– Tells Comrade Kelly Umukoro to apologize to Ijaw Nation
– Insists that Amnesty Program is the right of Ijaws
The Ijaw Youths Council of Western Zone has forewarned a factional leader of the Urhobo Progressive Union, Youth Wing, Comrade Kelly Umukoro over unguarded and derogatory utterance against Ijaws.
In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Comrade Doubra Collins Okotete, the Western Zone IYC leadership expressed absolute disdain for Comrade Kelly’s insulting and provocative comments against revered and respected Ijaw sons.
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Comrade Doubra maintained that the factional UPU youth leader spoke as someone without proper knowledge of affairs in the Niger Delta, warning Comrade Kelly to be mindful of such utterances.
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Comrade Kelly had in an in an interview with Rero TV, described the Presidential Amnesty Program as a scam, before revealing that he wrote to the Nigerian presidency, calling for Urhobos to be appointed as Coordinators of the programme.
Kelly also used derogatory words against Ijaw sons who spearheaded the Arms Struggle, particular Alhaji Mujahid Asari Dokubo, describing them as criminals.
Comrade Doubra reiterated that the Amnesty Program is an offshoot of the agitations of Ijaws against the Nigerian government, and as such, will remain under the stewardship of the Ijaws.
The IYC further stated that the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta has always been spearheaded by the Ijaws, suffering inhumane name tags by the Urhobos and sister tribes, military invasions and bombardments, poverty and hunger; all of which has never been experienced by any other tribe in the Niger Delta.
It further called on leaders in Urhobo nation to call a misguided and uncultured Comrade Kelly to order, to avoid an unwarranted situation amongst the sister ethnic groups, while calling on the UPU youth leader to apologize to Ijaw Nation.
The statement reads in full;
The attention of the leadership of IYC Western Zone ( Delta, Edo & Ondo States) has been drawn to an uncoordinated and unguarded online media utterances credited to Comr. Kelly Umukoro –Urhobo Progressive Union Youth President describing his words as rude, sour, insulting and provocative without having a background knowledge of what led to the formation of the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Program.
It’s pertinent we emphatically state here that the Arm’s struggle which led to the formation of the Presidential Amnesty Programme was basically a struggle by Ijaw people in the Niger Delta Region.
First, let it be clearly stated once again that the Niger Delta Amnesty program was born out of the arm struggle by the Ijaw nation and it’s basically for the Ijaw people. That is not to say other ethnic nationalities didn’t benefit from it despite the incessant attack on the Ijaw nation for a struggle Ijaw bloods were shared for.
It is also worthy of note that the struggle emanated as a result of our displeasure against environmental challenges experienced by Ijaw communities as a result of oil exploration activities of multi-national oil companies in communities across Ijaw nation, which led to a massive destruction of our eco-system that caused widespread poverty to be experienced in our region, and the nonchalant attitude of international oil companies (IOCs) and successive governments at the center to the plight of our people including perceived injustices such as non-provision of amenities, non-provision of employment opportunities, and the refusal or delay in the payment of compensation to communities and the exploitation by oil companies in our region.
Despite the sacrifices paid with the blood of our youths, other ethic groups within the Niger Delta Region including the Urhobo youths have benefited in the ongoing programmes such as education, skills acquisition both within and outside the country.
Not forgetting so quickly how Ijaw youths were tagged all sorts of names including those infuriating words Mr Kelly Umukoro unguardedly used in his online insult poured on our dear Ijaw Nation.
Ordinarily there’s no need joining issues with Mr Kelly Umukoro who naively said in one breath that the Presidential Armensty did not emanate from arm struggle and also referred to the Presidential Amnesty Programme as scam.
This shows the height of Kelly’s naivness and uninformed state as regards the Niger Delta struggle. In another breath, Kelly also claimed he wrote a letter to Mr President for an opportunity recommending his Urhobo kinsmen for the position of S.A and coordinator to Mr President on Presidential Amnesty which depict a pig who uses same mouth he or she uses to source for food on the ground to eat and feed his children.
Is it not abnormal or an obvious mental challenge for you to write to President Muhammadu Buhari recommending your kinsmen for an appointment to head the amnesty programme you described as a scam?.
To set the records straight and correct his uncoordinated reasoning and self indicting statements, it is important to caution that pouring insults on our revered leader High Chief Government Ekpomupolo Alias Tompolo by indirectly referring to him as one so called Niger Delta Leader who recently won a criminal case in court without going to court is very provocative and an outright insult on Ijaw Nation and its worthy of note that High Chief Tompolo was only hunted for standing tall in the defence of the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta Region at large.
Likewise pouring insults and comparing our leader Alhaji Asari Dokubo who has constantly risen up in challenging the injustices meted on the Niger Delta region with one Mr Kelly in Urhobo Nation who was locked up by the Nigerian Security agencies for his nefarious activities resulting to killing, kidnapping and raping of his own kinsmen and women is more than an insult.
And this portends and clearly shows that the Urhobo nation is governed by psychopathic and dangerous elements who are bent on fermenting trouble with their sister ethnic nationalities.
And it will be nice to hear Mr Kelly Umukoro publish the names of Urhobo youths who fought gallantly like the Tompolos, Asari’s, Young Shall Grow, Ogunbos, Fara-Dagogo, and other Ijaw Youths who stood firm and unwavering in the quest for the defence and development of the Niger Delta region amidst the height of intimidation from the Nigerian State or better still mention the Urhobo communities that were bombarded with fighter jets and destroyed in the heat of the struggle.
It is truly needless, insulting, maddening and very provocative, pouring out such unguarded statements on our respected leaders who have sacrificed so much for the overall growth and betterment of the Niger Delta Region including the Urhobo nation.
We forewarn Mr Kelly Umukoro and his cohorts to stop forthwith and retract his in-cautious and ill-considered remarks on our dear Ijaw Nation and also call on the Urhobo Leaders to call Mr Kelly Umukoro to order, else it will be a bitter pill for all to swallow as the IYC will never entertain such madness anymore.
We advice that a son that is psychotic should rather be chained down rather than left wondering, fermenting trouble and posing danger to his household, kinsmen or community.
The Ijaw youths in the Niger Delta region have been in the forefront of the struggle since the first revolt spearheaded by Isaac Adaka Boro in 1966 and since then, the struggle for the emancipation of the Niger Delta region continues till the issues raised are fully addressed.
Bearing in mind that the Presidential Amnesty Mechanism initiated by our late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in June 25, 2009 was used to consolidate peace and to promote stability within conflict-affected communities who raised arm in agitating for a commensurate development of their communities and region but yet to address the key issues and challenges bedevilling the Niger Delta region.
Watch Comrade Kelly’s speech
