…..Urges Ijaw Youths to Resist Provocation to Violence
…..Calls on President Tinubu to Prevail on Wike, Fubara to Resolve Crisis
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, has urged the Rivers State Sole Administrator, Vice Admiral (Rtd) Ebok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, to refrain from actions that could hamper amicable resolution of the crisis.
Dickson spoke when he visited Fubara in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The former Bayelsa Governor expressed confidence in the ability of the institutions and leadership of the country to resolve the matter.
He urged all stakeholder to place the interest of the state and the people of the Niger Delta as priority in their actions and utterances.
“On account of the above, I urge all stakeholders to place the overall well-being of Rivers state, its people, the Niger Delta region and the entire country in their decisions, utterances and actions.
“I also urge the Sole Administrator, who himself is a highly decorated and respected military veteran from the Niger Delta region, to refrain from actions that do not build confidence and aid the quick and amicable resolution of the crisis.” He said
Senator Dickson also called on Rivers youths especially Ijaw youths in the Delta region to resist any act of provocation and incitement to violence as a result of the political crisis in the state.
He urged the youths to avoid violence and the targeting of strategic oil and gas infrastructure, which could further aggravate environmental pollution in the region and endanger the nation’s economy.
“I want to commend the good people of Rivers State on both sides for maintaining peace and order even in the midst of this extreme and rare political development as I have seen that while the state appears peaceful. It may very well be the peace of a graveyard, where any little trigger can alter the balance of peace in the state and across the region.
“In this regard, I want to appeal to all our people, the youths of Rivers State, and in particular the youths of Ijaw Nation, in Rivers State and across the Niger Delta, from Arogbo in Ondo State, to Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State, to continue to be peaceful and resist any provocation or incitement to violence.
“They should refrain from violence and destructive tendencies, particularly the destruction and vandalization of strategic oil and gas infrastructure in the region, which has the tendency to cause further pollution-damage to our already compromised environment, slow down the pace of economic development and activities in the region, and create fiscal challenges for government at all levels in the country, especially at this time when the global economy is experiencing unprecedented instability with consequences for all nations.
“I urge all stakeholders to place the overall well-being of Rivers state, its people, the Niger Delta region and the entire country in their decisions, utterances and actions,” Dickson noted.
The Senator also urged President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and Fubara to resolve the political crisis in the state.
“The Ijaw Nation is not at war with the Federal Government or with the President, and we are looking up to him as the leader of the nation to lead in the resolution of the issues and restore normalcy and democratic rule.
“I call on all leaders from the Niger Delta at the State and National level to play an active part in the resolution of this issue.
“The Ijaw Nation is not at war with the President or the APC-led Federal Government. On the contrary the Niger Delta and the Ijaw Nation has always stood for a restructured and truly Federal Nigeria where power is properly devolved, with accelerated infrastructure and human capital development, environmental justice and fairness for all, and an inclusive Nigeria.
“On all these issues, we are encouraged to see the President as a partner from his antecedents and not a foe irrespective of party differences, as some may portray.
“The two principal actors in the political crisis in Rivers State should find a common ground for tolerance and accommodation for a quick resolution. As I have always said, there are no perfect fathers and sons.
“We must learn to tolerate and manage one another despite our imperfections and always remember the unique relationship they have built over the years, which has led to the emergence of the governor. It is always the divine prerogative of fathers to tolerate in the overall interest of all.
“I appreciated his calmness and peaceful disposition during unprecedented turbulence,” Dickson added.
