WARRI—THREE civil society organizations in the Niger Delta, yesterday,
disagreed with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on his recent statement
that the unity of
the country was not negotiable, saying his unconditional
support for the unity and indivisibility of a defective federal structure that
favours only a section of the country was unacceptable.
The groups, Niger Delta Security Watch Organization of Nigeria, NDSWON,
Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, and Foundation for Human Rights and
Anti- Corruption Crusade, FHRACC, in a joint statement by their leaders,
Dickson Bekederemo, Austin Ozobo and Alowei Cleric, respectively in Warri,
Delta State, said:
“The unity and indivisibility of Nigeria does not exist in the minds and
hearts of the federating regions that constitute the country.
The unity and indivisibility of Nigeria exists only in a piece of
document called the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999.
Nyesom Wike Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to our most
respected governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that leaders and people of the
Niger Delta will always strive to defend the unity of Nigeria because to them,
the country remaining as one indivisible entity is not negotiable and of
paramount importance. While we acknowledge the fact that Governor Wike is loved
and respected in the Niger Delta region as a result of resilience in warding
off the invaders of our oil wealth, we find it difficult to stomach his
unconditional support for the unity and indivisibility of this defective
federal structure that favours only a section of the country.
“A united people rather see themselves as an egalitarian society other
than creating the feudal system where a vast majority of Nigerians are made to
beg alms from the feudal lords.
A united people will not celebrate ethno-religious killings where some
people are religiously bound to kill others with impunity. Is there any unity
in Nigeria where only a particular section is qualified to rule the country
while others are regarded as second fiddle citizens?
A united people will not pass obnoxious laws to deprive the actual owners
of their God given resources. A united people will not use their secured
majority in the National House of Assembly to continually oppress the
minorities by refusing to amend the oppressive sections of the Constitution
that denied the minorities ownership of their resources. We want to say such
unity is likening to the unity between the snake and the mouse. The mouse can
only exist at the whims and caprices of the snake.”
According to them: “Until the North comes to the realization that we need
one another to co-exist in Nigeria, the unity of Nigeria remains negotiable.
The North and South were amalgamated by late Lord Luggard of Britain. It was
not God that brought us together.”
Vanguard
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