ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged the people of Ijaw ethnic nationality to unite and not allow themselves to be divided by politicians.
Jonathan made the appeal on Saturday when he hosted the executive members of Ijaw National Congress (INC) and Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) in his office in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
He said if the Ijaw worked together in unity, they would be more recognised in the scheme of things in the country.
He, therefore, challenged the INC and IYC leaderships to play key roles in uniting the Ijaw people, especially the politicians.
He said that sometimes the people get into unnecessary political contests and where people are supposed to work together for the common interest of the Ijaw race, they fight over nothing.
Jonathan said: “The key thing about us is the unity of Ijaw people. We are not too many in terms of physical number; we are widely spread, not concentrated in one geographical area. So, we need to be united to make an impact.
“The INC and IYC must work for the interest of the people and not for the interest of any politician whether he is a governor or president. If we all work towards the interest of Ijaw people, we will be well recognised.
“The Federal Government recognises the activities of our young people when they show common interest but in some cases your interest will be divided among political gladiators. You cannot succeed in advancing any particular view if you are divided.
“So I am quite pleased the INC under the leadership of Prof. Benjamin Okaba is looking into that. Try and bring IYC together, we must have one common IYC and INC. Yes, we may have our differences but we must look towards the interest of Ijaw ethnic nationality.”
The former President also said it was saddening that Ijaw people don’t have a common language they use in conversation.
He advocated that Ijaw must have a common language just like they speak English so that when they are meeting, they talk in that language that everybody will understand and at the same time not compromise the other smaller languages.
He said having a common language in the Ijaw nation would help unite the Ijaw and give them a better focus.
Addressing Jonathan, the President, INC, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, said his exco had commenced the process of building better relationships and mutual cooperation with other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta and other minority groups within and outside the country.
He requested the former President to talk to the Presidency to have a rethink on the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which allocated three per cent to oil producing communities, the proposed Water Resources Bill and other obnoxious laws infringing on their human, resource and environmental rights.
He also requested him to strengthen Ijaw advocacy at national and international circles on resource justice, restructuring and the creation of at least two additional states and more local government areas to address their challenges of balkanisation.
“We wish to note that those who make restructuring impossible are invariably making mass disillusionment and the call for secession inevitable in this country,” Okaba stated.