2015:Ijaw group supports Kuku, Dokubo

The Ijaw Republican Assembly has supported the controversial comments of the Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta Amnesty, Kingsely Kuku, and ex-militant leader, Asari Dokubu, on the possibility of violence if President Goodluck Jonathan does not get re-elected in 2015.

The spokesperson of the group, Mrs. Annkio Briggs, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the statement credited to Kuku and Dokubo, represented the aspirations of the people of the Niger Delta.

She said, “Let me state it clearly, Jonathan should not caution them (Kuku and Dokubo), because what they have said is in line with the aspirations of the Niger Delta. We are in support of what they said. That is the true picture of things in the Niger Delta.

“The statements of Kuku and Dokubo represent our stand, that if Jonathan is not good enough to rule Nigeria for two terms of four years each, then Niger Delta is not good enough to be in Nigeria. The fact that we have not been reacting to inflammatory comments by the North, does not mean we are weak. It does not mean we cannot speak our mind.

“Jonathan must be allowed to govern the country for two terms like other presidents have done. Nigeria cannot continue to expect to feed fat on our oil, and still treat us as second class citizens.”

The Niger Delta activist said the House of Representatives should first order the arrest of some northern leaders, who had made inflammatory statements in the past against Jonathan.

She said, “The House of Representatives that is saying they should be arrested should first of all order the arrest of people who have said worse things in the past; people like Lawal Kaita, who said the North would confront Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, who made comments about blood flowing in 2015.

Briggs added that any attempt to arrest Kuku or Dokubo based on their comments, would lead to chaos, particularly in the Niger Delta.

“The statement of Kuku and Dokubo reflect the anger that is building up again in the Niger Delta. If the police wants to arrest them for making those statements, then they should first arrest all of us the Niger Delta,” she said.

Kuku had reportedly told US officials in Washington that Jonathan remained the sole custodian of peace in the Niger Delta, and that the restive region, would be in crisis if the President failed to clinch a second term.

Dokubo, who buttressed Kuku’s remarks, said,  “There will be no peace, not only in the Niger Delta but everywhere if Goodluck Jonathan is not the President by 2015, except God takes his life, which we don’t pray for.”