FOLLOWING the recent police raid on the residence of Chief Edwin Clark, the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has warned that the Ijaw nation cannot be intimidated or subdued by any administration.
The governor was on a solidarity visit to the foremost Ijaw leader at his Asokoro, Abuja residence on Monday night where he said that the search for arms at the residence of the 92-year former Federal Commissioner was an affront on his people.
He told the elder statesman: “I am leading this delegation today in solidarity with our leader and our father on account of the unfortunate invasion of his home.
“I have made it clear to you our utter disappointment, disapproval with the actions taken by the security agencies, in this case, the Police, for what was clearly an unnecessary and totally condemnable act of intimidation, calculated to harass the person and family of our leader at the age of 92.
“We know that no weapon fashioned against our leader, our leaders and our people will stand.
“If this was an attempt to intimidate our leadership, then clearly it has failed because the spirit of our people, the spirit of the Ijaw nation, cannot be intimidated or subdued. Ijaw nation has never been conquered. The Ijaw spirit is indomitable. That is what you have taught and that is what you have shown all your life.
“In this nation of ours, the Ijaw voice will continue to be heard for everything that is right, good and fair for all.
“And we your children, today solidarise with you. We admire your courage, your fortitude, your strength of character for personifying the indomitable spirit of our people.
“We know that the unfortunate event will never sway you from doing or saying that which is right because that is what you and our people have stood for.”
Dickson thanked all Nigerians and all others who have solidarized with the Ijaw leader since the event occurred.
In his remark Clark, alleged that the search of his house was based on an “order from above” and the police officers, who stormed his home, were just pawns.
But he rejected the sacking of the police officers involved saying that they were simply made scapegoats.
The elder statesman, who said he had already written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari on the incident, thanked the delegation for the visit as he expressed his pride in the way people have rallied around him over the incident.
Clark stated: “Now I know the Ijaws are behind me…They are all now ashamed and they now know that touch me, the Ijaw people will react, Nigerians will react, the Niger Delta will react.”
Clark used the occasion to reiterate his position on appointments into the board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which he observed are not fair to the people from the South-South.
He noted: “A situation where you provide for the resources in the country, and there is no one showing gratitude or appreciation, rather they manage what they take from your place. And at the end, they turn round to say those are troublemakers, they are militants.
“For instance, one of the things I have always been criticising them for, NNPC is the engine room of the oil industry, you appointed nine members of NNPC, six of them are from the North, they don’t produce any single oil, including the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
“You appointed 55 senior managers of NNPC, 36 of them are from the North.
“You appointed 15 very senior general managers, 10 of them are from the North.
“And you don’t want me to talk about them. That is nonsense.
“So, your excellency, I’m indeed very happy, somehow that this thing has happened. I now know the strength I have behind me. I thought I was fighting alone, but I am now assured that my people are behind me. So, why should I be afraid of anybody?
“We are part of this country and I believe in the unity of this country. But let everyone be equal in this country. We are not old South Africa, we are not in Sudan, we are not in Somalia.”
Present during the visit were four-time Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Tonye Grahams Douglas, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, former Senate Whip, Senator Stella Omu; former Sokoto State Deputy Governor and former Minister of Water Resources, Muktari Shagari, and Ambassador Godknows Igali.
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