The Niger Delta’s residents have been cautioned by Benjamin Okaba, president of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), to stay vigilant and oppose the divide and conquer strategy being used in the area.
Sociology professor Okaba claimed that the political turmoil in Rivers State is a planned state capture that the masterminds intend to carry out throughout the Niger Delta.
This was reportedly said by Professor Okaba during his remarks on Thursday at Rivers State’s News Central Town Hall.
“I will speak as a sociology professor; let me disappoint those who were expecting me to speak as the president of the Ijaw National Congress,” he stated. After listening to all of the contributions, he continued, “It is not surprising that we are a divided house.”
According to the president of INC, “Rivers Matter is a symptom of a failing political system.” The term “state capture” refers to the Niger Delta, not the conquest of River State.
He claims that the area’s huge oil reserves are the reason for the capture plan. He claimed the federal government would have easy access to the region’s resources if the policy of divide and conquer and pit the local populace against one another were implemented.
That is due to the fact that our region is extremely wealthy, the policy of divide and conquer, the policy of balkanization, and the policy of forcing us to fight against ourselves have all been enacted over time. “And similar to the colonial era, when a crisis is planned and caused by our own people, the federal government will start to take advantage of our resources while we applaud those individuals,” he stated.
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He emphasized that ethnic divisions have no bearing on the Rivers situation.
“For this reason, as president of the Ijaw National Congress, I make every effort to clarify that this is not an ethnic problem whenever I have the chance. Additionally, he declared, “Anyone who wishes to give it ethnic coloration is an enemy of the Niger Delta.”
He criticized political actors that manipulate the people of the Niger Delta for their own self-serving political ends and urged for unity among all Niger Delta residents.
