Comrade Robinson Writes Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa State

••••A Reminder to HE, Senator Douye Diri, Executive Governor of Bayelsa State to expedite action on a free, fair and credible process to institute a viable leadership of the Ijaw National Congress(INC)!!!!

Your Excellency, permit me to use this open medium to remind you of your promise to support in reviving the now comatose INC and with all humility my desire to write to you among other Governors is because you are my Governor, and Bayelsa is the Center piece of the Ijaw Nation and your past records as well as amiable demeanor in seeing the advancement and development of the Ijaw Nation.

Your Excellency, as you know, the Ijaws living in the Deltiac region of the current Nigerian State cutting across several sub-national States like Rivers,Delta,Ondo, Edo, Cross Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa State were a free living, independent and prosperous people before 1914. We lived peacefully in our environment, depending mostly on our environment and trading with our neighbors from the East, West and North.
When the Ijaw had encounters with the Europeans ,they became our trading partners until 1895 when the white men wanted to exploit our hospitality and free heartedness by marginalizing us in our own environment and natural resources, causing the King Frederick William Koko, Mingi VIII, Amayanabo of Nembe led Akassa War. The late King then symbolically represented the voice of the Ijaws.
Your Excellency, little did we know that after 1914 and over a Century, the Ijaws will be confronted with the same force of exploitation, marginalization, underdevelopment, neglect and threat of annexation. I do not need to remind you of the struggle for emancipation within these over 100 years as I know you have a deep knowledge of our history. Sadly, Your Excellency, we are not contending with the white man anymore, but with a Nigerian State and enemies within for diverse reasons and tragically, we dont have a symbolic unifying voice like King Frederick William Koko, Major Isaac Adaka Boro and other late Patriots of blessed memory!!

The INC was established in 1991 and as a young boy I had the rumors right in the creeks of Nembe and as children we were excited because we loved the exploits of Boro and hoped that the INC will be symbolic in representing all of us and ensuring the interests of Ijaws are protected. Unfortunately, several years after, I see a comatose INC, that has become a laughing stock among the Committee of Ethnic National Associations in Nigeria.
Your Excellency, I do not intend to bore you with complains of where and who should be blamed, but to suggest strategic ways forward because these are opportune times and you represent hope to many.
First, as you promised some few weeks back, it is time to allow, support and coordinate a process for the establishment of a viable and credible leadership of the INC. I am aware of the several botched Elections and the efforts already made to harmonize the various interests. Your Excellency Sir, I think these processes should be as free, fair, credible and non-partisan as much as possible.

In your over a year stay as Governor, you have shown your commitment to peace, collaboration and dialogue, I wish you also extend that to resolving the leadership crisis in INC. In the spirit of brotherliness, let key stakeholders be integrated and all clans carried along as the goal is to have an effective INC leadership that will collaborate with political leaders as partners not people that will see you as their master.

Your Excellency, let me conclude by adding that those who have a deep knowledge of our political environment understand the deep water you have been thrown into, expectations are extremely high, socio-economic conditions are rapidly changing and the political context is very uncertain,but navigating dangerous terrains means taking one-step at a time. May the good Lord guide you with the Wisdom to do what is right at all times!!

Comrade Robinson Kuroghobogha wrote from the heart of the very Republican Brave City State of Nembe