From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC) has condemned Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo for announcing the formation of Biafra Customary Government (BCG) which encompasses the South-East and South-South regions.
The group has described the BCG formation as a fiction movie, adding that coopting South-South, and Ikwerre ethnic nationality by extension by Asari, was vexatious.
IPC Convener Livingstone Wechie, in a statement given to Daily Sun in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, noted that Asari’s antecedents were fraught with inconsistencies.
Wechie stressed that Asari lacked the power and permission to speak for Ikwerre people, or solely for the Niger Delta people.
‘The attention of Ikwerre People’s Congress (IPC), a sociopolitical and socio-economic organisation of Ikwerre people, has been drawn to a certain report wherein Alhaji Asari Dokubo purportedly proclaimed himself as the leader of a group he christened “Biafra” and has allegedly coopted the entire Niger Delta including Ikwerre land into his imaginary map.
‘Ordinarily, we are compelled to address and react to this vexatious report not minding the fact that the antecedents of Asari Dokubo is fraught with inconsistencies. This is for record purposes, so that the unsuspecting public is not misled by this fiction movie.
‘Whereas IPC and, in deed, all Niger Deltans and the entire Lower Niger belt respect individual rights including Asari’s freedom of expression and association, these rights have their fundamental limitations and implications and this applies to Alhaji Asari on all fores.
‘For the records, Ikwerre is an independent ethnic nation in Nigeria with a global spread and Ikwerre are not subservient to any other ethnic block whatsoever and under any guise. This is in respecting the status of Ikwerre as one of the largest ethnic nationalities in Nigeria on record undisputed.
‘Therefore, Ikwerre People’s Congress, in its right along with other credible sociocultural organisations in Ikwerre nation, are the only bodies with the legitimate authority to make representations and speak on behalf of the Ikwerre nation and her people on issues that affect our interest.
‘On this note, we state categorically that although Asari’s forebearers owe their ancestry to Ikwerre nation, and whereas Asari is a Niger Delta son with his fundamental rights to his identity and affinities, he does not have the right, authority, permission and or legitimacy to speak on behalf of the Ikwerre nation or to speak solely for the Niger Delta under any guise either by himself or through his cronies or agents.
‘No doubt, we have disputation and aspirations in pursuit of the respect and demand for self determination over our lands and resources including political rights as a people in the Lower Niger and the Niger Delta, in particular, which aspirations we share with our neighbours and ethnic counterparts.’
Wechie maintained that no position, negotiation or consultations would be made over the Ikwerre nation without their voluntary consent and mandate.
‘Ikwerre is too big for that foul play and this is trite knowledge. This view is sacred and undoubtedly includes the rest of the Niger Delta because nobody including Asari Dokubo, can impose his personal will or agenda on any ethnic block in our region.
‘Therefore, we ask that the Ikwerre nation be left out of Asari’s diatribe,’ he said.