THE IJAWS DEMAND UNCONDITIONAL RELEASE OF DOKUBO-ASARI

The attention of all Ijaws has been drawn to news reports stating that newly sworn-in President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua of Nigeria is demanding an undertaking from Vice President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark and other Niger Delta leaders, as precondition for the release of Ijaw Nationalist Muhajid Dokubo-Asari from contrived, unlawful, cruel and indefinite imprisonment without trial. See Nigeria Punch online news report of June 7, 2007, titled: “Yar’Adua Gives Condition for Dokubo’s Release.”

Ijaw Foundation, a platform for collective action by all Ijaws and all Ijaw Organizations in the Diaspora and the Ijaw homeland, hereby expresses the unanimous consensus and will of the Ijaw Nation regarding the issue as follows:

The Nigerian government should release Dokubo-Asari unconditionally from prison because he is innocent of the spurious and contrived charge of plotting to overthrow the government of ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo.

Dokubo-Asari is a political prisoner; adjudged so by the United States, United Nations and international human rights agencies.

The Ijaw Nation is justifiably aggrieved on account of the continuing egregious and callous violation of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Dokubo-Asari and other Ijaw Rights Activists, who have been imprisoned indefinitely without trial by the malicious invocation and abuse of the powers of the Nigerian State. It is particularly discriminatory and unacceptable that several months after the unconditional release of the OPC leaders, Fredrick Fasheun and Gani Adams, the Nigerian government continues to detain Dokubo-Asari of the NDPVF and Ralph Uwazurike of MASSOB.

Furthermore, asking Vice President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to give an undertaking (on behalf of Dokubo-Asari) with the Nigerian government, of which he is the second in command, disrespects the exalted office of the Vice President of Nigeria. It creates conflict of interest for the Vice President and places on him an undue burden, which will render him politically irrelevant and powerless in the administration. It needs emphasizing that Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is not the Vice President of the Ijaws but the Vice President of all Nigerians. Therefore, the said request is absolutely inappropriate.

Accordingly, from the foregoing reasons, the Ijaw Nation disallows Vice President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, Chief Timipre Sylva-Sam and all other Niger Delta leaders from giving any undertaking with the Nigerian government for the purpose of releasing Dokubo-Asari from unlawful political imprisonment. Any Ijaw or Niger Delta leader or citizen that gives such an undertaking does so at his or her own risk.

We take this opportunity to emphasize that the Ijaws are extremely peace loving and longsuffering. We, the Ijaws, suffer ruthless oppression in Nigeria and we are engaged in a noble and legitimate agitation for Self Determination, socioeconomic justice, environmental protection and survival. We only claim, demand and defend that which is rightly and justly ours. Our motivation is love, our passion is justice, and our goal is peace. The Ijaws want peace in the Niger Delta, Nigeria and in the entire world.

The onus is on the Nigerian State to ensure that peace reigns in the Niger Delta by acceding to the Ijaws what is rightfully due them as follows:

· Creation of two additional states for the Ijaws. The Ijaw ethnic group, with a population of about fifteen (15) million people, is one of the four most populous ethnic groups in Nigeria. Currently, we are fragmented, rendered politically powerless, marginalized and subjugated in six (6) states; except for Bayelsa State, which is the only homogenous Ijaw State. If the Yorubas have six (6) states and the Ibos have five (5) states, the Ijaws deserve at least three (3) states based on population size and geographical peculiarity. Accordingly, two more states must be created for the Ijaws: Toru-ebe State for the Ijaws in Delta, Edo and Ondo States, and Oil Rivers State for the Ijaws in Akwa Ibom and Rivers States; to ensure equitable distribution of political power and socioeconomic development in the country.

· Abrogation of the Land Use Decree, the Petroleum Act and all such other obnoxious laws, acts and decrees that deprive Niger Deltans of their livelihood and endanger their well-being.

· Convocation of a Sovereign National Conference to restructure Nigeria to enthrone True Federalism with Resource Control by the states as the operative political structure of the country.

· Ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Ijaw Nationalist Dokubo-Asari from unlawful and indefinite imprisonment without trial by the preceding Olusegun Obasanjo administration. Dokubo-Asari is a political prisoner; adjudged so by the United States, United Nations and international human rights agencies. Uwazurike of MASSOB should also be released along with Dokubo-Asari; just as the OPC leaders were released.

· Adequate and proportional representation of Ijaws in ministerial appointments.

· Resurrection of the Niger Delta Inland Waterways Department to provide much-needed affordable, decent, safe and convenient transportation services for our riverine people.

Immediate Dualization and Repair of the East-West Road and construction of a Niger Delta Highway (Dual Carriageway) running through the Ijaw hinterland from Arogbo in Ondo State through Forcardos, Burutu, Gbekebor, Bomadi, Ojobo, Ndoro, Sagbama, Brass, Buguma, Okrika, Bonny and Opobo to Akwa Ibom State.

Establishment of three (3) Federal Government General Hospitals, six (6) Health Centers, three (3) Federal Government Colleges and six (6) General Post offices in Ijawland; spread equitably to benefit all Ijaws.

· Implementation of fifty percent (50%) Niger Delta/Ijaw Indigenization of the oil industry, ensuring indigenous participation in the oil industry. In this regard, we demand fifty percent (50%) of all oil prospecting licenses and oil blocks to be reserved for and allocated to Ijaw business interests and governmental agencies such as the Bayelsa State Government and Ijaw Local Government Councils.

· Allocation and implementation of fifty percent (50%) quota of every cadre of management staff for Ijaws in the public oil sector and all oil companies, in addition to sixty percent (60%) employment quota for Ijaws in respect of non-management staff positions in the oil companies.

· Federal Government and Oil Companies Scholarships for all Ijaws undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate professional degree courses and training; particularly in geology, petroleum engineering, chemical engineering, medicine and surgery, nursing, public health administration, environmental and occupational health care, environmental protection and ecological remediation, law, accountancy, business administration, and public administration.

· Immediate stoppage of the unacceptable and environmentally disastrous gas flaring in the Niger Delta with imposition of severe penalties on non-compliant oil companies.

Construction of Gaso-Electric Power Generating Stations or Plants to utilize our now wastefully flared natural gas to generate electricity for Ijawland, the Niger Delta and beyond.

· Enactment and implementation of an adequate compensation rate for farmlands, fish farms and rivers destroyed and/or polluted by oil spills or oil exploration activities.

· Establishment of an Oil Spill Disaster Emergency Response Agency equipped with the proper structure, skilled manpower, technical equipment and funds to detect oil spills as soon as they occur and respond immediately to clean up such environmentally disastrous oil spills.

We pray for God’s grace, wisdom and guidance on the Yar’Adua administration to act righteously in the interest of peace and progress of Nigeria.

Signed:

Ijaw Foundation Board of Directors:

Dr. Ebipamone N. Nanakumo, President

Mr. Patterson Ogon, Vice President

Mr. Lincoln Snithers, Secretary

Mr. Dawari Longjohn, Treasurer

Mr. Amabo MacHarry, Member

Mr. Benaebi Benatari, Member

Signed on behalf of the Ijaw Foundation Board of Directors:

Dr. Ebipamone N. Nanakumo

President, Ijaw Foundation Board of Directors

549 LEFFERTS AVENUE, BROOKLYN, NY 11225, USA* Phone & Fax: (718) 778-0536*

Website: www.ijawfoundation.org

Ijaw Foundation is a charitable nonprofit organization with Section 501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt Status granted by the United States Internal Revenue Service.