Ijaw Nat’l Congress, Sobomabo Jackrich (Egberipapa) Faults Destructive System Of Agitation By Avengers. Harps On Non Violent Agitation

President of Ijaw National Congress, INC, Alabo Charles Harry and the Leader of Kalabari Unity Forum and erstwhile agitator, Hon. Sobomabo Jackrich have said agitation against sustained injustice and marginalization of Ijaws and the Niger Delta by the Nigerian state is not misplaced, however they have both strongly faulted in strong terms the destructive and violent approach employed by the Niger Delta Avenger, observing that NDA’s methodology where they destroy of oil and gas facilities is not only having dire consequences on the economic live of the people of the region, but is also creating untold environmental hazards which definitely will have devastating effect on the health and well-being of the people.

These were the staked consensus when Hon. (Amb) Sobomabo Jackrich also known as Egberipapa hosted the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress led by the President, Alabo Charles Harry, at his palatial Usokun residence in, Degema Local government Area of Rivers state.

Welcoming the strong INC delegation, Jackrich said “I am against agitation centred on violence and destruction of oil facilities, I believe in the non violent approach. I have continued to preach against violence agitation, - even after accepting amnesty I have been deeply committed to advocacy for non violence and have taken my campaign to the youths, nook and cranny of the Niger delta region”, he said.

Though Jackrich used the occasion to advice the federal government to tackle head on the issues of poverty in the country and injustice against the Niger delta region to douse some of this tension, he pledged support to the newly constituted INC saying jointly they can achieve the peace we all deserve in the region.

Egberipapa who commands some of the biggest socio political and ethnic groups in Kalabari noted that the visit of INC leader and other bigwigs was not only historic but also an ideal home coming being the first time a Kalabari born INC leader will emerge.. He expressed confidence that with the new leadership of Alabo Charles Harry; a man with strong character, refreshing initiative and dynamism, INC will begin to enjoy a new direction, pursue a healthy objective and institute a new frontier that will unite the people..

Elaborating on issues bothering the region he said the new INC leadership must tackle the anomalies in NDDC, recalling that NDDC was established through the effort of INC but today has become a source of political patronage, undermining the development and intervention objective for which it was established. He called for creation of more INC clans for the Kalabari communities and also for the Eastern zone. According to him the zone has majority of the population and has mostly spearheaded the INC struggle. Finally he assured the new leadership of his support and promotion of the non violent agitation movement and peace in the region.

In his remark the new President of Ijaw National Congress, Alabo Charles Preye Harry said he is quite elated to be in home soil, he expressed gratitude to the KUF leader for opting to host the group. Hear him: “The time is rife for us to jointly and responsibly take our destiny in our own hands, but however let me use this medium to urge those involved with destruction of the resources of Ijaw land to please stop henceforth, embrace non violence agitation. This has become necessary as continuous bombing of pipelines will further degrade our environment and affect our aquatic lives. We know Niger Deltans are aggrieved and are justified to agitate against injustice and marginalization but we must do it in the most non violent manner to attract global attention and intervention - this is the path INC has chosen, and on this premise we will join to agitate for freedom, fairness, equity and justice, we will intellectualize the struggle so as to attract global attention but the way to go about it is definitely not by destruction and bombing of our pipelines which is detrimental to Ijaw land” he said, adding that the anomaly of violence and bombing of pipelines in the Niger delta region is a disincentive to the region.

“Our people must understand that the greatest resource of the Ijaws that has been wasted in the cause of this violence is not oil but our budding youths that are constantly killed on daily basis. We can no longer afford the needless killing of our youths even as its expedient on us to direct them on the path of rectitude” he was quoted as saying..

For NDDC he said, “INC will tackle the issue of injustice in the commission, NDDC is meant for people in oil catchment communities but today NDDC resource is used to fund people outside these areas while the target people are left in limbo, painful enough, our oil wells are owned by personalities from areas outside the Niger delta who knows little or nothing of the sufferings of our people while we bear the consequences of their exploration, we must say this and most importantly, communities must be key stakeholders in the resources derived from their enclave so as to give them a sense of belonging and allow for peace and justice to reign” he said.

Concluding he stressed that Ijaw National Congress is neither APC or PDP, hence is apolitical, “our mandate is to fight for the right of the Ijaw man and by extension the Niger delta, this we have chosen to undertake and will continue to ensure in the most non violent way’.

The delegation to Usokun has notable personalities like the Publicity Secretary of INC, Victor Burubo, Publisher Hardtruth Newspaper, Opunabo Inko-Tariah who said the Ijaws need such synergy to succeed but calls for cessation of hostilities and destruction of our land, among others.