Following the ongoing face-off between the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, and the State House of Assembly, the Ijaw nation has vowed to resist any attempt by the lawmakers to remove the governor through any means.
The President-General of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt Thursday, said the Ijaw nation would do everything to protect the governor against any form of harassment.
He warned those beating the drums of war to allow peace to reign in the state, as the Ijaw nation was watching and would respond appropriately should anything go the contrary.
“The Ijaw National Congress, as the umbrella operative organization of the Ijaw nation and as guardians of the socio-political and cultural interest of Ijaw people worldwide, has observed with deep dismay, the recent political wrangling in Rivers State between the legislature and the executive.
“Rumours abound and signs are palpable that this entire macabre dance is for the Rivers State House of Assembly to proceed with an impeachment notice on the Governor, should he be confrontational. This, if carried out, will not be tolerated or accepted by the Ijaw Nation across the Niger Delta and beyond. The Ijaw National Congress, therefore, wish to restate that ours is to sue for peace, and therefore, ask for serious caution”, he said.
He added that “This plea for restraint is not from a position of weakness but from a position of advanced knowledge and education. Nobody can define the path of any lit fire and indeed no one can define the direction of a lit fire on a harmattan grass lawn”.
While denouncing the ethnic colouration of the crisis, Okaba, however, warned Ijaws in the assembly of the consequences of betraying an Ijaw man.
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