Unfolding the blueprint for ‘Ijaw Nation’ the presidential way

Unfolding the blueprint for ‘Ijaw Nation’

 

Report emerging from Bayelsa State is pointing to the fact that a new nation – 'Ijaw Nation' – may soon emerge out of Nigeria. What observers of the unfolding event are only waiting to see become more discernible is the eventual modality the attendant agitation/campaign for its sovereignty will take – violent or peaceful.

    On Tuesday August 7, 2012, the Bayelsa State House of Assembly passed the executive bill seeking to create all paraphernalia of an “Ijaw Nation’s“ identity. These include its flag, coat of arm and the anthem.

    To underscore the importance of the bill believed in some quarters to have been pushed with insignia of “presidential interest” as a blackmail context for the bill to receive the accelerated hearing “His Excellency” sought, the passage of the bill qualified for one of the fastest bill to be passed in the country’s legislative history. The bill arrived at the parliament on Tuesday and within a time frame of three hours, it was passed for the Governor’s accent.

    In actual fact, the entire conception, gestation period and parturition of the bill was less than 24 hours -- now only awaiting official christening, as the report had it that the bill was contrived at the Executive Council Meeting of the Bayelsa State Government the previous day, Monday, presided over by the Governor, Seriake Dickson, at the Yenogoan State House.

    Giving what could said to be the fundamental analysis of the bill’s primary objectives, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Iworiso-Markson, reflected its essentials to be one of “Ijaw Nation” in perspective beyond the Bayelsa State’s narrow contraption of the Nigeria’s 1999 constitution.

    He said: “We believe that Bayelsa State, being the only state that can be considered as the home state of the Ijaw race, deserves even much more (than identity of a state) to blaze this trail…. This much is true because of the emphasis we place on the propagation of the Ijaw ideals and what we stand for as a people -- the Ijaw Ideology (as a nation)”.

    Yes, the parentheses are mine; they are necessary to bring out the pictures in the minds of these stake holders of a ‘new Ijaw Nation’ and make it more discernible from a perfect reconciliation with the theme of Wole Soyinka’s piece of ‘when is a Nation’.

    As a standard rule however, the Press Secretary made a good case for the bill as being born out of genuine interest by citing precedence in all the states of Southwest region -- Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti; as well as some selected states in other geo-political zones. Among these, according to him were Kwara State of the North Central and Cross Rivers State of the South-South peers as the states that recently joined the wagon.

    The spokesman also recalled that Rivers State could possibly have set the pace as far back as 1970s. But to the discernible minds, where the eyes of Bayelsa of Dickson era is fixed is a possible revival of the fundamental principle of the Rivers State idea of a state’s identity in a federation, which the Ogoni of that state is already giving a similar consideration.

    The Ogoni only recently sent out the intention of its people to declare a sovereign State of Ogoni. Despite the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amechi, reading a riot act of the consequence of such "treasonable" adventure to the leaders, they claimed to be resolved over the quest.

   Bayelsa could only be treading the same path to spring up a complementary cause to Ogoni's with a view to securing a wider south/south platform for the new 'Ijaw Nation' to get proper fibrous roots. Therefore, for Ogoni and Bayelsa to coalesce and converge at a common point of interest on this is only a matter of time. At this point, the combined forces of the Ogoni and Okrika that will have a ready backing of Patient Jonathan’s power of presidency could be readily overwhelming on Rotimi Ameachi, the River’s Governor.

    In fact, it is already being touted in some quarters of analysts that the whole process was a clandestine plot to wrestle power from the Amechi’s political camp, using the campaign of “Ijaw Nation” to garner the people’s sympathy for vote for the idea of ‘a new Nation’ from central South/south to emerge.  The school of thought on the angle of politics of Rivers State are infusing the subsisting Okrika Water Front demolition as the possible cause of the Presidency in matters of power centre in Rivers. 

    It's being suggested in this quarter that a campaign for a true Ijaw nation could have a ready acceptance in south/south with the widespread belief in the region that the Boko Haram insurgence has been the North's deliberate action to make the country ungovernable for Mr. President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Thus indeed, this and the Okrika issue could really proof to be a potent albatross for Amechi install a preferred successor. And with Amechi out of way in the power game of south/south, any stooge of 'Her Excellency' becomes an added voice of authority to any agitation for a new Ijaw Nation.  

    A section of political pundits are however waiting for the bill to become law and see what the reaction of the State Security Service (SSS) would be before they react. This school of thought is what I will call the circumspect circle. The position of this school is equally noble, which I readily share too because only the implementation of the law will give the true position upon which the right comments can be made on desirability and goal of the “ideology of Ijaw Nation”.

    This circumspection however will not preclude me from refining out the deliberate distortion inherent in citing the precedence of the Southwest states for the obvious Bayelsa game plan; albeit suspiciously rooted in a presidential contrition. Bayelsa's, as too distinct from all of Southwest’s presents a case study for a stick out of Yoruba ancestors’ richly blessed wisdom rooted in pouch of adage. In any clime too similar to this at their time, they would say it’s Ajegbodo to n wa eni rere kunra; meaning one with bad habit seeking accomplice in good fellow.

    Meanwhile thus far, in concentric purpose of action, the Southwest states have their idea of a state’s paraphernalia of identity solely for a cause in true federalism, where their progressive ideology can enjoy a flourishing relevance with zero inhibition from any quarter -- chiefly from a false centre. This fact is also well entrenched in their differing philosophical identity with which they always come to tables of governance and politics at the Federal level. That is why each of the states maintains a distinct coat of arm and the anthem, which is different from an idea of regional unitary concept clearly set out by Bayelsa, where the goal is that “the emblem would serve as a unifying force and rallying point for the “Ijaw Nation”.

    The latter emerging factor of Southwest integration being pushed by the governors is purely economic matter – an imperative network of exchange of values of the constituent states’ individual comparative advantages in every sector of the economy.

    Therefore, in these wises of political and economic considerations, the Southwest has been consistent with dictates and letters of the Nigerian constitution. 
    And having clarified this, there are indicators suggesting Bayelsa’s sinister in her own clime of identity creation. This is the subject for part 2 of this topic to come next week. Please keep following