FEDERAL GOVERNMENT VS

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT VS. LITTORAL STATES: A WAKE-UP CALL TO THE LEADERS OF THE NIGER DELTA

Press Release

The Federal Government Nigeria's suit against the thirty-six states of the country is by now public knowledge. The suit is being filed in the Supreme Court of Nigeria to interpret the country's fraudulent constitution on the issue of onshore/offshore dichotomy in the sharing of the oil wealth. Among the numerous opinions expressed by notable commentators; a few have been worthy of special notice. A majority of commentators have cited the patent disingenuousness and immorality of the suit. The question has been raised as to why the Federal Government did not directly sue the Littoral (seaboard) States or more precisely the Niger Delta States as they are the most affected. Why has the same Federal Government not gone to court to ask for an interpretation of the constitutional questions posed by the adoption of the Islamic Sharia legal code by some of the Northern States? The issue that the latter question refers to poses a far greater threat to the survival of the Nigerian federation. The answers to the two questions above are obvious: to the first, the Federal Government is mischievously being diversionary, while to the second the Obasanjo's government considers it suicidal to its survival to challenge the avowed agenda of the Sharia States. So, why would the Obasanjo-led government be so quick to seek an interpretation from the Supreme Court on an issue that does not even appear in our fraudulent constitution? Obviously, the government must be very confident that it can through the agreement of the court, decree a law that has never been legislated by the National Assembly. The government must also be confident that should it win in the court, there will be no heavy price to pay for such a pyrrhic victory.

We are not surprised by the legal action of the Federal Government. However, we are surprised that the suit is being filed under the stewardship of Chief Bola Ige as attorney general of the federation- a man that is held in high esteem for his crusade for equity and fairness through constitutional reforms in Nigeria. Since the inception of the Obasanjo presidency, General Obasanjo has not hidden his utter contempt and disregard for issues affecting the Niger Delta region. This we dare say is due to the lack of respect with which he holds the leaders and peoples of the region. It was reported in one of the news media that the Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori commented that the Federal Government was flexing its muscles because the issue directly affects the Niger Delta minorities. We partially disagree with the esteemed governor. The truth is that the political leaders from the region at all levels of government have been rather beggarly in the demand for what is rightfully due the peoples of their region. They have not shown that they are bargaining from a position of strength. After almost two years into the democratic dispensation they have not devised a comprehensive strategy to redress the overwhelming injustice the region has suffered over the years. Their recent campaign for resource control lacks a bold vision, and it is becoming more of a political cliché than a struggle for emancipation. To this extent we have had cause to question their loyalty to the Niger Delta peoples.

We hope that this action by the Federal Government will serve as a necessary shock therapy to jolt awake the leadership in the region. The leadership must come to terms with the reality of our current situation: it is a question of the very survival of our peoples and environment. The issue is beyond onshore/offshore dichotomy in the sharing of oil wealth, but that of ownership of the lands from which crude oil is exploited, and how that land is to be managed by its owners. They must be reminded that to this very question of human survival there are only two clear options: Liberation or Surrender! We hope our leaders will choose the honorable path of liberation. This is an opportunity for them to start redeeming their image as stooges of General Obasanjo, and initiate a process of etching their legacy into the annals of history or allow it to be permanently relegated to the footnotes of history.

Signed,

Francis Ebi Porbeni Director of Publicity, INCUSA

Ijaw National Congress USA 14737 Union Turnpike, Suite 131, Queens, New York City, NY 11367 Tel: 718-380-4636 or 817/605-7191 Fax: 817-485-7443 Email: INCUSA@aol.com

IJAW ETHNIC NATIONALITY The Ijaws are a nation of more than twelve million people in the Niger Delta region. The Ijaws are the most populous indigenous inhabitants of the Niger Delta and constitute the fourth largest ethnicity within the borders of Nigeria.

Crude oil was first discovered in commercial quantity in Oloibiri community of Ijawland in 1958. Since then, oil companies such as Shell (Anglo/Dutch), AGIP (Italian), Elf (French) and Chevron (American) have colluded with the military and successive governments of Nigeria to wage a war of economic exploitation and environmental degradation, as well as the institution of internal colonialism. Chevron in particular has been implicated in several acts of human rights abuse in the Niger Delta. Chevron's corporate policy of instigating violence against the Ijaws continues unabated.

IJAW NATIONAL CONGRESS USA The Ijaw National Congress is involved in the struggle to achieve structural change and free the people of the Niger Delta, particularly the Ijaws, from decades of environmental pollution, corporate violence, unjust socio-economic structure and political oppression.

The Ijaw National Congress USA (INCUSA) is a grassroots organization whose membership includes persons and socio-cultural groups of Ijaw descent and is currently resident in the United States of America. The rallying philosophy of INCUSA is clearly articulated and espoused in the organizational motto as being the pursuit of "Equality, Fairness and Justice".