterates, miscreants and thugs.”
“The Ijaw Nation has not descended so low to the point of requiring Asari Dokubo to lead it. His immaturity, unstable disposition and verbose nature, cancelled him completely in any lineup to pick leaders amongst the Ijaws. ”
“He remains unfit to aspire for leadership in our amidst – talk more of being at the head an alliance emissary between the Ijaw nation and the Hausa/Fulani, if ever there is to be one.”
“Asari is uncouth, he exhibits the likeliness of a buffoon, and therefore cannot lead anyone in the 21st century, except barbarians.”
“Those who aspire for leadership must exercise self restraint, be reserved, good natured and must not display love for filthy lucre.”
“With avarice written all over him, Asari at the inception of the Tinubu administration, goaded himself pompously – making audacious and embarrassing press statements in the Presidential Villa, on behalf of the new administration, without authorization.”
“It was good riddance to a bad rubbish when Mr. President without much ado eased him out of the Villa surroundings. Ever since his oust, he has been craving attention.”
“We hope Mr. President indulges him soon.”
“In consonance with the foregoing, Asari coming out to rant about Yoruba betrayal of the Ijaw Nation sounds like an old wives tale. It bears no weight nor a resemblance of truth. It is a mere figment in his warped mind. They say a drowning man would clutch even at a straw to stay afloat. Asari Dokubo didn’t represent the Ijaw people in his recent outburst. He should be ignored and left to stew in his juice.”
“The Federal Government and Armed Forces are to blamed for failing to address his audacious display of armed followers. In reality, Asari’s grievances stem from unmet personal expectations, particularly financial gains, from the President Tinubu’s administration. ”
“His ego bruised from being ignored, Asari’s rantings therefore target Mr. President. However, educated and rational Ijaw individuals see through his manipulations. The Presidency should continue to disregard his outbursts as those of a frustrated man accustomed to living off public funds.”
“The former militant leader has no loyalty for anyone. Whatever he does is for personal gains. He was chased out of Yenagoa by the youths once led, when he tried to host a youth meeting. It was because they don’t trust him. Asari has never done any honest work in his entire checkered existence. Yet he has piled up wealth over the years – all through rascality. ”
“Rather than build a university in Ijaw Land, he chose Benin Republic. An investment that could have benefited the region, in terms of employment and education. How can such a duplicitous man say he is a leader. A leader of who? He only supports courses for pecuniary motives.”
“Asari Dokubo is therefore a villain, a pariah and betenoire in the Ijaw nation. Ijaw or Izon means truth and integrity, traits which he lacks. How can such a fellow say he wants to head a team for Ijaw alliance with the Hausa/Fulani?”
SIGNED:
CHIEF JULIUS EKPOKEMEMI
PRESIDENT
CHIEF TARIEBI ARI
PUBLICITY SECRETARY
News
Lawyers Storm National Assembly To Demand Constitutional Take-Over Of Benue, Zamfara Houses of Assembly Over Suspensions
Lawyers numbering over 1,000 who came together from across the country under the Save Benue and Zamfara coalition early this morning petitioned the National Assembly to take over the functions of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly.
The coalition, during a peaceful protest on Tuesday at the National Assembly complex, argued that the two houses are unable to perform their constitutional duties due to internal crises and alleged interference by the state governors.
The petition lamented that in Zamfara, 10 lawmakers have been suspended since February last year, on the instructions of Governor Dauda Lawal for raising alarm over the rising insecurity in the state.
Similarly, in Benue, they stated that 13 members of the House of Assembly were suspended for allegedly refusing Governor Hyacinth Alia’s instruction to suspend the Chief Judge of State.
The coalition, led by Barr. Sambari Benjamin, is urging the National Assembly to invoke Section 11(4) of the Constitution, which allows the parliament to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of a state when the House of Assembly is unable to perform its functions.
The lawyers warn that if the situation is not addressed, it may lead to a state of emergency being declared in the two states.
They also expressed concern that the crisis could spread to the National Assembly, potentially threatening its stability.
The coalition therefore requested the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to urgently intervene and take over the functions of the Benue and Zamfara State Houses of Assembly to restore democratic rule and stability in the two states.
The petition partly reads: “We write to request the urgent intervention of the Senate under your able leadership to forestall the demise of our democracy in instalments. Following the National Assembly ratifying the state of emergency that President Bola Tinubu proclaimed in Rivers State, we fear that Benue and Zamfara States are on the way to coming under emergency rule unless urgent constitutional steps are taken to remedy the anomalies that exist in both states.
“Our fears are that all of Nigeria’s 36 states would come under emergency rule if the Senate does not step in to demonstrate its commitment to the sustenance and protection of democracy by coming under Section 11 (4) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to take over the functions of the two Houses.
“Our request is predicated on Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, which provides that ‘At any time when any House of Assembly of a State is unable to perform its functions by reason of the situation prevailing in that State, the National Assembly may make such laws for the peace, order and good government of that State with respect to matters on which a House of Assembly may make laws as may appear to the National Assembly to be necessary or expedient until such time as the House of Assembly is able to resume its functions; and any such laws enacted by the National Assembly pursuant to this section shall have effect as if they were laws enacted by the House of Assembly of the State: Provided that nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring on the National Assembly power to remove the Governor or the Deputy Governor of the State from office.’
“Allowing this situation to continue will end in President Tinubu proclaiming state of emergency in both places and suspending the assemblies, by which time the National Assembly will no longer be able to take over the functions these states’ house of assembly as constitutionally stipulated. By then the National Assembly can only ratify the emergency rule as would be proclaimed by Mr. President.
“Furthermore, it is a matter of time before the crises that have incapacitated the Benue House of Assembly and Zamfara House of Assembly are introduced to the Senate and indeed the National Assembly, which would make negative history with the President again leveraging the Constitution to dissolve the parliament. The panacea is for the Senate to show the leadership needed at a trying time like this.”
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, banished Favour Kanu, wife of Prince Fineboy Kanu, the younger brother of Nnamdi Kanu for streaming the proceedings of the court live on her Facebook page.
Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is being prosecuted by the Federal Government for alleged terrorism.
Justice James Omotosho, who gave the order, after Mrs Kanu admitted engaging in the act and apologised to the court, held that she would have been charged for contempt of court.
Although Kanu’s lawyer, Chief Kanu Agabi, SAN, also apologised on her behalf, Justice Omotosho insisted that Mrs Kanu would be barred from three proceedings.
The judge expressed surprise that despite that Mrs Kanu’s phone was confiscated on the last adjourned date when she was caught recording him, she still went ahead to post the video online.
“I want to hear from her. Were you not the one that I took your phone?
“I did not give order to forfeit that phone. I don’t know if she might be a wife to my brother (Nnamdi Kanu),” the judge said.
The judge, who cautioned against any act that could cause delay in the trial, assured all parties in the case that justice would be served. (NAN)
Controversial social media commentator, Mr. Martins Innocent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, has been granted administrative bail by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and will be released upon meeting the required bail conditions.
The anti-corruption agency disclosed that the arrest stemmed from multiple petitions received against the social media figure, alleging involvement in financial misconduct.
This information was shared by the EFCC on its verified Facebook page on Tuesday, where the commission elaborated on the grounds for the arrest.
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in fulfilling its mandate to combat economic and financial crimes, invited Martins Innocent Otse due to a series of petitions concerning various allegations of financial offenses against him,” stated the EFCC.
The agency further noted that Otse failed to respond to several invitations sent to him at his known addresses and through other communication channels.
The EFCC emphasized that the petitions involve serious accusations of financial wrongdoing that warrant attention.
“It is important to acknowledge that the Commission is aware of the numerous unrestrained criticisms directed at its operations by the suspect. While such behavior is regrettable, his arrest was not motivated by these criticisms. The appropriate law enforcement agencies will investigate these matters,” the EFCC clarified.
In executing the arrest and subsequent detention, the commission confirmed that it obtained the necessary remand order. It stated, “He has been granted administrative bail and will be released once all bail conditions are satisfied.”
The EFCC appreciates the public’s interest in its operations and welcomes the enthusiasm and varied reactions to its activities.
“However, speculations regarding the motives behind our actions should cease. The EFCC must be allowed to perform its duties impartially. Charges will be filed as soon as investigations are concluded,” the Commission stated.