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‘Enough of Ijaw marginalisation’BY SUNDAY ANI
Chairman, Niger Delta Nationalities Forum, Lagos, Mr. Seigha Manager, may not be a known personality in Nigerian politics but that cannot be said of him when it comes to the politics of his home state, Delta state. In this interview with the Daily Sun, he raises serious concern about the political development in Delta State, as it affects the Ijaw people. He said among other things, that the development, if not properly handled, might likely re-awaken the age-long Ijaw/Itshekiri hostilities in the state.
Excerpts…
You are quoted to have cried out in several fora that the Ijaws in Delta state were being marginalised; what exactly is the issue?
In Delta State, South-south Nigeria, the Ijaw is one of the major groups. It is also a statement of fact that of all the tribes in Delta, Ijaw people are the most marginalised because of their riverine nature. Apart from Senator James Manager, who currently represents Delta South Senatorial District in the senate, there is no Ijaw man or woman from Delta State that is holding any meaningful elective office. At the inception of democracy in 1999, James Ibori, an Uhrobo man with Itshekiri link, became the governor and served for eight years, leaving office in 2007. The present governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, an Itshekiri, was a very prominent player in Ibori’s government. He was at different times the Commissioner for Health and the Secretary to the Delta State Government during that regime. He later succeeded Ibori, as the governor and has now spent over seven and half years in office.
Delta South Senatorial District where the Ijaws are found, has eight local government areas out of which the Ijaws co-habit in six. Out of the six local government areas in the zone where the Ijaws live, the three local government areas of Burutu, Patani and Bomadi are 100 per cent inhabited by the Ijaws. Warri Southwest, Warri South and Warri North are inhabited by the Ijaws and Itshekiris on equal proportion. The Isoko ethnic nationality occupies the remaining two local government areas; namely Isoko South and North. This makes the Ijaw the largest among the three tribes in the Delta South Senatorial Zone. Even with this population, a critical look at the political setting in the state clearly shows that the Ijaws have been greatly marginalised. Itshekiri is the smallest tribe among the three tribes. However, when it comes to who gets what, when and how in the state, the Itsekiris are the lords.
You also said the situation had not made the relationship between the Ijaw and Itshekiri so rosy in the past; can you throw more light?
Yes, this imbalance in power equation partly caused the infamous Warri crisis where the Ijaws and the Itshekiris went up in arm against each other.
So, what is your fear about the present politics in Delta?
My fear is that the crisis is likely to re-occur, following the miscalculation of the governor. He is interested in his successor and he is also interested in the senate seat, meaning that he would displace the only Ijaw man, who occupies that position today. If that is done and the governorship goes to Delta North, the Ijaw people will be left with nothing again.
In spite of the fact that Ijaw inhabits six LGAs in that senatorial zone, they have never produced the governor, deputy governor or secretary to the state government. The Itsekiri and Isoko have done so.
Although Elder Godsday Orubebe, an Ijaw man from Burutu Local Government Area is contesting on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his chances are slim because a greater percentage of delegates will readily vote for the governor’s anointed candidate. PDP has also given the governors the power to choose their successors and, as we know, it is the party primary that determines a candidate. It is also a known fact that if you go through the PDP primary, you are as good as winning the election, at least, in Delta state. My worry, therefore, is that if Uduaghan goes through with his arrangement by going to the senate and choosing his successor, the peace that has existed between the Ijaws and the Itshekiris might be threatened again. There are 90 per cent chances that the two communities may go back to the war path.
So, what do you think could be done to avert the likely crisis as you have predicted?
To avoid another round of crisis between the Ijaws and the Itshekiris, I would advise that Uduaghan drops his senatorial ambition. Then, make sure President Jonathan wins Delta State resoundingly in 2015. This way, he could become a minister of health in Jonathan’s second tenure; after all he is a successful medical practitioner. After all, the former governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is now the minister of education
Finally, for peace to reign, Gov Uduaghan should wait till 2019 when he could vie for any office. I can repeatedly affirm that if the only political position the Ijaws are occupying at present is taken away without commensurate compensation in the form of another bigger political office, they will not be happy at all and it could be ominous too. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine.
Why do you want James Manager to continue in the senate? What has he done for his people?
First, he has represented Delta South Senatorial Zone very well. He attracted the first and only bridge in Ijaw land, the Bomadi Bridge. Secondly, he has a cordial working relationship with the president and that was why he was able to attract the construction of Bomadi Bridge. And we want him to continue so that he can attract more federal projects to the area. We know him and he knows us just as the Isoko know him and he knows them. His loyalty is to the people of his senatorial zone. We don’t want somebody whose loyalty to us is in doubt. The devil you know is better than the angel you don’t know.
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