Rivers crisis: Ijaw youths back Clark over calls for Wike’s arrest
Ijaw youths under the umbrella of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide have backed Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, call to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun to arrest the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Chief Nyesom Wike over his threat to put fire in states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if they interfere in Rivers State politics.
According to IYC, Pa Clark is not alone in calling for the arrest of Wike as Ijaw youths have thrown its weight behind this call, adding that the federal government should know that Wike should be held responsible if Nigeria boils in this regard as Nigeria belongs to all and no one has the monopoly of violence.
IYC in a statement by its Spokesman Amb. Binebai Princewill, yesterday said, that the reaction has become very imperative following some undemocratic elements that dared to oppose Chief Clark’s position when in reality the position taken, calling on the arrest of Wike is the only way to pay for his reckless comment of Imflaming PDP controlled states if the Governors interfere with Rivers State politics.
While vowing to remain apolitical, the IYC, however, noted that the implication of the statement bothers the insecurity of Nigeria hence they cannot keep quiet as critical stakeholders in the country.
Princewill said: “The statement credited to the FCT Minister Wike is too weighty for the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to ignore. The level of unbridled impunity and audacity with which Wike speaks undermining the security of this country has truly reached a boiling point.
“The Ijaw Youth Council is sounding this note of warning that Wike and his crew must allow Governor Fubara Siminalaye to rule Rivers State in peace. By now, reality should have done on Wike that his fight against Fubara will not favour him as the Rivers people are wise and the Ijaws all over the World are fully with our brother Fubara. The Ijaw people can never lose any battle.
“It is high time security agencies lived up to the expectations of Nigerians. Allowing the free reign of impunity from characters like Wike who make statements capable of causing chaos and unrest in the country is condemnable. This does not tell well of our security agencies. We should all remember that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Pa Clark’s call on the IGP to Arrest Wike with a warrant of arrest should be looked into critically. How can a man who has law knowledge and training be talking like a god of the lowest grade of uninformed terrorists?
“The federal government must know that Nigeria is not a banana republic but a country governed by law, people cannot be seen to be operating as if they are above the laws of this country with so much open demonstration of impunity. If the Police are silent on this matter and the Federal Government of Nigeria headed by President Bola Tinubu is also silent on this, one begins to wonder what the Government will do right when an individual is already behaving like a God, bigger than the state and national governments in this country. This is truly disturbing and worrisome.
“Wike’s statement is a prelude to chaos and anarchy in a country that is already grappling with a series of challenges ranging from insecurity and the bitting hardship faced by Nigerians. The remark is so undemocratic and calls for great concern by reasonable, patriotic and responsible Nigerians.
“Government anywhere in the World loses legitimacy when it becomes docile on issues that matter concerning its citizens, if it is people like Wike that are the main characters in the Tinubu Government, it shows that there is no hope for a better Nigeria. It has further put a serious question mark on the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Nigerians are already at the crossroads. “
