Don’t split N-Delta, Ugolor, activist warns Dokubo-Asari

EXECUTIVE Director, African Network for Environment
and Economic Justice, ANEEJ,, Benin City, Edo State,
Rev David Ugolor, has lashed out at the leader of the
Niger Delta Peoples Salvation Force, Alhaji Mujahid
Dokubo-Asari, over his recent statement that Vice
President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, should stop his bridge-
building visits to the Niger Delta, saying he should steer
clear of actions that would tear apart Niger Delta.
Ugolor, an environmental activist cautioned Dokubo-Asari
not to unwittingly fall prey to an “Abuja agenda,” saying it
was indecorous of him, one of the celebrated arrow
heads of the struggle, to impute that there was nothing
like Niger Delta struggle, but Ijaw struggle and that other
ethnic groups should leave Ijaw to enjoy the benefits of
its armed struggle it waged against the Nigerian nation.
He asserted: “Niger Delta struggle is a common agenda
for all the ethnic groups in the region and should not
take an individual ethnic coloration. All the ethnic groups
Urhobo, Ogoni, Itsekeri, Isoko and others have played
their role. Gun is not the only option.”
“For example, Ken Saro-Wiwa and Comrade Sunny Ofehe
of the Hope for Niger Delta Campaign, are not carrying
guns, Nnimmo Bassey is not carrying gun and nobody
will discount their contributions to the Niger Delta
struggle. We also need to be careful not to play into the
hands of Abuja agenda. Even when Dr. Goodluck
Jonathan was president, he did not deal with Niger Delta
Question. What was responsible? He managed to take
care of his wife and close relations.
“If the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo’s visit will turn
around things for the Niger Delta people, which include
the poor Ijaw, not the self-centered war entrepreneurs,
we should all rise up and support him and allow new
thinking to shape the future of the region,” he said.
Ugolor stated: “We cannot continue to create division
and think we will succeed, Dokubo –Asari has played a
useful role to draw global attention to the plight of our
people, but he should not invest in narratives that will
split the common agenda.”
“ United we stand and divided we fall, I think Dokubo-
Asari’s interview with Vanguard today (yesterday) will
not help to build a common agenda, so I strongly appeal
to him to use his goodwill to strengthen inter-ethnic
cooperation and also give chance to the Vice-President
to implement the new agenda. It is time to try an
alternative to model,” he maintained.