By Jones Abiri Yenagoa
A Niger Delta journalist and publisher, Chief Jones Abiri, has strongly advised on Delegates of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), to sheathe their swords, embrace peace and avoid acts capable of tarnishing the good images of High Chiefs Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo, and Dr. Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP.
Recall that heavy media war had rocked the Presidential Amnesty Programme, where some PAP Delegates were unhappy with the operations of the Programme that unleashed media mayhem on Tompolo and Dr. Otuaro.
The Delegates were said to have been loyal to a group said to be close to their leader.
It was learnt that some politicians had raised millions of Naira to influence the media war against High Chiefs Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo and Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
But reacting to the ugly incident, Chief Jones Abiri, expressed shock at such a disgraceful outing, reminding them of dire consequences in future.
He urged the Delegates parties to sheathe their swords, advising that “it was despicable that people who had paraded themselves as leaders would descend so low as to resort to the use of blackmail with hatred to snatch leadership”.
He maintained that it was wrong for “our leaders of tomorrow to engage in such awful acts”, stressing that “it is disdainful and marks of decency and insults the hallmark of people aspiring to leadership position”.
“Was this part of the legacy bequeathed to our generation by late Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro? Why should we fuse Niger Delta struggle with hatred and manufactured white lies against our fellow Ijaw men? Will such bring strength, peace with genuine unity for the struggle to be attain for? Why do we always have such bitter pile against those made by God in position to be pull them down at all cost? If you are not there, must others should not be there? Why always you or your person should be there? Why do we anchors such wicked syndrome in the struggle? Is it an injustice to you that Dr. Otuaro shouldn’t have been there, and Tompolo to be our leader? Why can’t we conceptualize good ideas for the overall development of the Niger Delta region, than skimming all time to be appointed in government? What are we envisaging as an enduring legacy that we are going to bequeath to the next generation inline with the philosophy and principles of Boroism? What type of image are we portraying to the global community? We should call a spade a spade and retract every false stories that was orchestrated against Tompolo and Dr. Dennis Otuaro, and let’s retrace our steps for the genuine struggle that left behind by Boro”, Abiri asked.
According to him, “peoples’ who aspire to leadership must abide by God’s rules, that only one person shall be in leadership position at that material time, we should engage only in decent acts that will bring unity in the Niger Delta struggle and avoid things that may smear our good reputation in the context of Nigerian politics.
“I condemn in strong terms the media embarrassment, petitions and every act of violence talk that were against High Chiefs Government Ekpemupolo alias Tompolo and Dr. Dennis Otuaro.
“As one who led the media struggle, I feel ashamed that our thoughts are still within positions when we have not gotten the purpose of our struggle”.
“It is totally wrong for one to aspire to leadership through campaign of calumny, blackmail with frivolous petitions against same fellow Ijaw brothers. It is shameful and must be condemned.
“I hereby call on the leaders of the Delegates for a genuine meeting to address their teething problem for us to go through the path of diagloue to let peace reign in the region. This meeting will end to avoid recurrence in the future”, Chief Jones Abiri stressed.
