The Ijaw Diaspora Council (IDC) has called on Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, to liaise with his fellow governor of Ijaw extraction, Rivers State’s Sir Sim Fubara, and other Niger Delta Governors to ensure that more of the resources of the region are deployed towards the rapid development of the oil and gas bearing zone of the country.
IDC, a group of “concerned citizens, prominent leaders of various Ijaw Diaspora organizations, friends of the Ijaw Nation, and other stakeholders” made the call in an open letter of congratulation to Governor Diri on his recent declaration as re-elected for a second term by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Lamenting that the people of the Niger Delta area are impoverished in the midst of the abundant resources of the region, the IDC, in the open letter by Mrs. Gesiere Brisibe-Dorgu, Chairperson, Prof. (Amb.) Mondy Selle Gold, President and Amadabo of Ijaw Diaspora, and
Chief (Barr) Emmanuel Ezekiel-Hart, Head Legal Affairs & Vice President IDC Asia-Pacific, said that if the Governors work together as a formidable force with one vision, the situation where the oil and gas riches of the zone are siphoned by outsiders for their benefit to the exclusion of the people of the area can be redressed.
They also urged Diri and the other Governors of the region to close ranks and tackle insecurity and poor power supply, and prioritize job creation incentives, especially in areas of comparative advantage such as fisheries, shipping and agriculture. They also insisted that the abundant gas resources and other natural resources in the zone can be exploited to provide abundant electricity with which the landscape can be radically transformed.
Full text:
Recently Concluded Governorship Election: Open Letter to the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Douye Diri
1. The Ijaw Diaspora Council extends warm felicitations and sincere congratulations on your victory in the recently concluded election, as declared by INEC. We commend your dedication and resilience throughout the campaign, and we look forward to a collaborative effort for the progress and development of Bayelsa State.
2. As an organization comprised of concerned citizens, prominent leaders of various Ijaw Diaspora organizations, friends of jaw Nation, and other stakeholders deeply invested in the well-being of Bayelsa State, the Niger Delta Region, and our nation as a whole, we extend our hands of friendship and support to you as the newly elected Governor. Our primary goal is to contribute positively to the growth and prosperity of our homeland.
3. In reflecting on the election process, we believe that our collective efforts in organizing election awareness and debates for candidates, as well as sensitizing the people of Bayelsa State, played a crucial role in minimizing the violence that was witnessed. We are committed to fostering an environment of informed civic engagement, ensuring the electorate is equipped with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions.
4. We also congratulate the honest security officers who worked hard to calm tensions brewing at various spots, which ensured that the election was conducted as planned, though not as free and fair as reported, but in general reflected the will of the people of the State.
5. Recent events have shown a growing divide within our political landscape and it is with heavy hearts that we witnessed the animosity and discord, reminiscent of historical parallels that emerged during the election.
6. There’s no doubt that we the Ijaw people are peace loving and care for one another. It is on this premise that we call on our incumbent and Governor-Elect, His Excellency Douye Diri to use his good offices as usual, to foster peace, reunification and bridge building among the whole people of Bayelsa State and other Ijaw States and communities. We encourage you to forge, with your lion-like bravery to tackle insecurity, and poor power supply and pursue incentives that will create jobs designed to engage the youths meaningfully in business development. Areas of comparative advantage such as fisheries, shipping with vibrant port activities and technologies, as well as Agriculture should be highlighted for development. We also encourage you to establish solar farms, wind power, and of course the abundant gas resources at our disposal. IDC is willing at any time to partner with you to achieve some of these goals.
7. IDC also urges you to work collaboratively with other Ijaw Governors and particularly enhance unity and good relationship and support with the Rivers State Governor, Simi Fubara.
8. IDC urges this unity among all Niger Delta States to form a formidable force towards securing greater portion of our resources from the Federal Government and to ensure the rapid development of the Niger Delta, with greater bridges linking the riverine communities.
9. It is sad to note that while our enviable late Governor Okilo constructed a road to Amakalakala within his time in office, it takes the Federal Government over 40 years and still counting to complete a short road from Ogoni land to Bonny Island, a road started since 1972 and still uncompleted till date.
10. IDC believes that if the Niger Delta States and the Ijaw Governors work together with one vision to develop and restore the use of our resources for our people, no state in Nigeria will parallel our development and resources outreach of our people, who now are impoverished in the midst of plenty, while oil blocs are distributed among the Nigerian Beneficial Oligarchy and outsiders.
11. Today, we have the Well they have the Oil, we have the Environmental catastrophe, they have the Oil Bloc, we have the health hazards they have the billions of dollars, such is the reversible fate of the Ijaw man and woman, IDC look up to the elected Ijaw Governors to work to reverse this reversible trend of fate.
12. IDC welcomes the handshake between Governor Diri and Chief Timipre Sylva and others, as it gives us hope that our people will begin working together soon after the election in order to build the state and lift the people out of poverty imposed by Nigerian Beneficial Oligarchy (NBO).
13. The Ijaw Diaspora Council would not stand to see once again two incumbent governors of Ijaw land fighting among themselves like in the past between Rivers State and Bayelsa State. We encourage our governors to create a line of communication and dispute settlement with our traditional rulers in collaboration with IDC to ensure that issues are addressed quickly before it degenerated to gap that cannot be filled within the tenure of the governors leading to losses to the people and the environment, we shall stand to expose every diversion meant to ferment trouble among our governors and within the Niger Delta.
14. A state governor has all the powers provided by the Nigerian constitution and should not be fettered by any group, godfatherism or godmother to develop his or her state, neither should the governor be seen to share his mandate and constitutional powers or state limited resources with anyone within or outside the Ijaw land.
15. While we may hold diverse opinions and beliefs, IDC urges stakeholders of Ijaw States to take responsibility to approach these differences in Ijaw land and the Niger Delta with respect, understanding, and an open mind.
16. IDC believes that through constructive dialogue and a willingness to listen, we can discover common ground and collaborate on solutions that benefit the greater good of Bayelsa State and its people and of the Niger Delta.
17. IDC earnestly implores all parties involved in the just concluded Bayelsa State election, fellow citizens of Bayelsa State and members of the Niger Delta, to join hands with us in advocating for calm and unity of our people and the State.
18. And we must remember that until we call chaos initiated by outsiders a bye-gone, our impoverished people will be used to ferment chaos for the benefit of the outsiders and Nigerian Beneficial Oligarchy (NBOs), except we the leaders and stakeholders of Ijaw land have agreed by ourselves that we have learned from the mistakes of the past, and shall match forward than backward in the development of our maritime environment and our beautiful people with accessible resources for their wellbeing and thriving businesses in the State; such as business in agricultural development and fisheries aviation, and shipping with vibrant port activities and technologies.
19. “Let there be light!” The Ijaw Diaspora Council extends a heartfelt appeal to our esteemed Ijaw governors, urging them to prioritize and implement sustainable energy solutions for the benefit of our communities. We firmly believe that abundant electricity can serve as a catalyst to uplift the lives of the ordinary men and women engaged in businesses such as selling “pure-water” and soft drinks. The time is now for our Ijaw governors to take bold steps towards providing constant power supply to our people. We propose the exploration of diverse energy sources, including the establishment of solar farms, harnessing wind power, and leveraging our abundant gas and oil resources. By investing in these initiatives, our governors have the opportunity to transform the landscape, fostering both economic development and enhanced security within the Ijaw Nation.
20. We advise all those who lost in the election, including those who may have legal rights to pursue in no uncertain terms to engage in conversations aimed at bridging the gaps between us, rather than deepening them.
21. Let us remain mindful of the immense power held by our words and actions, understanding their potential to either heal or further wound.
22. We believe that together, we can serve as a beacon of hope starting from the Governor, for the poor Bayelsans, and as an example for our fellow citizens, demonstrating that even in the face of political differences, victories and failures, we can find a way to coexist harmoniously after election to create the needed peace for development and businesses in our Bayelsa State.
23. IDC urges the Governor and all political stakeholders of Bayelsa State to rise above discord and show the world the strength and resilience of our democratic ideals, reaffirming our commitment to the greater good of Bayelsa State without violence, its people and peculiar environment in need of protection from the destructions meted on it by irresponsible environmental polluters.
24. We thank our victorious Governor, His Excellency Douye Diri and congratulations once more Your Excellency, may the people and environment of Bayelsa State benefit from the victory declared by INEC.
Sincerely, Mrs. Gesiere Brisibe-Dorgu, Chairperson, Ijaw Diaspora Council
Prof. (Amb.) Mondy Selle Gold, President, Ijaw Diaspora Council and Amadabo of Ijaw Diaspora
Chief (Barr) Emmanuel Ezekiel-Hart, Head Legal Affairs & Vice President Ijaw Diaspora Council Asia-Pacific
