Bayelsa State governor, Senator Douye Diri, urged the federal government to allow the people of Niger Delta to control their God-given resources and pay tax to the federal government as it is done elsewhere.
Speaking during the 15th memorial celebration of Chief Melford Okilo, late former governor of old Rivers State on Tuesday, Diri described the late politician as a nationalist who moulded him politically.
He said he followed the footsteps of Okilo, got involved in Ijaw activism and was exposed to the injustices he always complained about and sought to change.
Diri urged the political class to emulate the late Rivers governor and shun the culture of violence just to occupy political office.
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Diri while recounting the ideals of Okilo, called on President Bola Tinubu to restructure Nigeria to address some of the injustices which he (Tinubu) also suffered.