Ijaw rejects six zonal structure
September 9, 2012 by Allwell Okpi 131 Comments

The Ijaw nation has proposed the restructuring of Nigeria along ethnic lines, rather than the current six geopolitical zonal structure.

The Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress, Joshua Benamaisia, told SUNDAY PUNCH that Ijaw people were spread across six states — Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, and Ondo — in two geopolitical zones — South-South and South-West.

Benamaisia said the Igbo nation were entirely within the South-East geopolitical zone, there was need for the Ijaw nation to have its own separate territory.

Benamaisia said the prime aspiration of the Ijaw nation was the establishment of true federalism, where every ethnic group would control the resources in its area.

He said the Ijaw nation had suffered injustice under the current structure and would not drop its demand for the abrogation of the Land Use Act, and other laws that removed the rights of the people over their land and natural resources.

He said, “If not that our constitution does not recognise referendum, there would have been a referendum on how the country should be structured. Since that is not possible, a national conference should be convened so that people can decide how they can continue within sovereignty of Nigeria. But the issue is after the national conference, the resolution will still have to be ratified by the National Assembly; that is what the law says.

“If it is in places where the will of the people is respected, then we can be sure that the National Assembly will pass the resolution of the people. But here we cannot be sure of that.”

Benamaisia said the Ijaw nation would keep pushing the right to control their resource until they get it.

He said, ‘We are not interested in all these talk about revenue sharing formula. Our position is total resource control. It is only when people are allowed to control their resources that they would decide what to do with it.

“For instance, if you are driving on the East-West Road, the roads are so bad and we have resources here and it is used to develop other places. We don’t have infrastructure in our place; neither do we have federal presence in our area. So, we need to control our resource. It is our right.”

Supporting Benamaisia, the spokesperson of the Ijaw Republican Assembly, Ankio Briggs, said Nigeria’s federalism was faulty in not recognising the different ethnic nationalities as units.

“It is not that we do not accommodate other ethnic groups. The Ijaw people have suffered much injustice in this country that we are now looking at the country’s structure based on ethnic grouping. The Ijaw people in Ondo State, which is in the South-West, are not strangers. So there is need for them to be associated with Ijaw people in the other states in the South-South,” she said

http://www.punchng.com/news/ijaw-rejects-six-zonal-structure/

And will PH be part of this their new region?

One of the reasons why I MUST VOTE FOR DAVID MARK come 2015. YES I will vote for him because he is from the north central part of Nigeria.

Acidosis: One of the reasons why I MUST VOTE FOR DAVID MARK come 2015. YES I will vote for him because he is from the north central part of Nigeria.

They now realise they can't play ethnic politic that seeks to divide and blackmail others forever abi, they av suddenly realized they av little in common with the east abi, it is time to win some support for GEJ: Some support from Parasites, Leeches, Awuf Lovers, Oyel Theives and NURTW abi . . . or how do we explain the fact that they are using the bad state of East-West road to justify their greedy request, when the contract for the said road has already been awarded long ago.

asha 80: Ijaw rejects six zonal structure

The Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress, Joshua Benamaisia, told SUNDAY PUNCH that Ijaw people were spread across six states — Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Delta, and Ondo — in two geopolitical zones — South-South and South-West.

[b]Benamaisia said the Igbo nation were entirely within the South-East geopolitical zone[/b]there was need for the Ijaw nation to have its own separate territory.

Benamaisia said the prime aspiration of the Ijaw nation was the establishment of true federalism, where every ethnic group would control the resources in its area.

Is the bolded statement above by the Ijaw National Congress accurate? Are there no Igbos in the Niger Delta area/SS zone? Can't the Ijaw National Congress pursue an agenda without provoking Ndigbo?

This could be the new Nigeria if Ijaws have their way.

Can these foools do whatever they want without mentioning Igbo?

That map is wrong. The Igbo stretches all the way even deep into so called Ijaw land.

six zonal structure that gives equal opportunity to all ethnic group is d best. Urhobos and Isoko people are i Bayelsa too

Going by that map, Ikwerres, Ogoni and Okrikas will automatically become Ijaws. Odiegwu.

Ok.
THREAD CLOSED!

Oh Please am tired of all these nonsense from jobless political jobbers!!!!

When one starts a project with insincerety ,insincererity and failure follows him through.How can one make such political blunder when about 35 percent of Igbo territory are outside the south east.

So they want the Ukwuanis, Urhobos, Itsekiris & co to be under their peculiar brand of madness. Drunken collection of senseless lunatics.

The igbos are the problems we ijaws have cos they r too greedy even wen they don't ve enough mineral resources.I think the igbos r all ijaws too cos they migrated from ijaw land and settled down to form wat we call igbos today

Na ​ so​!


..Mtcheeeu!!

Even Ibibio is larger than Ijaw .You can see a CALABAR man in every part of the country.I've personaly encountered thousands of them but I've not encountered up to 15 ijaws in my lifetime and travels

Beautiful.

franchizy: The igbos are the problems we ijaws have cos they r too greedy even wen they don't ve enough mineral resources.I think the igbos r all ijaws too cos they migrated from ijaw land and settled down to form wat we call igbos today

wonderful! Your history teacher in school must have been a proper OLODO for impacting nonsense into your brain or maybe you were a truant! Who told you igbos migrated from ijaw land? Nothing wey pesin no go read for NL! Smh! Sorry I forgot to ask,how are igbos problems to ijaws? Please could you expantiate further on your comment?

ndu_chucks:

Is the bolded statement above by the Ijaw National Congress accurate? Are there no Igbos in the Niger Delta area/SS zone? Can't the Ijaw National Congress pursue an agenda without provoking Ndigbo?

The Ijaw National Congress isn't provoking Ndigbo rather it is you who is trying hard to great hatred between the two tribes.
How are they provoking Ndigbo? Is it by saying that they want to have a zone made up of only Ijaws just like Igbos in South-East? To my understanding they are only demanding geopolitical zone only for Ijaws and the inclusion of Ijaw people in Ondo state(south west) into the so-called Ijaw zone.
They want the Ijaws in Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa ibom, Rivers, Edo to form one geo-political zone just as we have five Igbo states in South-East.
Pls someone show me where they said Igbos are not found outside S.East.
It is South West that they are challenging because they want to collect the only oil reach state(Ondo) in South west.

Ndigbo are only found in the South East? Does this leader know what he is saying or is he up to some mischief?

franchizy: The igbos are the problems we ijaws have cos they r too greedy even wen they don't ve enough mineral resources.I think the igbos r all ijaws too cos they migrated from ijaw land and settled down to form wat we call igbos today

Ijaws are a problem to themselves.They are very politicaly short sighted people,a typical northerner understands this very truth.U should even be greatfull to Igbo nation for supporting an Ijaw man Jonathan in his time of tribulation and tears,when other ethnic groups want him out by all means bnecause hje is a minority Ijaw.Well,we will keep on supporting him even when others abandone him.We would not bear grudges of your past betrayals because we are more matured than that.

Some wise Ijaw politicians now know who the real enemies are.They now see that provoking the Igbos is a bad foundation for the future of there children

As a point of correction,Igbos are the only people who do not drag land with other ethnic groups unlike the Ijaws who drag land with guns.

If only we can be united as a nation. The sky will be the begining.

samkoro: Even Ibibio is larger than Ijaw .You can see a CALABAR man in every part of the country.I've personaly encountered thousands of them but I've not encountered up to 15 ijaws in my lifetime and travels

dnt mke ua personal statistics count here. rubbish

Why the sudden realization? Waking up from slumber or kind of something is fishy?
Leave Igbos alone who have supported your son Jonathan to be President and rather sort it out with the North who have not allowed Jonathan to drink water and put down his cup.

These stupid politicians dont even know the ethinic makeup of Nigeria,the Igbos are not found in SE only they are located in SS also Delta,Rivers and Edo,the Ohaneze ndigbo chairman is from Delta State

Torch1: The Ijaw National Congress isn't provoking Ndigbo rather it is you who is trying hard to great hatred between the two tribes.
How are they provoking Ndigbo? Is it by saying that they want to have a zone made up of only Ijaws just like Igbos in South-East? To my understanding they are demanding geopolitical zone only for Ijaws and the inclusion of Ijaw people in Ondo state(south west) into the so-called Ijaw zone.

i had to read over n over,couldnt see any provokin statement,they only gave instance,,except am not seeing or reading wat my ndigbo bros n sisters are readn or seeing.

asha 80:
Benamaisia said the Igbo nation were entirely within the South-East geopolitical zone, there was need for the Ijaw nation to have its own separate territory.

Can't these retarrrrddss fight for their rights without poking Igbos? These people thought that we are in perpetual competition with them. Igbos have more important issues to occupy their time. We are not worried about people who cannot see beyond their nose.
The ranting of Ijaw ants hardly draw our attention. Igbos are not in the same league with them. They are simply our stup1id backyard neighbours.
No need to respond to ignoramus who handed their oil wells to abokis from desert, only to turn round to blame Igboman for their woes.
This eed1ot should know that Igbos are the majority in River and Delta state. So we aint bothered by the comment from a drunken misguided Ijawman.

ldpele: i had to read over n over,couldnt see any provokin statement,they only gave instance,,except am not seeing or reading wat my ndigbo bros n sisters are readn or seeing.

look at the quote

Benamaisia said the Igbo nation were entirely within the South-East geopolitical zone,

he implies all igbos are within se.i guess then that nzeogwu,achuzia,ralph uwaechue are not igbos and asaba is not an igbo town.

Can this people just engage in 1diocy without involving Igbos...

I support a motion for creating Far South-south for the IJAW pple. Let there Son GEJ get it done.

Ijaw pple dats all u need