Former Niger Delta militant, Alhaji Asari Dokubo has been advised to sheath his sword and opt for peace process with his fellow Ijaw brother, Government Ekpemukpolo, Alias Tompolo over the issue of oil pipeline surveillance contract.
The advice was given by an Ijaw opinion leader, Dr Clarkson Aribogha, who said the contract was never by political appointment or civil service recruitment but based on federal character, application, integrity, capacity, trustworthiness, and acceptance.
Reacting to Dokubo’s outburst on the N48bn contract, in Warri, Dr Aribogha
stressed that Federal Government never gave contracts to someone sitting at home, an uninterested person or to someone who never applied, likened to manna from heaven.
The leader, a lawyer, explained that the Niger-Delta struggle was never a one-man show but “a collective one, especially from Ijaw ethnic nationality, a unique effort right from Major Jasper Isaac Adaka Boro’s Niger Delta Republic, the Songhai solidarity movement” which he said was directly involved from on set.
According to him, the emotional outburst against his fellow Ijaw brother was ridiculous adding, “Is this Ijaw national struggle or Kalabari struggle or personality egoistic struggle?
He maintained that it was better for Dokubo to align with Tompolo than declaring war against him” as the integrity, esteemed recognition of the former war Lord can never in doubt.
He however called on other eminent Ijaw leaders, such as the President, Ijaw National Congress (INC) Professor Benjamin Okaba, to intervene in the worrisome issue.