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Tag: Asari-Dokubo

  • Alhaji Asari-Dokubo: What manner of a man!

    It is almost becoming a fact that ex-militant, self-acclaimed freedom fighter, founder of a ‘university’, father and husband, Alhaji Muhahid Asari-Dokubo, does not know how to say good things. These days when he opens his mouth, nothing dignifying comes out of it. For a man, who beats his chest to say he owns a university in Benin Republic, it is disturbing in the sense that it makes men of good conscience wonder what sort of knowledge his varsity imparts on the students.

    Asari-Dokubo, in his latest verbal violence, threatened that the country would be made ungovernable if his brother, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, does not get re-elected in 2015. There is no better way to describe the statement other than in these words: reckless, irresponsible and condemnable. What gave Asari-Dokubo the confidence to issue threats? What he has preached is anarchy and nothing else. He should remember that Jonathan once said his ambition is not worth anyone’s blood. He should be told that anyone, no matter how big, is more important than his country.

    He said Jonathan ‘must complete the mandatory constitutionally-allowable two terms of eight years’ or the militants will make Nigeria ungovernable. He was even inciting the North.

    It means nothing to Asari-Dokubo that aside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which President Jonathan belongs, there are other political parties, the most formidable being the All Progressives Congress (APC). For the next election, the PDP will most likely field Jonathan. The APC will field another candidate. If APC’s stride continues, the party will become more formidable and stand the chance of thrashing Jonathan. He overstretched his luck by even trying to dictate to political parties to field only Southsouth candidates for the presidency in 2015. Is Asari-Dokubo saying the APC should not field its candidate? That certainly will not be democracy anymore.

    It must also be pointed out that Dokubo-Asari came out as a man who loves speaking from both sides of the mouth in his National Mirror interview. In one breath, he threatened vessels would not be allowed to ply Niger Delta’s waterways, among other economic sabotage activities, if Jonathan does not get re-elected, in another he said Jonathan was leading the country astray and that his aides were making things worse for him. Common sense would have dictated that if Asari-Dokubo feels Jonathan and his aides are not helping the country, they deserve to be shown the exit out of power. But the ethnic champion in Asari-Dokubo made him declare that despite Jonathan’s shortcomings, he must still lead Nigeria. Or is it the prospect of his pipeline contract being re-considered that made him speak from both sides of the mouth?

    Well, our last word to Asari-Dokubo, no man has the monopoly of violence. And violence usually begets violence and the country and its people will be the worse for it. And we are sure when that happens, you will run to Benin Republic, where Jonathan recently saved you from their police, or elsewhere, leaving the poor, which you pretend to speak for, alone. All alone.

     

  • SSS quizzes Dokubo over ‘inflammatory’ comments

    SSS quizzes Dokubo over ‘inflammatory’ comments

    The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Mujahideen Dokubo-Asari, was on Thursday arrested by the State Security Service over his alleged threat of bloodshed if President Goodluck Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015.

    He is currently being quizzed at the SSS headquarters in Abuja.

    Reports say the ex- militant leader Dokubo, arrived the SSS headquarters at about 10am on Thursday, accompaigned by his lawyer and some of his lieutenants .

    The SSS Deputy Director, Public Relations, Marilyn Ogar, said Dokubo is being quizzed because of the comments.

     

  • Asari-Dokubo’s Benin adventures

    Mujahid Asari Dokubo is a man of mystery. The one-time leader of the defunct Niger Delta Volunteer Forces – one of the groups that led a violent uprising against the Federal Government in the riverine creeks – doesn’t like to be called a militant – and for good reason, too.

    These days he’s more of a wheeler-dealer who takes time once in a while to unleash verbal political missiles. When he’s not threatening to break up Nigeria if Goodluck Jonathan is not reelected in 2015, he’s cosying-up to the likes of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) founder, Dr. Frederick Fasehun, Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Ralph Uwazurike and former Chief Security Officer to late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (rtd).

    For some reason that has not been made public, Dokubo found himself behind bars in the neighbouring Benin Republic where he stays on and off this past week. What many find mystifying is that the activist is not just some ordinary tourist but a major investor in that tiny country. He is said to own businesses and even a university.

    No doubt the man fancies himself as something of a pan-Africanist. But wouldn’t it be interesting to know whether he maintains this same impressive business profile in the region which economic conditions he once agitated over.

  • I don’t hate Northerners – Dokubo -Asari

    I don’t hate Northerners – Dokubo -Asari

    Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, on Thursday said it was unfortunate that some of his strong views on national issues have been translated to mean that he hates the north.

    Asari told reporters at a press conference in Abuja that having spent the greater part of his life in the struggle to defend the oppressed, it would be wrong for people to consider him as one who hates the north or any other part of the country.

    The former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) however insisted that he would never shy away from speaking the truth, not minding who feels offended.

    He noted that it is time for Nigerians to face realities and come together to fight the injustice in the land.

    This, he said would ensure that they do not go back to the “era of darkness, especially now that the calls for a sovereign national conference have become louder.”

    He stressed that a new vista of interaction has been opened with people across the country where everyone has shown commitment to “midwife a genuine rebirth of mutual cooperation, love and unity amongst ourselves and all our various people.”

    He said: “Most of my address has been translated as hatred against the north, this is far from the truth, because the word hatred has never existed in my dictionary.

    “But I will never shy away from stating the fact, not minding who feels happy or sad about it.

    “I have spent most of my life, in my close to 50 years that Allah has graciously allowed me to live so far, in the forefront of various struggles against oppressions of my people and others. I cannot do this if I hate any part of the country. But I will remain consistent in the fight against oppression.

    “It is time for us to face the obvious realities and come together to fight and ensure we don’t go back to the era of darkness, especially now that the calls for a Sovereign National Conference have become louder.

    “We believe that with the appearance of true, sincere and genuine northerners, a new page of interaction has been open, where we see ourselves as equals and our interest as closely knitted.

    “These genuine patriots have assured and confirmed to us that those who held the disgraceful and racial belief of being superior to others and are born to rule do not represent the overwhelming majority of the people of the north.”

     

     

  • Let’s call Asari-Dokubo to order

    THE sage was right. Violence does not pay. There is nowhere that violence yields positive result; it breeds only chaos and disorderliness. The threat of it, if left unchecked, can snowball into an uncontrollable monster. It is a pity that Nigeria is a place where anything happens. It is, undoubtedly, a place where despicable things can be done freely. Surprising is the fact that, in the face of such wicked acts, silence remains the response from the people whose responsibility it is to enforce law and order.

    Recently, Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, who thinks he is bigger than the country; a ‘repentant’ militant, who despite being given the grace of amnesty, taunted Nigerians, when he declared that Nigeria will know no peace if Jonathan did not return as president in 2015 elections.

    Inflammatory as this statement may be, a patient man may ignore it as the ranting of an idle man. Anybody taking the statement lightly does so at his own risk because when Asari-Dokubo was pressured to retract the comment, the sturdy ex-Niger Delta militant dropped another broadside, which seemed to make his initial threat more disturbing.

    He said: “I stand by my statement; there will be no peace, not only in Niger Delta, but in Nigeria, if Jonathan is not elected president by 2015.”

    Coincidentally, President Goodluck Jonathan’s Special Adviser on Niger Delta and chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Kingsley Kuku, also made similar war-mongering statement in the United States (US).

    Given his autecedents, Asari-Dokubo is known to be vile.

    It was noted by T. Lawrence that “all men dream, but not equally”. Those who dream by night wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes and make it possible.

    Asari-Dokubo is indeed a dreamer of the day, and it is disturbing that after he made the provocative statement, nothing has been done to caution his unbridled lips. Yes, there was a call by the Aminu Tambuwal-led House of Representatives on the law enforcement agency to charge him with incitement. Yes, there have been requests to the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to investigate the duo of Kuku and Asari-Dokubo.

    But this is Nigeria where people and authorities don’t act proactively. Absolutely nothing will come out of the call for prosecution of the two Niger Delta men. We know that Asari-Dokubo will continue to walk freely, despite the fact that his statement has potential to incite Nigerians against one another.

    The worrisome comments and other events can make one question the very essence of amnesty for the Niger Delta militants. Etymologically, the word amnesty originated from the Greek word, “amnestia”, which implies pardon of wrong offences or misdeed. Past offences are, after granting amnesty, forgiven but such pardon is indeed predicated on the promise by the person(s) being forgiven not to err again.

    So, the amnesty-giver says to the beneficiary: “go and sin no more”. But in Nigerian context, the reverse is the case. In 2009, the Niger Delta militants were given amnesty and Asari-Dokubo was among the beneficiary. But it didn’t end there; by being the garrison commander of 4,000 militants, Asari-Dokubo got cash gifts and patronage to surrender his group’s arsenal to the authority.

    Given his criminal activities in the creeks of the Niger Delta, Asari-Dokubo deserves state punishment. But he was pardoned. Now, a man who was asked ‘to go and sin no more’ has come back again to dare us to our faces, threatening hell and fury should his benefactor failed to return to the country’s coveted office of the presidency in 2015. This is the product of amnesty!

    What makes Asari-Dokubo so sure that Goodluck Jonathan is popular among the Nigerian electorate? Though the election is two years away, there is no gainsaying the fact that Asari-Dokubo and his co-travellers in “no Jonathan, no Nigeria” must have been scheming to make the 2015 electoral process a fait accompli.

    The comments from these petty people should be seen as drumbeats of violence, which could mar the election. In my past articles on these pages, I noted that there is fire on the Nigerian mountain. Truly, the conflagration is still much around, burning rapidly and threatening to consume the mountain itself.

    The evil of violence or the threat of it is often long-lived and catastrophic. Sophocles Antigone, a philosopher, noted: “There is no greater evil than anarchy”. The wave of anarchy and terrorism ravaging the nation were undermined in the past. Now, suicide bombing and large-scale terrorism is with us.

    This is why the law enforcement agency must not disregard the statement credited to Asari-Dokubo and Kuku, for their incendiary comments may assume life of their own and give vent to another rebellion, which may tear the country apart.

    True, like every other Nigerian, Asari dokubo has his right to freedom of expression, but the right of one man ends where the right of another begins. By virtue of Section 45 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the right of freedom of expression can be derogated from and curtailed (a) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality…or (b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedom of other persons.

    Asari-Dokubo and his co-travellers should be cautioned and compelled by security agents to issue a public apology to Nigerians. In Nigeria’s Criminal Law, Asari-Dokubo’s and Kuku’s comments do not amount to treason, and the statements have not been criminalised by any municipal law. As such, legal action may not be taken against them. The onus, therefore, lies on our lawmakers to fix this lacuna in our laws, and enact a law which will, henceforth, criminalise incendiary comments.

    Uche, 500-Level Law, UNIZIK

  • PDP: Sack Tukur for incompetence – Wamakko

    PDP: Sack Tukur for incompetence – Wamakko

    … Says, ‘We’re not fighting the party, but injustice’

    Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto state Wednesday night urged President Goodluck Jonathan to order the removal of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party for incompetence.

    The governor also came down hard on the former federal commissioner of information, Chief Edwin Clark, Ahmed Gulak, and the ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Asari Dokubo.

    He said Nigerian leaders and the citizens must come together to safe the nation’s democracy.

    Wamakko explained that he and other like- minded governors as well other democrats are not fighting the party but the recurring injustices in order to have “a united Nigeria.”

    The governor spoke in Sokoto while addressing his supporters shortly on arrival from a two- week trip to the Netherlands where he attended an economic summit with his counterparts from other states.

    He said, ‘’ As leaders, there is no retreat no surrender on our pursuit towards stabilising the confidence of the citizenry for a prosperous nation. ’

    ” Our pride should be to defend the course of justice and fair play for the desired unity, strength and progress.”

    The governor, who spoke publicly for the first time since his suspension by the party’s National Working Committee, said their collective believe was to ensure the rule of law and unity of Nigeria as a nation.

    ‘’ We are law abiding democrats who respect the rule of law and rights of others in the course of ensuring that the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians are me, “ he told the gathering.

    On Tukur, Wamakko said the PDP national chairman cannot bring fame to the party.

    “He (Tukur) is a political boot licker who cannot bring fame to the party. We don’t have confidence in him anymore. A chairman cannot be running the party as his private entity without due consideration for the party’s status,” he said.

    While reaffirming that he remains in the PDP, Wamakko maintained that Tukur who have lost the confidence of his people in Adamawa should not be allowed to stagnate the party whose mission and visions were in the best interest of a vibrant and more objective politicking.

    He described Clark as a colossal liability than asset to the government, saying ‘’ I was unhappy with a development where Gowon and former president Shehu Shagari were given lesser prominence to Clark. This action should not be allowed to happen again in this country because it is wrong and painful.”

    He also called for the arrest and prosecution of Asari Dokubo.

     

     

  • Senator to Asari-Dokubo: stop threatening Nigeria’s unity

    Senator to Asari-Dokubo: stop threatening Nigeria’s unity

    The senator representing Osun East in the National Assembly, Christopher Babajide Omoworare, has warned the leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, as well as others like him, to stop threatening the nation’s peace and unity because of President Goodluck Jonathan’s second term ambition in 2015.

    Addressing reporters in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, the lawmaker representing what is called the “Ife-Ijesha Zone” on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), noted that people are better informed now than they were during the 2011 presidential election.

    According to him, Jonathan cannot secure five per cent of the total votes of Nigerians, considering the present state of the nation.

    Omoworare said: “Asari-Dokubo and his colleagues should stop their threats. Nothing will happen if Jonathan is voted out. He is not bigger than Nigeria. What we are saying is that we should allow whoever has the competence, depth and understanding of the nation’s fundamental challenges to lead us. Governance is not about good luck; it is about hard work and intelligence.

    “(Former President Olusegun) Obasanjo and Jonathan tactically avoided presidential debates to tell the nation how much they knew about the nation and its challenges. We want someone who will convince us he has the capacity to lead us.

    “Jonathan should pack his bag and baggage and leave. He has done enough for his village with the church and university he built for them. He should stop hounding perceived enemies. This is democracy. Freedom of association, of speech and the people’s fundamental rights must be respected. This is not a military era. People should be allowed to flourish.

    “Coercion can no longer work. People are more determined than ever before not to be intimidated. When other political parties are forging alliances to help the nation out of the woods, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is going round the country solving internal crises. Today, the PDP is bad news.”

  • Amaechi is a traitor and will be treated as such –Asari-Dokubo

    Amaechi is a traitor and will be treated as such –Asari-Dokubo

    • ‘No! I’m not. Our rivals are bad losers’ – Amaechi

    • Obio/Akpor LG secretariat: No going back on workers’ warning strike – Rivers labour leaders

    Former militant and leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo, yesterday described Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State as a traitor to the cause of the Niger Delta by seeking re-election as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF).

    Many supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan including Asari-Dokubo regard Amaechi’s decision to contest the election which he won as a slight on the President.

    Asari-Dokubo, speaking on a phone-in radio programme in Port Harcourt, accused the governor of confronting the President, a fellow Niger Delta citizen and working against his interest for s second term in office in 2015.

    He declared that the re-elected chairman of the NGF (Amaechi) would be treated like a traitor, having been confronting President Jonathan, his kinsman from the Niger Delta, who wants to seek re-election in 2015.

    But the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Emmanuel Chinda, dismissed Asari-Dokubo’s claim and said opponents of the governors are bad losers.

    Chinda said it is Asari-Dokubo and a few others who are creating problems between President Jonathan and the Rivers governor for their selfish interests.

    The former militant said of the governor: “Amaechi and his ambition must be tied to the ambition of his people. In Kano, Amaechi said he would run as vice-president, if invited. I speak with all sense of responsibility. The oppressed people of the Niger Delta, through President Jonathan, will win in 2015. We will win clearly and convincingly.

    “Amaechi is a traitor and he will be treated like a traitor. Amaechi is not more Ikwerre than me. It is about liberty to rule. Amaechi wants to take us back to slavery. It will not be possible. The era of Northern godfathers is gone.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan will win in 2015. If they do not allow him to win, they will not be able to handle the consequences. End must come to the suppression, oppression, repression and marginalisation of the people of the Niger Delta.”

    Meanwhile, the chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Rivers State, Dr. Chris Oruge, and his Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) counterpart, Chika Onuegbu, have declared that there is no going back on the workers’ two-day warning strike from tomorrow.

    The strike is to back up the workers’ demand for the withdrawal of policemen occupying the secretariat of Obio/Akpor Local Government of the state as fallout of the crisis rocking the PDP in the state.

    A high court has also ordered the police to vacate the premises.

    The labour leaders said the police action is obstructing their members from earning their daily bread.

    They said: “We (labour leaders) have no business with politics. We are focusing on the rights and privileges of the workers. We do not want police of occupation and dictatorship. Police also have no power to ban peaceful demonstrations and protests. They should not drag labour into political crisis.”

  • QUOTE OF THE DAY

    QUOTE OF THE DAY

    “Elections should be a free and fair affair. So, it is wrong for anyone or group to threaten to go to war over election. It is about people making their choice.

    Everyone is free to offer himself for election, but it is the duty of the people to choose whoever they want.”- The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, on the threat made by ex-Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo if President Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015.

  • Stop threatening war over 2015 poll, Tukur warns Dokubo, others

    Stop threatening war over 2015 poll, Tukur warns Dokubo, others

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has sent a word of caution to ex Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokunbo and others threatening to go to war if President Goodluck Jonathan is not re-elected in 2015.

    Speaking with reporters at the party secretariat on Monday, Tukur said it is wrong for anyone to make such threats over election, saying democracy is about people making a free choice through the ballot.

    Ex- Niger Delta militant, Dokunbo and the Special Adviser to the President, Mr. Kinsley Kuku were, in separate statements penultimate week, quoted to have said the people in the Niger Delta region will go to war if President Jonathan fail to secure re-election in 2015.

    Tukur said there was no reason for such threats as the present administration will guarantee free and fair elections for the Nigerian people. He stressed that election is a competition in which the people are allowed to freely choose their leaders at the poll.

    According to him, in a free and fair election, there is no reason for losers or any group to threaten war if their preferred candidate did not win election.

    “Elections should be a free and fair affair. So it is wrong for anyone or group to threaten to go to war over election. It is about people making their choice.

    “Everyone is free to offer himself for election but it is the duty of the people to choose whoever they want,” he affirmed.