Jonathan: Ijaw Leaders Storm Kaduna, Lobby ACF

Samuel Aruwan


The leadership of Ijaw National Congress (INC) yesterday stormed Kaduna and held a closed door meeting with the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the North's apex socio-cultural organisation.

A source told LEADERSHIP that the visit of the kinsmen of the Acting President was mainly to prevail on the ACF to support Goodluck Jonathan towards stabilising his government, and to re-awaken the long time political alliances between the southern Nigerian minority, and the Northern.

the source who pleaded anonymity further argued, "You can now see the dynamics of politics. A short time ago, the Arewa were called parasites and other derogatory names but now its support is needed.

The region would continue to stand on the side that constitutionality become order of the day so that democracy and good governance will thrive and bring about progress and Nigeria's development" .

Earlier before preceding for a meeting with the ACF leadership, the INC, led by its national president, Dr. Atuboyedia Wolfe Obianime, said the North is home to them and that South-South people had been engaged in political activities with the North for over three decades, saying, "If you remember when the ethnic parties took control of this country before independent, the British said that they would not hand over to any party that did not show national character, and so it fell on the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) to liaise and work with the Niger Delta Congress (NDC) which was basically formed and funded by the Ijaw people of the Niger Delta.”

Based on the results at that time the NPC won the election as at that time and the British handed over power for the first time to a black man.

“I also want to place before you that because of our belief in unity we have been using our block votes and all the things that are necessary for northern candidates to assume political power in this country, and so I would gladly mention Alhaji Shehu Shagari. So we have always done this business together".

Recalling the days of the Nigeria civil war, which he posited that the Ijaw nation also contributed in the indivisibility of Nigeria, Dr Obianime, stated

"It is also on record that during the Nigerian civil war it was also the Ijaws who with their faith in the common destiny and unity of the country, worked assiduously with the Federal Government, paid the supreme prize and also did whatever they had to do to keep Nigeria united.”

In his address ACF's Chairman General IBM Haruna extolled the commitment and sacrifice of past leaders whom he said ensured the stability of the country making it a sovereign state and inculcating the culture of positive integration beyond their regions and devoid of ethnic and political aggrandizement.

He also added that it was a good culture and antecedent that had happened to Nigeria, which religion and ethnic rivalry did not mar the attainment of independence.