President of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities, FNDIC, Chief Bello Oboko says Prof. Benjamin Ogele Okaba, the newly elected President of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, and his executive council have the historic Kaiama Declaration and the FNDIC Oporoza Declaration as guide, going forward. The inauguration of the new executive council is billed for Friday, May 14, 2021.
For success to be achieve speed and energy is needed
Oboko, who congratulated Prof. Okaba on his victory said while the Kaiama Declaration harps on resource control, environmental justice and self-determination within Nigeria, the FNDIC Oporoza Declaration additionally centres on equal political space for Ijaw wherever they are and other ethnic groups in the Nigerian democracy.
Oboko said because of the struggle of “genuine custodians of the Kaiama Declaration and the FNDIC Oporoza Declaration, the Ijaw nation subsequently achieved getting a President, members of the National Assembly, Governors and good number of men and women elected and appointed into positions of authority. The establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Niger Delta Ministry, NDM, Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme, Nigerian Maritime University, to say the least, were equally achieved”.
The FNDIC president, who is the Ebiyedouwei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, lamented the comatose state of INC for long, while quoting a Swazi proverb which states that “before we know where we are going, we must know were we are and where we have come from”.
Oboko said in the “new dawn” promised by Prof. Okaba, “where there is no gun culture, you can be sure of our support too well when you hit the ground running”.
“On your diligent watch, to rally Ijaw ethnic nationality again to place the Ijaw Agenda on the front burner in Nigeria may be easy”, Oboko enthused.