The apex Ijaw sociocultural organization in Nigeria, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) Worldwide, has bemoaned the state of neglect and deprivation, occasioned by the fragmentation of the Ijaws into hostile States, a situation it said is fueling the agitation of the fourth most populous ethnic group to clamour for the birth of the Ijaw Republic that will be free "from a nation where nepotism, inequality, injustice, suppression of the minorities and impunity" that "have been the defining golden rule of governance" in the country.

The INC, through its President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, made its stand in the Nigerian Nation known when it played host to a delegation from the British High Commission, Abuja, to the INC leadership at Ijaw House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Monday, September 11, 2023.

The delegation of the British High Commission, Abuja, led by its Political Secretary, Hamish Tye, were in Bayelsa state to engage critical stakeholders in preparation for the November 11th 2023 general election as the Commission clamours for a free, fair, credible, and violent-free elections in the State.

Speaking in an address during the visit Prof. Okaba said: "Ijaw, with a population of approximately 40 million people, are the predominant (the major producers of oil/gas) ethnic group in the oil and gas rich Niger Delta region. We are also among the 4 largest ethno-linguistic groups in Nigeria. Nevertheless, Ijaws are deliberately made minorities in 5 states of (Delta, Rivers, Edo, Ondo, and Akwa-Ibom. Bayelsa state is the only homogenous Ijaw state out of 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja."

Prof. Okaba who also expressed the fear of the ethnic group that the Nigerian State will abandon the Ijaw Nation after feeding off its oil resources, stated that what would guarantee the ethnic group's commitment to the Nigerian project is the practice of true federalism and the creation of two more States for the Ijaw ethnic nationality in reponse to its balkanisation.

"The unsolicited balkanization of Ijaws in addition to the criminal neglect, deprivation and other unpleasant conditions endured unending, coupled with the disposition of the nation’s leadership to keep us perpetually POOR in the midst of our God given wealth and suffocate us as slaves in our own land, have grossly eroded our faith in the Nigeria Union.

"The desire to have our own Ijaw Nation – the Ijaw Republic, where our rights to live peacefully and apply our God endowed skills and resources for our collective wellbeing... is burning far stronger than it has ever been, especially amongst our youthful population. We need to be in control of our resources NOW to enable us develop our largely damaged and generally underdeveloped land and population, because Nigeria will surely walk-away from us when our oil loses its value."

"For the benefit of doubt, the minimum prescient conditions that would guarantee our continuous commitment in the Nigeria project are: a. Restoration of true federalism and; b. restoration of the Ijaw territory as non-balkanized political and administrative federal units (creation of 2 more hegemonic Ijaw states and more Ijaw LGAs.)," he stated.

On the forthcoming election, the INC leadership said it has "at several public fora rigorously appealed to all concerned to shun bitterness and other divisive tendencies, and instead work together in unism in the overall interest of the peace and development of the state" in adherence to its 'Violent Free Election Advocacy message' it had developed.

The INC also appeal to the delegation of the British High Commission "to lend your voice to our strong plea to Government (at all levels) and the Security Agencies to stay neutral in the discharge of their assignments before, during and after the forthcoming election in the state."

#penglobalcommunity #INC