MARITIME UNIVERSITY: MALAMI MEMO A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION: NAIG(press release)

MARITIME UNIVERSITY: MALAMI MEMO A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

The National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG) wish to commend the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami (SAN) on his timely and proactive Memo to the clerk of the National Assembly on the Naming of the Maritime University Okerenghigho.


The Attorney General has by this singular act proven to the entire world that the Federal Government of Nigeria is committed to a country where rule of Law as enshrined in our constitution is obeyed at all times.

The memo to enforce the Supreme Court judgement on the land of the Maritime University is not only timely, but also has averted a needless crisis, and proven to the world that the earlier claims by the Ijaws on the floor of the National Assembly that the court judgements relied upon by Itsekiris were fraudulent, being challenged in Court etc. were misleading.

In one of the various papers submitted by the Ijaws, the Gbaramatu Rebirth Initiative, states as follows;
"We appeal and are confident that the proceedings of the Public Hearing organized by the Senate on January 31, 2017 would be made available to the House of Representatives in their expected inputs to the NMU Bill before it. One of the principal arguments of the Ijaw at the Senate is that the so-called court judgments hang in the balance by virtue of re-litigated suits still pending in court. Discussing them would therefore be prejudicial or sub judice.  The appeal to the Itsekiri is that they know where to pursue and consummate their ownership claims—in Court, not on the floor and chambers of the National Assembly! Beyond the chambers of the National Assembly, the Itsekiri have been known to proclaim to the general public the claim that they own Okerenkoko by virtue of already challenged court judgements. It is against this background that we sometimes see compelling need to let the general public know and hereby present quick historical takes which indicate that the claim of ownership of Okerenkoko, Kokodiagbene and other lands in Gbaramatu Kingdom by the Itsekiri in Omadino may be clearly deceptive after all".
The recent statements credited to Eric Omare (factional President of the Ijaw Youth Council) on the AGF memo is not only contradictory to Ijaw earlier claims on the said site of the Maritime University but a ploy to whip up sentiments that Ijaws are being oppressed.

Mr. Eric Omare should understand that the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan era where he as spokesman of the IYC used the instrumentality of the state to threaten and bully other tribes in the Niger Delta is gone forever. The civilisation and sophistication of the Itsekiri ethnic Nationality is something the Ijaws cannot comprehend in a million years’ to come

We want the Attorney General of the Federation to know that his Memo will ensure the continuous and peaceful existence between the Ijaws and Itsekiris and not the other way round.

We also want the Ijaws to stop beating the drums of war and respect the rule of law as nobody has the monopoly of violence.


All tribes in the Niger Delta yearn for development of the Niger Delta region and as such we call on our Ijaws neighbour to support the smooth and immediate take off of the Nigeria Maritime University Okerenghigho as it will bring about the needed development of the Niger Delta



Sign:
Collins Edema
President National Association of Itsekiri Graduates

Dede Tsuwa
For Publicity Committee National Association of Itsekiri Graduates