The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has distant itself and the Ijaw
nation from that fictitious map claiming Ijaw territories as been part
of Biafra for there was never a time we were Biafrans. The Old Eastern
region was also a contraption that so much enslaved the Ijaw people that
was created by those who created this miscarriage of a State called
Nigerian.
It should be noted that the Ijaws are not in any way
against the genuine aspirations of all peoples including the IPOB to
attain self determination or secession as the case may be.
Ijaws are a distinct ethnic nation even before the 1914 amalgamation
that has its own dreams, wishes and aspirations that should not be
submerged as footnotes in any other people’s struggle.
We Ijaw people
are not Biafrans. Therefore if or when any Ijaw person or group feel a
sense of allegiance to Biafra and speak in its favour, let it be known
that such statements are the personal opinions of such persons, which
does not reflect the thoughts, views and wishes of the entire Ijaw
Nation and the Niger Delta
people.
The Ijaw Youth Council
(IYC) Worldwide through the National Spokesman Daniel Williams Dasimaka
issued this strict warning to all the overzealous and misinformed IPOB
members to desist from insulting our respected Elders and critical
stakeholders especially our mother in the Niger Delta Madam Annkio
Briggs who have dedicated so much of her life, time, resources and
energy for the past 19 years agitating for the economic and the
environmental freedom of the people of Niger Delta. The drivers of IPOB
should therefore call their followers to order for such act of bigotry
will no longer be tolerated from any body or group of persons.
For the records, the Ijaw struggle for Self-Determination predates the
Biafra agitation. It is a known historical fact that a year before the
world got to hear of the term Biafra Republic, Ijaws led by late Major
Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro of blessed memory declared a Niger Delta
Republic in pursuit of the emancipation of the Niger Delta people which
the progenitor of Biafran Late Col Ojukwu of blessed memory fought
against as the then Governor of the Old Eastern region when the going
was going good with him in the Nigerian State.
It is also on record
that a year before MOASSOB was founded; the IYC through the Kaiama
Declaration affirmed ‘our commitment to joint struggle with the other
ethnic nationalities in the Niger delta area for self-determination.
We expressed our solidarity with all peoples organisations and ethnic
nationalities in Nigeria and elsewhere who are struggling for
self-determination and justice.
In particular IPOB, the struggle of
the Oodua peoples Congress (OPC), the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni
People (Mosop), Egi Women's Movement etc.’ Thus our struggle cannot be
submerged into the Biafra agitation that came after ours.
Our
position has not changed. We Ijaws stand for self determination in the
Nigerian federation.
Signed
Daniel Dasimaka
Spokesman, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide
No comments