Ijaw Leaders Demand Interim Govt, Say 2023 Election Not Feasible
3 min read
Edith CHUKU
Leaders in the oil rich Niger Delta region have said that the forthcoming 2023 general elections in Nigeria might not hold following the level of insecurity among other issues of concern in the country.
According to them, Nigeria is not safe for 2023 election. Speaking under the aegis of the Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality, in the Niger Delta, MOSIEND, the group expressed concern that the level of unemployment and decay in educational sector has contributed to the insecurity ravaging the nation.
Kennedy Tonjo-West, national president of the pan Niger Delta group told TNN that there was a clear indication that the election would not hold. He went ahead to support the call for an interim government.
Tonjo-West said “we are using this medium to join our father, Afe Babalola, to call for an interim government because there is clear indication that election will not hold come 2023, with this level of insecurity, unemployment, fall of education in this country. Nigeria is not safe for 2023 election, there is no adequate security.
Describing Nigeria as a failed state, he stressed that “Nigeria is a failed state. Nigeria is not a country right now that anybody should hope for. We are calling on other regions and ethnic nationality to begin to take best international practice to ensure that we decide to leave or to stay.
“June 12 for us is sober reflection, still continue to stay in this entrapment called Nigeria, Nigeria is not practicing Democracy, Nigeria is practicing kleptocracy and deceptocracy, a country where the rule of law doesn’t count cannot be a democratic country, a country where there is collapse of security, of health, of education, insecurity has gotten to it’s peak, poverty has gotten to it’s zenith, cannot be a democratic country.
“A country where there is no transparency, no accountability cannot be a democratic country, if like Abraham Lincoln said, democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people then Nigeria is not a democratic country because none of these indicators are been applied in Nigeria context.”
The Niger Delta leader also urged “civil society organisations, pressure groups to wake up from their slumber and begin to challenge the government for accountability, for transparency, for rule of law, tax payer’s money should be managed appropriately, and not being misappropriated.
“A country where governors will use state funds for their political and selfish agenda is not a democratic country, a country where they will use state fund to pursue their political agenda and the state will not ask and see it as usual of government when they want to leave is a state under delusion, it’s a state under deception.
“As far as MOSIEND is concerned, Nigerians are still sleeping, with what we are seeing, with what the Boko Haram is doing, the Fulani herdsmen are doing, there is no regional security, master plan for the Niger Delta; Niger Deltans are still sleeping, Ijaw people are sleeping, Ikwerre people are sleeping, Ekpe people are still sleeping, Urobo people are sleeping, the Itsekiri people are sleeping, until we ask the government of the day, the governors of the Niger Delta what they have been doing as far as regional security is concerned, collectively regional security and development is concerned, we need to challenge them, we need to know what tasks payer’s money has been doing, it’s either we ask them now or forever hold our peace.
“This democracy should be an awakening for a revolution in Nigeria that will bring about sanity and stability in this country that is if we want to stay, for those of us in MOSIEND, we don’t even believe in Nigeria anymore, we believe that as we continue to pursue the independence of the Niger Delta Republic, working closely with NINAs and advocating for a referendum and a force measure that will be embarked on in this country to ensure that every region have their fair share in this estate or everybody on your own.”
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