WHAT DID GOVERNOR WIKE SAY? WHAT DO WE WANT NIGER DELTA GOVERNORS TO SAY?

By Annkio Briggs

On the 1st of January 2017 Sunday my humble self and some other Rivers state indigenes were tagged on Face Book with the story of Governor Wike’s private visit to a wedding in Sokoto state.
I received several calls from Journalists, and l had not reacted to the claimed statement when l got a call from a foreign journalist, at this time, based on the undertone of the questions l made up my mind to issue a reaction instead of granting an interview, as in the recent past l have had to defend or disclaim the interpretations of some sensitive interviews.
Governor Wike is the Governor of my beloved Rivers state. l am known for defending my state, standing with my State and people whenever it is necessary for me to do. It is not a secret that l support Governor Wike’s government, and the Niger Delta region without apologies to any people who don’t like me defending my people and region.
My position on the issue of the so called non negotiable unity of Nigeria is not a secret, l am not a politician neither have l taken an oath of office to defend the 1999 or any other constitution of Nigeria, l am therefore free and very able to express my true position on critical National, Niger Delta and Rivers state issues.
No President since 1960 or governor since the creation of states has said anything outside of what Governor Wike is claimed to have said to the Sultan of Sokoto about the Niger Delta peoples to leave or to stay within or without Nigeria. 
Only 3 notable men from the old Eastern Nigeria and today’s Rivers state ever dared the so called non negotiable unity of Nigeria, they are Jasper Adaka Boro, (who joined the Nigeria Army in the war against the secession of Biafra) Boro died under mysterious circumstances before the end of the Biafra war. The then Col. Odumegu Ojukwu who seceded from Nigeria to save his people the Igbos from the pogrom and genocide against them in the North, that lead to the civil war. Finally an Ogoni man a great author and poet Ken Saro Wiwa and other notable Ogonis of Rivers state, (the state Governor Wike governs today) came up against the Nigeria government under the governance of General Abacha who took power by force of guns from another General that also took power by force of guns. General Abacha barbarically murdered Ken along with eight of his kinsmen for daring to speak up on behalf of his oil rich Ogoni nationality.

Before President Goodluck Jonathan a Niger Delta man of Bayelsa state who was the Vice President to President Yaradua convened the 2014 National Conference he had earlier on at the beginning of his 2011 mandate as President after the death of the late President Yaradua said Nigeria did not need a Sovereign National Conference, yet when Nigerians clamored for a national Conference he had no choose as a democrat but to convene the 2014 National Conference.
l believe the majority of Niger Delta people if asked in a referendum will say that Nigeria’s indivisibility is negotiable. To negotiate a new Nigeria is a task that must be done.
Governor Wike of Rivers state is a politician, and like every other elected politician he has sworn an oath, to uphold and protect the 1999 Constitution, based on that oath even if he wanted to he can never say anything less than he said in Sokoto, he was therefore politically correct.  No president or governor that has emerged on a political platform in Nigeria will call for the break-up of Nigeria only the people of Nigeria can call for the break-up of Nigeria or demand to leave peacefully.
As a Rivers state indigene and as a Niger Deltan, l will rather my state and region keep the resources in Rivers state and Niger Delta and pay tax to Federal Government, or that we agree to restructure Nigeria along the lines of Justice and Equity, and Regionalism.
The political system, the 1999 Constitution, the policies of Federal Government and the political and economic power brokers have ensured since after the end of the Biafra war to keep the Niger Delta and Igbo nationalities politically and economically enslaved, using our resources and our politicians working against us, our development and environment.
The truth is no one person, governor or state can achieve our freedom, justice and equity alone, they have to work together, since the Federal Government is using the 1999 constitution to work against us, we the people have to work together to make the governors work together to achieve what is best for us, our region and our future.
THE POLITICAL REALITY IS THAT NO GOVENOR CAN ON HIS OWN SAY THAT WHICH WE WANT, ONLY WE THE PEOPLE WILL TELL THE GOVERNORS WHAT WE WANT, AND DEMAND THAT THEY SAY WHAT WE WANT.

THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO THE PEOPLE OF THE NIGER DELTA WANT?