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Tag: Asari-Dokubo

  • Northern Igbo leaders ignore Asari Dokubo

    Northern Igbo leaders ignore Asari Dokubo

    Leadership of Igbo community in Northern Nigeria have disowned Asari Dokubo over his recent call on Igbo people and members of National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), serving in the region to return home. The Igbo leaders said, even though Asari Dokubo is entitled to his opinion as an ex militant, he does not occupy any position to speak for the Igbos, particularly those in Northern Nigeria, as they arat home in Northern Nigeria. President of Igbo Delegate Assembly for 19 Northern States and Abuja, Chief Demian Inyamah told the Saturday Nation in a telephone interview that, as much as they condemn the alleged attack on President Goodluck Jonathan, the investigation and punishment of the culprits should be left to the security agencies.

    According to him, “Igbos in the North are united and we speak and act with one voice. We are not subject to distractions from outside. People will not build their own empire and expect us to react to their own gimmicks. Asari Dokubo is talking as Asari Dokubo, Igbos in the north have taken their own position. “We have been here for a very long time, some of us are even married to Hausas and Yoruba and other tribes. So, we cannot because some politicians are talking tough and we will now think they have power over life and death, do they? They don’t have power over life and death, what we need in this country is a little bit of understanding of the situation. “As at today, there is no cause for alarm in the North.

    The stoning of the President’s convoy in Katsina is an issue that can be addressed by the security agencies. If the number one citizen in the country is stoned anywhere and the police do not do anything, it is unfortunate. So, Dokubo should not add salt to injury by making irresponsible statement. This country must remain united under God. “We the Igbos in the North have paid our dues and we cannot be caught unawares or pushed around by anyone again. We trust our lives in the hands of God and government has to do its own bit. Therefore, we are not leaving the North because Asari Dokubo who is not one of us is saying so,” the leader said.

  • Asari-Dokubo opposes calls for postponement of elections

    The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteers Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has opposed calls for the postponement of next month’s polls.

    He said the elections should be allowed to go ahead, adding that all eligible Nigerians should be allowed to vote even without the Permanent Voters Card (PVC).

    He said: “From what INEC has done so far, it is not because of the violence. So many people have not collected their PVC. Look at the ojoro that is going on in INEC. Twenty of the 27 local governments in Borno are in the hands of Boko Haram, but more people have collected PVCs in Borno than in Abia State where there is no crisis.

    “For me, let every person be allowed to vote without PVC. If we are going to use the PVC, then INEC is not ready. But I am not calling for the postponement of the election. We will win the election decisively. On the February 14, there will be “failbuhari” and Jonathan will win decisively.

    “However, my concern is what happens after the  election because we know they will do what they are known to do every time. But this time, they will cry. So all Igbo people who are there, if you don’t come back home and you want to continue to be there and something happens to you, there is nobody to be blamed. If you have a child who is a youth corps member and you allow him to be there, you will not hold anybody responsible.”

    Asari-Dokubo condemned the reported stoning of the President in Katsina. He criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for signing the Abuja accord with other presidential candidates, saying having sworn to an oath as the President of the nation, he should not have allowed himself to be dragged into signing such document.

    He warned that his group would respond to the attack on the President proportionately.

    He said: “There is an establishment pattern of pre-and-post election violence in the North. In the 1950s, when Awolowo was campaigning in the North, he went with helicopter and he was mobbed. People said he was flying over their houses and peeping on their wives. That has continued and everywhere in the country people say leave them alone, we don’t want any trouble but the rule of the game has changed.

    “For every action, there would be an opposite and equal reaction. I knew that the signing of the accord was useless and that the President subjected himself to sign such an accord, for me it was out of place.

    “The President is an humble person, he does things that even surprise some of us and make us sometimes to be very angry.

    “To be very frank, on that day they were signing the accord, I was very angry, signing with who? The President has sworn to protect every Nigerian. So why would he after taken a constitutional oath, subject himself to another oath that would be stronger than the oath he took when he took office after being elected voluntarily by the people of Nigeria?”

  • Middle Belt forum chief warns Asari-Dokubo

    Middle Belt forum chief warns Asari-Dokubo

    Former Niger Delta militant leader, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, came under fire yesterday for his comments on the February general elections.

    Some Northern leaders are angry with him for saying President Goodluck Jonathan had already won the presidential election, when then poll had not be conducted.

    The Northern leaders recalled that the former militant leader threatened that the nation would be on fire, should Jonathan lose at the poll.

    Asari-Dokubo said recently Dr Jonathan had already won the election, adding that he owed no one an apology for the comment.

    Some prominent Nigerians, who condemned the statement, include a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Prof. Tam David-West.

    Addressing reporters at the weekend in Abuja, a Northern leader and Patron of the Middle Belt Forum, Ambassador Yohanna Margif, warned Asari-Dokubo to guide his utterances because of the trying times Nigeria was passing through.

    The Northern leader said the former militant’s utterances could ignite a crisis that would not beneficial to the country.

    He said Asari-Dokubo’s use of a militant’s language and threats to Nigerians over President Jonathan was a slap on the faces of other Nigerians.

    According to him, although he has the right to support Jonathan for the Presidency as a Southsouth man, many other Nigerians too have the right to do so for any of their candidate.

    Margif queried Asari-Dokubo’s rationale for his unguided utterances.

    He said: “In what capacity does Asari-Dokubo have to make such comments? He should not use a militant’s language and threats against Nigerians since no one has monopoly of violence.”

    The Northern leader urged Jonathan to call Asari-Dokubo to order, adding that the former militant leader’s declaration implied that he already knew the President would rig the elections.

    He said: “According to him, the same Asari-Dokubo, earlier last year, declared that the President had lost the support of his political base, the Southsouth and the Southeast because of the failure of his government to deliver on its promises. He said it would be tough for Jonathan to win the presidential election in 2015, if he decided to run, based on the poor showing of his administration.”

  • Power shift: Asari-Dokubo urges Rivers residents to protest ‘injustice’

    •‘Jonathan has no competitor’

    A former warlord and leader of the Niger Delta People’s Salvation and Volunteer Force (NDSVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, has urged Rivers residents to protest the alleged injustice on rotational power among the ethnic groups in the state.

    The former warlord urged the people to ensure that each of the ethnic groups had its turn to lead the state.

    He said it would amount to high-level injustice if Rivers indigenes were not allowed to enjoy equal access to power through a rotational arrangement.

    According to him, it will be an act of injustice, if power remained with one ethnic group.

    Asari-Dokubo said the best way to attract peace, equity and justice was to give other ethnic nationalities the opportunity to govern Rivers State.

    The NDSVF leader spoke yesterday at the funeral of his grandmother, Princess Preba Abigail Prince Ekineh, at Buguma in Asari/Toru Local Government Area.

    He said the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, had no competitor in next year’s election.

    Asari-Dokubo said Jonathan haddone well in all sectors of the economy, adding that he would get massive votes in the 2015 election.

    According to him, the PDP presidential candidate had already won.

    Asari-Dokubo said: “It is injustice for one set of people in Rivers State to continue to rule. Rivers State is a multi-ethnic state and all the ethnic nationalities must have access to government. So, whoever is encouraging this perfidy does not mean well for the people of the state.

    “That’s because I know that someday the deceit will explode. The people must protest against this. The only way out is to seek justice and equity in search of the next governor of Rivers State. I expected all the political parties in Rivers State to field candidates from the ethnic groups crying for justice.

    “With what Jonathan has done in all the sectors of the economy, I am optimistic that he will win in 2015. I am not afraid of anybody. He has already won.  My confidence is that he is going to get the victory.”

  • Hold Dokubo liable if anything happens to Lai Mohammed – APC

    Hold Dokubo liable if anything happens to Lai Mohammed – APC

    The All Progressive Congress said Tuesday that it will hold the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mr. Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, responsible for any mishap that may befall its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    In a letter to the Presidency, the Police and the State Security Service over the recent threat of violence by Mujahid Asari Dokubo against Mohammed, the party asked the government and the security agents to call the ex-militant to order.

    The letter signed by the National Secretary of the party and made available to journalists in Abuja, said in view of the antecedents of Asari Dokubo and his propensity to violence, the party will hold him personally responsible if anything untoward happens to Mohammed.

    The letter reads: “The attention of our party has been drawn to comments made by the leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mr. Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, that included a threat of violence against our National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    “The threat, contained in an interview granted to the online newspaper Premium Times by Mr. Asari Dokubo on Friday, Oct. 17th 2014, follows a press statement which was issued on behalf of the party by Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Oct. 8th 2014, asking the Federal Government to explain the reported presence of Mr. Asari Dokubo on the plane that transported US$9.3 million cash to South Africa.

    “In the interview, Mr. Asari Dokubo said while he would adopt a ”civilised response to Mr. Mohammed by first suing the APC spokesperson for his remarks”, he (Asari Dokubo) warned that should the courts fail to deliver justice, ‘he will resort to self-help by using his hands and any other means to deal with Mr. Mohammed.

    “We find this threat totally abhorring, dangerous, unacceptable and uncivilized, and therefore wish to request that you call Mr. Asari Dokubo to order and invite him to explain what he means by his threat to resort to self help. We have attached a copy of the said interview to this petition.

    “We take the unwarranted threat very seriously, in view of the antecedents of Mr. Asari Dokubo and his propensity to violence, and will definitely hold him personally responsible if anything untoward happens to our National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    “Since ours is a country that operates under the rule of law rather than the laws of the jungle, we believe anyone who is aggrieved over any issue should resort to the courts to seek redress.”

     

  • Open letter to Asari Dokubo

    SIR: This letter in not unconnected with your recent media conference following a bomb blast in  Kaduna in which two of our adorable elders and fathers escaped unhurt by the grace of God and so many other innocent friends and brothers lost their lives. As believers, we find solace that they died in the holy month of Ramadan; most of them who were pursuing a worthy cause. May Allah forgive them their trespasses and admit them into the highest place of abode, Amen.

    I would ordinary not respond to idle talk from ignorant men, but because of my perceived impression that you ought not to fall within these categories of people, I am tempted to respond to your outburst. I am also not unmindful of the fact that, while your outburst attracted the media and made some headlines, my response may not equally get the same to warrant same treatment for some reasons. You are more a public figure than me by virtue of your pedigree in the history of this nation, the interest of whom you seem to be protecting and the fact that you have all the funds to invite all that you want to invite to be heard.

    You accused General Muhammed Buhari (Rtd) as a conspirator and a liar, a situation that prompted me to question where you got your “Tarbiya) from? (I mean your home training). I know as a fact that, no matter the provocation and our political and religious inclination, some words are heavy words that we will hardly use on elders, most especially on a person old enough to be our father (to be modest). The event in this nation over the last one year is enough for the northerners to start name-callings and raining insults on some individuals from the part of the country you come from, but because we are disciplined and are always admonished to restrain ourselves from the ugly consequences of anger, we have kept our lips shut and watching albeit with keen interest on all the happenings around.

    God forbid, do you think even if the Nigerian armoury and soldiers are mobilized to the North, they can stop anything from happening if these two men were killed? Please Mujahid, do not be led by empty confidence that you have stashed enough weapons to fight anybody; even if you do; we are inclined to believe that no one lives forever. I believe we are at best as one Nigeria.

    Is it not funny to consider a man who fought to preserve the unity of a country a liar? A former minister and Head of State; a man with a genuine followership, a man with a clue on how a country should be run. Let us pray to remain consequential like the general even at this our youth-full like age because many at his age have lost track of the history and prospect of this nation.

    You will agree with me that the prospect of democracy hinges on the viability of opposition. General Buhari’s pedigree has given impetus and meaning to the Nigeria opposition parties. I am sure if General Buhari and the opposition do not exist, the image launderers and the likes will have less patronage by the ruling party.

    I know we represent an important segment of the population (youth?). Our utterances should be guarded. Why should you and I forsake our future of being Nigeria President because we have toed the path of ethnic jingoists?

    Yours truly in the Nigeria project,

     

    • Dr Abdullahi Baba Abdul,
  • Buhari: Asari-Dokubo speaking Jonathan’s mind, says Rep

    Buhari: Asari-Dokubo speaking Jonathan’s mind, says Rep

    Ex-militant leader Asari Dokubo who hurled insults at former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari over the Kaduna is speaking President Goodluck Jonathan’s mind, Deputy House of Representative Minority Leader, Suleiman  Kawu said yesterday.

    In a statement, Kawu expressed regret that Asari-Dokubo had always found it convenient to level allegations of perpetration of violence against the former Head of State and other northern leaders.

    He urged President Jonathan to call Asari-Dokubo to order over his excesses and advised security agencies to investigate the former militant leader and charge him to court for inciting the public.

    Kawu said he was forced to respond to Asari-Dokubo because keeping quiet would amount to allowing  the ex-militant leader to progress in error especially due to the gravity of the allegations he made against the former Head of State.

    The statement said: “We all know that Asari-Dokubo is not worth our time to react to anything he says as he is in the habit of denigrating people of high calibre and unquestionable character.

    “However, I am compelled by the circumstances we found ourselves in the past one week, to as a matter of necessity, respond to some of the grievous allegations Asari-Dokubo made primarily because of the personality involve.

    “At a news conference over the weekend, Asari-Dokubo alleged that our most revered leader and father, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, was responsible for the twin bomb blast that nearly took his life and that of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi in Kaduna.

    “He alleged that Buhari planned the attacks and tried to take his own life.  It is worthy of note here that this is not the first, second and even third time the Niger Delta militant leader would make such allegations against top northern leaders.

    “For two years, Dokubo has been singing war songs, pouring venoms on everyone else who disagreed with the Goodluck Jonathan government.

    “While he continues to run down well-respected leaders and statesmen and castigate the entire northern region, neither President Jonathan nor any of the leaders from the Southsouth region had cared to caution him or call him to order.

    “This latest allegations is the highest form of disrespect, irresponsibility and  the figment of imagination of Asari-Dokubo.

    “Ordinarily, characters like Asari-Dokubo should be cooling their heads in jail for the many sins they have committed against the Nigerian state but today they are not only walking as free men, they are accorded with state protection and cover by the Jonathan administration.

    “In this, we do not need a sooth sayer to tell us that indeed, Asari-Dokubo has been speaking the mind of Goodluck Jonathan and in most cases he spoke on his behalf and at his behest.

    “It is instructive to note that the October 1st Independence day bombing in Abuja is still very much fresh in our minds.

    “Despite desperate attempts by President Goodluck Jonathan to exonerate his kinsmen from it, courts of competent jurisdictions in both Nigeria and South Africa have established that Charles Okah, a former Niger Delta militant leader, was behind it.

    “The circumstances surrounding the twin Kaduna bombings and many others give room for suspicion of some other unseen hands in it other than what we are being told on daily basis by the Federal government and its security agencies.

    “Dokubo, by his utterances, attitude, arrogance and actions does not in any way portray him as a true  Muslim who loves peace.

    “A true and genuine Muslim will at all times preach peace and seek peace but not Dokubo. He is one of those who use the name of Islam for his selfish motive and commit all manner of atrocities.

    “His penchant for violence is unislamic because the Holy prophet said anyone who preaches violence is not with us. He therefore lacks understanding of Islam because what our religion stands for at all times is justice, peace and tranquillity and respect for one another.

    “This is why I am questioning the sincerity of Dokubo’s belief in Islam.

    We are very much suspecting that Asari Dokubo is one of those who joined Islam in order to give it a bad name because his attitude is in total variance with the teaching and tenets of Islam.

    “Islam preaches that when a calamity befalls your brother or any other human being for that matter, you are charged to commiserate with him and show emphaty  and not try to cultivate cheap popularity with it.

    “There’s no provision in Islam that support regionalism or tribalism. Dokubo has said that Jonathan is not qualified to be president. This he admitted but said he supports him because they are brothers from the same place. This is unislamic. It is against Islamic teaching as there is no provision in Islam which promotes sectionalism and tribalism.

    “This further confirms our suspicion that indeed, the Boko Haram violence is being perpetrated by some persons who use Islam but are actually not true and genuine Muslims themselves.

    “But let me warn Dakubo and his cohorts that nobody has the monopoly of violence.”

     

    “The Federal Government should tell the whole world the offence Dokubo committed in Benin Republic when he was arrested last year. They know and Nigerians deserved to be told the truth.

    “Why is it that more than 48 hours after he made the allegations against Buhari, neither the presidency or the federal government has cared to respond to him or even distance themselves from him?

    “Why is it that Jonathan knowing that Dokubo is his kinsman, an Ijaw from the Niger Delta like him, continuos to pour venom on a people and their leaders without calling him to order, Mr. Jonathan has both legal and moral duty to do so but because Dokubo is doing his bidding, the president again and again does not give a damn.

    “Is it that Mr. President thinks Dokubo is helping him by insulting others This I must say is a big minus to the president and his government and that Dokubo is a huge liability to the government than an asset.

  • Asari Dokubo’s wild utterances

    For a period of time, Alhaji Mujaheed Asari Dokubo was off the radar of events until lately when he found his voice to challenge statements, which he perceived to be against re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, his fellow Ijaw man.

    As has been his behaviour, Asari Dokubo lashed politicians in the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Head of State Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who he sees as opponents of Ijaw agenda in 2015. The former Head of State was making a case for free and fair election come 2015, but, in reaction, Dokubo threatened fire and brimstone should President Jonathan not return to office in 2015.

    A few weeks ago, Asari Dokubo roared again. In his usual insolent manner, he made the whole nation know his intention about 2015. He challenged the Boko Haram sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, and his comrades to come out for bloodbath in 2015. He spoke at an event organised by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    As much as I know, Asari Dokubo is not a personnel at the Nigerian Army. He is not a soldier, formal or informal. For all we know, he is a ‘repentant’ militant, an appellation that is close to calling him a terrorist. Inviting Shekau and his terrorist gang to come out for war, in this context, could be likened to the case of a pot calling kettle black.

    Each time Dokubo coughs, he coughs out threats. He breathes out threats of terror and violence. He dares anybody to come out for a battle of might and valour.

    Dokubo must know that Nigeria does not belong to the Niger Delta people alone. Not even this time when a Niger Delta indigene is at the helm of affairs. No ethnic group should think that it has the power to decide who occupies Aso Rock come 2015. Nigeria belongs to all of us.

    For clarification, this writer is from an oil-producing state and I don’t believe in politics of identity. If the people of Nigeria say Jonathan should step down in 2015, it is good; so far such decision represents the wishes of the majority and is subjected to the law of land. If the people, in their majority, say they would support the president to continue, nobody, not even a group of people, can stop him.

    Anyone, who hears or reads Dokubo’s utterances, would see his blind support for Jonathan and his bid to defend the president – whether Jonathan is right or wrong. Dokubo drummed support for Jonathan’s ambition and he did it at a public function without hesitation. To him, Jonathan must be returned as president in 2015 – whether he is suitable or not. This is a wrong approach to politics.

    For his utterances, Dokubo is an ethnocentric and unpatriotic element, who must be under the watch of security agencies. His statements have not been of help to the progress of Nigerian project; he is only interested in pushing the politics of identity and ethnicity down the throats of Nigerians.

    If I were President Jonathan, I would advise Dokubo to keep his mouth shut till after 2015 election, because his dangerous comments may give rise to conflagration that may consume the country in 2015 and make Nigeria ungovernable for the president he is building support for.

    Asari Dokubo must know that our country is not a wrestling ring for terrorists and militants. It is not a field for the display of savagery and lawlessness.

    Granted, the war against Boko Haram elements is a unanimous one, for which every well-meaning Nigerian must stand up and be counted. But winning the war does not depend on the use of one ethnic tactic or sentiment; rather, we must unite against people who want to take away our freedom. You cannot use terrorism to curb terrorism. Whether you call it Niger Delta militant group or Boko Haram, they are all terrorist groups.

    After all, didn’t Asari Dokubo and his boys kidnap and kill people at the peak of the Niger Delta crisis? Didn’t Dokubo and his gang destroy people’s investments and life savings each time they blew up a pipeline in the Niger Delta? They kidnapped foreigners and staff of oil companies for pecuniary gains and hid behind the façade of Niger Delta struggle. Or, perhaps, Dokubo thinks we would have forgotten his past? He would be wrong with that thought.

    In fact, the only thing that differentiates Dokubo from Shekau is amnesty. Were it not for the amnesty programme of President Umaru Musa Ya’Adua, Dokubo and his men would have been in jail for crime they committed against the country.

    If Dokubo feels he can challenge Boko Haram as a one-man-squad, fine. Let him march his army of millitants to Sambisa or wherever Shekau is hiding, with AK-47 and machine guns for a fight.

    Instead of coughing out threats and tension into our ears and making us feel 2015 is a going to be a black year for Nigeria, let him stand up and do something else.

    Or he could join the army and go to Cameroun, Chad or wherever and bring back our 276 abducted school girls. That is a priority to us as Nigerians, not his war-mongering utterances that are capable of causing more division in the country.

  • Before Gen. Asari-Dokubo strikes

    Before Gen. Asari-Dokubo strikes

    In a piece titled ‘If not Jonathan, then who?’, this writer cautioned Nigerians against doing anything that could reawaken the violent wrath of Gen. Mujahid Asari- Dokubo, a leading warlord from the creeks in the Niger Delta. In my two or so encounters with him, I came out with the impression that this billionaire war monger needs more than the expertise of a professional Anger Manager to tuck his rage underneath his heavy beard! He is an interviewer’s nightmare judging from the way he fights his way through words. Every simple question irks him and he is quick at shouting through his response. Some call him an empty blabber out to make a fortune from the ‘art’. But, as the nation inches towards another general election, many are becoming wary of typecasting this man who continually vows hell and bedlam should the electorate make the mistake of voting for any candidate other than his kinsman, President Goodluck Jonathan. Now, what was initially waved off as a rant is shaping into a clear and present danger. Those who think democracy gives them the power of choice are already having a rethink as the fear of Gen. Asari-Dokubo is the beginning of political wisdom! When he first broached his “it’s Jonathan or nothing” idea, those who did not know the vastness of his power called on the relevant security authorities to caution him or get him arrested. In fact, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ali Sani Madaki, had, in May, 2013, expressed the fear that Asari-Dokubo’s hard stance was “capable of creating disunity and disaffection among the good people of Nigeria.” I remember vividly that the police authorities had described the call for his arrest as unwarranted as he had not committed any offence by voicing out his thoughts on an election that was yet to take place. Now, don’t ask me why Mallam Nasir el-Rufai was ‘questioned’ when he twitted on the likelihood of violent consequences should the 2015 elections be tampered with. I doubt if an egghead like el-Rufai was expecting to be ‘ignored’ by the authorities anyway. If he had danced to the rhythm coming from Asari-Dokubo’s guitar, he wouldn’t have suffered the indignity of an invitation by the State Security Services. Or would he? Quite honestly, I don’t see why the ‘peace-loving’ people of Nigeria should find it difficult to accede to Asari-Dokubo’s superior argument on why the tenant living in Aso Rock should not be evicted from that palace till 2019. After all, what’s four years in the life of a nation, especially one swimming in the ocean of oil money from the Niger Delta? If only some needlessly ambitious politicians can shelve the thought of taking over the mantle of leadership in 2015, the peace that we all crave for would no longer seem that elusive. In fact, it is this stubborn insistence by some persons to contest the presidential seat with Jonathan that has driven the ex-militant into riotous rage. Now, he spits fire. He says the ex-militants are regrouping and piling up weapons in preparation for a total war against Nigeria should they make the mistake of not returning Jonathan as President in the 2015 elections. He promises just one surprise: hell on earth! Listen to him: “If it is war the North wants, we are ready for them because Jonathan must complete the mandatory constitutionally allowable two terms of eight years. At home, we have regrouped and we have put our people on the alert. In less than one hour, the way we would strike, the world will be shocked. If anybody does anything against Jonathan, we will retaliate. What we will do will shock the whole world. We will cripple the economy of the country not only in the creeks, but also on the nation’s territorial waters, no vessel will be allowed to enter Nigeria’s territorial waters. Let them not try anything. If they abuse Jonathan, there is no problem. He is their President , but anything that will affect the interest of the Ijaw people and the interest of the entire people of the Niger Delta will be resisted at any cost. Jonathan cannot be defeated, they cannot defeat him. They don’t have the right. Every part of the country must have equal stake in the presidency of the country. Let them go and sleep in their houses. If they don’t, they are looking for trouble and we are going to give it to them. It will make better sense if the All Progressives Congress picks its presidential candidate from the South- South. With that, there will be no battle for us to fight and it will make it easier for us. Whichever way it goes, it will enable us to continue our right of uninterrupted rule of eight years, which is the minimum constitutional requirement. They cannot take that from the South-South and we will not accept it because every part of the country must have equal access to the various institutions of government, especially at the federal level.” How else can it be broken down for us to understand? In my view, what Mr. Ex-Militant is asking for, even if he now speaks under the influence of a spirited dose of presidential amnesty, is the kind of chop-make-I-chop arrangements that has made governance such an enigma in Nigeria. If a man is constitutionally empowered to take charge for eight solid years regardless of how bad things have become under his watch in the first tenure, why stop him from completing the rot? That, I guess, would be tantamount to spiting his people and it would be against the principles of equity, justice and fairness. Whatever we consider to be Jonathan’s sins, they should not be that grave to the point of stopping him from completing the ‘mandatory’ eight years! That’s all Asari-Dokubo is asking for and we dare call for his arrest! Would we rather have him unleash war on us when he has willingly offered a generous condition for peace? Besides, those who label him a rebel without a cause are at their mischievous best. Where were they when he listed Jonathan’s achievements as including the free flow of traffic on the Benin/Lagos road; the frenetic pace of work on the Abuja/Lokoja road; the revitalisation of the rail transport system which now ferries millions of Nigerians across the country; and the stoppage of what used to be endless university lecturers’ strikes among many others? Didn’t he whine then that Jonathan was doing all this while he completely neglected the Niger Delta? What benefits would then accrue to the Niger Delta people if we rush Jonathan out of the seat in 2015? Yet, it’s not as if all hope is lost. There is no price too heavy to pay to for peace. In their sobering moment, the ‘greedy politicians’ that Asari-Dokubo referred to in his comments should send a high-powered delegation to the warlord, pleading for forgiveness. In fact, they should seize such opportunity to open negotiations with him. As for the APC, it shouldn’t be out of place if the party’s leadership offers him an automatic ticket to contest for the Presidency under its banner. In that way, they would have killed two birds with a stone. Two great sons from the South-South would be stepping forward for the good people of Nigeria to endorse. On the one hand would be the miracle worker from Otuoke. On the other hand would be the fiery fighter who once boasted that any attempt to arrest him would have dire consequences for Nigeria! “I am saying it bold and clear without mincing words, that the consequences of my arrest, Nigeria will be history. The last time Obasanjo arrested me, my arrest reduced Nigeria oil production to 700,000 barrels per day. This time, it will reduce it to zero barrel and we will match violence with violence, intrigues with intrigues. We are ready for them.” He once fired. Dramatically, reports just filtered in that he was eventually invited for a chat by the SSS and released after six-hour grilling. I just hope this would not lead to any ‘consequences’ in the next few weeks. The fanfare, a newspaper reported, ended with a caution! And so, I end this note with the exact words lifted from the last paragraphs in the earlier piece quoted above: Those who say the Jonathan train should be stopped because Nigeria is tottering on the brink of anarchy miss the point. It is not really important whether he has the capacity to rein in the terror that has assailed the nation. It matters not whether he is slow and sadly effete at tackling the ills that continue to plague the society. It doesn’t even matter if billions of petrodollars have been declared missing by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria. This is not about the billions of dollars being lost to oil theft and its deleterious effect on revenue allocation to the states. It is not about whether Nigeria is broke or buoyant. This debate is not about how guns echo sorrowful lullabies and ignite teardrops in our homes. It is about the politics of leadership in a nation that is forever perched on a plateau of non-populist leaders’ delusion of grandeur. It is not even about war and peace. Instead, it is about something more pedestrian than the lure of the stomach which has propelled many to think through their buttocks—what the National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (is he still on that sea?), Mr. Adewole Adeyanju, tagged “turn by turn-by-turn Nigeria Limited.” Being a man of figures, Adeyanju simplified all the fiery ranting of Asari-Dokubo thus: “PDP has leaders and we know them. Today, our leader is the President and Commander of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. This man is from the South-South. The best thing to do for Nigeria to sustain peace is to make Nigeria turn-byturn Nigeria Limited. That’s why we can talk two terms. South-South is there now and we should just allow them to do two terms and that is how Nigeria can survive.” And so, neither cluelessness nor outright incompetence can stop the moving train in this asphyxiating environment of government by the whim! I guess that other than ours, no other system can produce a wimp robed in the guise of a freedom fighter. So much for democracy!

  • SSS quizzes Asari-Dokubo

    SSS quizzes Asari-Dokubo

    The State Security Service (SSS) yesterday grilled ex Niger Delta militant, Alhaji Muhajid Asari-Dokubo at the Service’s headquarters, Abuja for about six hours.

    Asari-Dokubo, on the invitation of the SSS, arrived the headquarters about 10am and was engaged by investigators till he was let off at about 4pm.

    He was accompanied by a lawyer from the chambers of Festus Keyamo, a former chairman of Asari Toru council in Rivers State, Lagos lawyer Chief Aroloyeteim Brown, some chiefs from the Niger Delta and some members of his group.

    A source in SSS said: “Although we have cautioned Asari-Dokubo, we will also place him under watch.

    “We warned him to desist from inflammatory comments or else we will deal with him according to the law of the land.

    “We have extracted a commitment from him to retrace his steps and mind his language. We hope he will honour this pledge.”

    The Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the SSS, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We have said it that we will not condone reckless statements which are capable of plunging this nation into crisis.

    “We will ensure that the law takes its course on whoever makes such comments. This is why we invited Asari-Dokubo. Nobody is too big or small to be quizzed by this commission.”

    The comments which landed Dokubo in SSS net are as follows: “If it is war, the North wants, we are ready for them because Jonathan must complete the mandatory constitutionally-allowable two terms of eight years. At home, we have regrouped and we have put our people at alert.

    “In less than one hour, the way we would strike, the world will be shocked. If anybody does anything against Jonathan, we will retaliate. What we will do will shock the whole world. We will cripple the economy of the country not only in the creeks, but also on the nation’s territorial waters, no vessel will be allowed to enter Nigeria’s territorial waters.

    “Let them not try anything. If they abuse Jonathan, there is no problem, he is their President but anything that will affect the interest of the Ijaw people and the interest of the entire people of the Niger Delta will be resisted at any cost.”

    “Let them go and sleep in their houses. If they don’t, they are looking for trouble and we are going to give it to them. It will make better sense if APC picks its presidential candidate from the South- South. With that, there will be no battle for us to fight and it will make it easier for us. Whichever way it goes, it will enable us to continue our right of uninterrupted rule of eight years, which is the minimum constitutional requirement.

    “They cannot take that from the South-South and we will not accept it because every part of the country must have equal access to the various institutions of government, especially at the federal level.”

    Speaking with reporters shortly before he entered the premises of the SSS, Asari-Dokubo said: “I am here to honour the SSS invitation. I don’t know if it is an arrest. Am not afraid of arrest, and I have never been. Arrest is part of the dividend of the struggle. I have been arrested 73 times, today’s arrest will be making it the 74th time.

    “I am going into the SSS headquarters with my prayer mat, my Quoran, tisbih, toilet bag, which contains my toothpaste and toothbrush. I’m also here with my drugs. I am fully prepared. If the SSS decides to arrest me, I’m ready to stay”.

    Asari-Dokubo spoke on his experience during his six-hour encounter.

    He said: “It was a routine question and answer on my interviews. I gave them my opinion and reasons. I told them that it is wrong for some people to be treated as if they are above the law, as if they have the right to threaten others, make inciting comments and continue to intimidate people and get away with it.”

    He told reporters that he was asked to make a statement and warned not to do anything that could overheat the system.

    Asari-Dokubo, who described himself as a regular visitor to the SSS, said his arrest should serve as a warning to those that have made inciting comments and threat in the polity.

    “My arrest has given us the opportunity to tell them that they should stop making inciting comments and stop threatening others, because if they do that now, they must also be arrested.”