The Ijaw people are one of the largest and most populous ethnic groups in Nigeria, with over 14 million people. We are the indigenous inhabitants of the oil-rich Niger Delta region, where we have lived for thousands of years. We have a rich and diverse culture, language, and history that we are proud of.
However, the Ijaw people have also suffered from decades of marginalization, oppression, and exploitation by the Nigerian government and the oil companies that operate in our land. We have been denied our fair share of the oil wealth that is extracted from our soil and water. We have been subjected to environmental degradation, human rights violations, and political repression. We have been neglected in terms of development, infrastructure, education, health, and security.
The Ijaw people have not been silent in the face of these injustices. We have resisted and protested through various means, such as civil disobedience, litigation, advocacy, dialogue, and armed struggle. We have demanded for resource control, self-determination, fiscal federalism, and environmental justice. We have formed various groups and movements to champion our cause, such as the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).
However, the Ijaw people have also been betrayed by our own leaders, both at the federal and state levels. Some of these leaders have sold out their people for personal gain, political power, or ethnic loyalty. Some of these leaders have colluded with the government and the oil companies to oppress and exploit their own people. Some of these leaders have abandoned their people's struggle and aspirations for selfish interests.
One example of such betrayal is the recent issuance of marginal oilfields licences by the federal government to oil prospecting firms without consulting or involving the Ijaw communities that host these fields. The INC had filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Yenagoa to challenge this action and obtained an injunction restraining the government from awarding the licences pending the determination of the suit. However, the government flouted the court order and went ahead to issue the licences on June 29 to successful bidders.
The INC accused Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State of betraying his fellow southern governors and the Ijaw people by accepting to be the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 general elections. The INC alleged that Okowa had directed all the delegates from Delta State not to vote for any southern governor during the PDP presidential primaries last year, but instead vote for Atiku. The INC also alleged that Okowa had failed to account for N250 billion 13 per cent derivation fund which he had received from the federal government as revealed by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Another example of such betrayal is the alleged hijack of oil-producing ancestral lands in Akwa Ibom State by some powerful individuals and groups who claim to be indigenes of Akwa Ibom but are not Ijaw. The Ijaw caucus in the House of Representatives raised an alarm over this issue and called on the federal government to intervene and protect the rights and interests of the Ijaw communities in Akwa Ibom. The caucus alleged that some Ijaw lands had been forcefully taken over by non-Ijaw elements who had changed their names and falsified their documents to claim ownership of these lands.
These are just some of the instances of betrayal that we Ijaw people have faced from our own leaders. These betrayals have undermined our unity, dignity, and progress as a people. These betrayals have also weakened our struggle for justice, equity, and freedom as a people.
The Ijaw people deserve better from their leaders. They deserve leaders who will stand up for them and fight for them. They deserve leaders who will respect them and serve them. They deserve leaders who will not betray them or sell them out.
The Ijaw people must also be vigilant and hold their leaders accountable. They must not allow themselves to be deceived or manipulated by their leaders. They must not allow themselves to be divided or distracted by their leaders. They must not allow themselves to be silenced or subdued by their leaders.
The Ijaw people must also be united and resilient in their quest for self-determination and resource control. They must also be peaceful and lawful in their agitation for environmental justice and fiscal federalism. They must also be hopeful and optimistic in their vision for development and security.
We Ijaw people are a great and noble people. We have a glorious past and a bright future. We have a legitimate cause and a noble goal. We have a right to live in dignity and prosperity. We have a duty to protect our land and culture. We have a destiny to fulfill in Nigeria and the world.
As an Ijaw person, I feel the pain and anger of my people. I also share their hope and aspiration. I call on all Ijaw people to stand together and fight for our rights and interests. I also call on the government and the oil companies to respect our land and our people. I also call on our leaders to be honest and accountable to their people. I also call on the rest of Nigeria and the world to support our cause and recognize our contribution. We are not asking for too much. We are only asking for what is rightfully ours.
This is my message to you, my fellow Ijaw people. This is my message to you, my fellow Nigerians. This is my message to you, my fellow human beings.
Thank you for reading.
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