MOREPEND Condemns Wike Statement On Ijaw People, Says Minister Of FCT Benefits From Ijaw Political Goodwill As Governor Of Rivers State
…Calls For United Niger Delta
Port Harcourt: The Movement for Reconciliation and Peace in the Niger Delta (MOREPEND), has strongly condemned recent comments made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, regarding the Ijaw people.
Wike reportedly stated that the Ijaws are not a majority in the Niger Delta and can only produce a governor in Bayelsa State. He further claimed that it was by his benevolence that an Ijaw man became governor of Rivers State and suggested that Ijaws cannot produce a governor in Delta, Akwa Ibom, or other Niger Delta states.
MOREPEND finds these remarks not only insulting to the Ijaw nation but also misleading and based on ignorance. With an estimated population of about 14 million people, the Ijaw are the fourth-largest ethnic group in Nigeria.
“The Ijaw people have contributed immensely to the development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole,”
MOREPEND said in a statement. “It is inappropriate and divisive for a public officeholder to make such statements that seek to undermine the political rights and identity of a people.”
“The group also reminded Wike that he himself benefited from Ijaw political goodwill, as former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, were instrumental in his emergence as governor of Rivers State.
“It is unfortunate that Wike would so quickly forget the political support he enjoyed from the Ijaw people,”
MOREPEND stated. “Rather than promoting division, leaders should work towards sustaining the peace and development of the region, ensuring it becomes a model for progress and unity in Nigeria.”
“The organization urged Wike to focus on his responsibilities as FCT minister rather than attempting to incite ethnic rivalry in the Niger Delta.
“We are one people who have coexisted peacefully for generations,” the statement continued. “The Niger Delta needs unity and development, not inflammatory statements that sow discord among its people.”
MOREPEND reaffirmed its commitment to fostering peace and unity in the Niger Delta and called on all stakeholders to reject divisive rhetoric.
Signed:
Comrade Edmond Ebiwari Opori President/Coordinator, MOREPEND
Evans Nengimote Doibo
Director of Communication, MOREPEND
