Wike in trouble over Nigeria's threatened unity

Wike in trouble over Nigeria's threatened unity

- Governor Wike has come under severe attack from civil societies that disagree with him on the unity of Nigeria

- The Rivers state governor had said that the peace in Nigeria is non-negotiable

- Three civil societies from the Niger Delta have said that the unity in Nigeria is not beneficial to all

Governor Nyesom Wike's defense for the unity of Nigeria, has met very strong opposition in the Niger Delta.

Governor Wike in big trouble as Nigeria's unity is threatened

On Monday, January 2, 3 civil society organizations in the Niger Delta, disagreed with the Rivers state governor, on his recent statement that the unity of the country was not negotiable.

The groups claim that Wike's unconditional support for the unity and indivisibility of a defective federal structure, favours only a section of the country, a development which is totallyunacceptable.

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According to The Vanguard, the groups, Niger Delta Security Watch Organization of Nigeria, NDSWON, Ijaw People Development Initiative (IPDI), and Foundation for Human Rights and Anti- Corruption Crusade (FHRACC), in a joint statement by their leaders, Dickson Bekederemo, Austin Ozobo and Alowei Cleric, respectively in Warri, Delta state, said: “The unity and indivisibility of Nigeria does not exist in the minds and hearts of the federating regions that constitute the country. The unity and indivisibility of Nigeria exists only in a piece of document called the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria 1999.

Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to our most respected governor, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State that leaders and people of the Niger Delta will always strive to defend the unity of Nigeria because to them, the country remaining as one indivisible entity is not negotiable and of paramount importance.

While we acknowledge the fact that Governor Wike is loved and respected in the Niger Delta region as a result of resilience in warding off the invaders of our oil wealth, we find it difficult to stomach his unconditional support for the unity and indivisibility of this defective federal structure that favours only a section of the country.

“A united people rather see themselves as an egalitarian society other than creating the feudal system where a vast majority of Nigerians are made to beg alms from the feudal lords.

A united people will not celebrate ethno-religious killings where some people are religiously bound to kill others with impunity. Is there any unity in Nigeria where only a particular section is qualified to rule the country while others are regarded as second fiddle citizens?

A united people will not pass obnoxious laws to deprive the actual owners of their God given resources. A united people will not use their secured majority in the National House of Assembly to continually oppress the minorities by refusing to amend the oppressive sections of the Constitution that denied the minorities ownership of their resources.

We want to say such unity is likening to the unity between the snake and the mouse. The mouse can only exist at the whims and caprices of the snake.” According to them: “Until the North comes to the realization that we need one another to co-exist in Nigeria, the unity of Nigeria remains negotiable. The North and South were amalgamated by late Lord Luggard of Britain. It was not God that brought us together.”

Governor Wike had said that the unity of Nigeria is paramount and that the Niger Delta region will never break away from the country.

Wike said this on a courtesy visit to Sokoto where he met Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad at his palace on Sunday, January 1.

Pro-Biafra agitators who have been calling for secession have always marked the Niger Delta region as part of their proposed independent Biafra state especially the oil-rich Rivers.

The governor said: “Leaders and people of Niger Delta will always strive to defend the unity of Nigeria, because to them, the country remaining as one indivisible entity is ‘non negotiable’ and of paramount importance.

“Let me first of all sincerely thank you, our father the Sultan, for what you are doing for this country, working tirelessly to ring peace and to bring unity to the people. So for all of us this is what is meant by one Nigeria."