Nigeria’s federalism lopsided, says Ijaw National Congress

The people of Ijaw ethnic stock in Nigeria, under the auspices of Ijaw National Congress, have said the current structure of the Nigerian state is skewed in favour of the majority ethnic nationalities.

They, therefore, argued that since the secession treaties between the Ijaw and the British colonial authorities had lapsed and that the instrument of amalgamation of 1914 that produced Nigeria expired in 2014, the Ijaw would initiate the process of renegotiating the basis of coexistence with other ethnic nationalities.

They contended that the current structure of the nation did not create adequate socio-political and economic space for the minority ethnic nationalities, particularly the Ijaw.

Their position was contained in a communique released after the pan-Ijaw stakeholders’ summit entitled, ‘Ijaw Agenda Beyond May 29, 2015’, and made available to our correspondent on Tuesday.

The communique was signed by 31 prominent Ijaw citizens including a former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, a former Military Governor of old Rivers State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Emeritus Professor of History, Ebiegberi Alagoa.

The event co-hosted by the INC and the Bayelsa State Government was chaired by Diete-Spiff, who is also the Amanyanabo of Twon Brass.

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The summit noted with regret that successive administrations in the country had proved unwilling to accede to the demand of the Ijaws to be united in homogeneous political entities of their own.

They stated, “Conscious of the fact that the environment remains the most valuable physical resource for development and survival of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, the summit notes that the Ijaw oil and gas communities suffer the deleterious effects of oil and gas exploration and exploitation.

“But we regret the inability of the Nigerian state to address the concomitant negative impacts on the health, economy, culture and environment of the Ijaw people. This reality is leading to the gradual extinction of the Ijaw people.”

They expressed their desire for self determination, reaffirming their total rejection of the unjust legal order that robs resource owners of their rights to their resources.

They added, “The summit acknowledged the fact that the secession treaties between the Ijaw and British colonial authorities have lapsed and that the instrument of amalgamation of 1914 that produced Nigeria expired in 2014.

“Consequently, the summit empowers the Ijaw National Congress to initiate the process of renegotiating the basis of coexistence with other ethnic nationalities.”