Alhaji Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) is arguably the most visible Niger Delta activist that has openly refused to submit himself to the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme. He has not only proclaimed the programme fraudulent, but insisted on the declaration of an independent Ijaw nation under a renegotiated term through the convocation of Sovereign National Conference. In this interview with the Abuja Bureau Chief, Iseoluwa Ige and Olufemi Adeosun, he speaks on Jonathan presidency, Boko Haram and other national questions. Excerpts:

The actualisation of resource control and self determination are at the heart of your group’s agitations in the last few years. To what extent will you say your group has achieveed these twin demands under President Goodluck Jonathan, who happens to come from that region?

For me, government is not represented by an individual; it is represented by the ground norm. And the ground norm in Nigeria is the Constitution. And as long as the Constitution remains as it is, it cannot engender development because development can only be achieved when there are enabling laws. When you have the Land Use Act, Inland Waterway Act, Petroleum and Pipeline Act, and so many laws that confiscate the resources of the people, the land, the water, it becomes very difficult for an individual to change it. Goodluck Jonathan cannot on his own say this is the law and it becomes law like in some countries where some people would say I am the law. When Saddam Hussein was the President of Iraq, he said and he would say I am the law, whatever I write with my hands is the law. Nigerian laws are worse than the Apartheid laws of South Africa before the eventual freedom. That is why we have always demanded for self determination through the peaceful Convocation of the Sovereign National Conference.

In the thick of the agitation for these self determination and resource control, the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo arrested and charged you to court in Abuja… (Cut in).

I was not only arrested during Obasanjo’s administration, I have been in and out detention, not because I am a rapist, a bunkerer or an armed robber, but because I am an Ijaw man who proclaimed to be and remained an Ijaw man. I have been arrested and interrogated by the men of the State Security Service more than 70 times. I have been in detention more than 40 times. There was a time I always prepared my bag, waiting for them to come. When they come, I pick my bag and follow them not knowing when I would be back. It is not a new thing. The only time I have not been arrested or harassed is during the current administration. When the late Umaru Yar’Adua was in power, it took the intervention of President Medvedev of Russia to bring me out of detention. That was when a question was asked about why an amnesty could be declared and at the same time effect arrest of others at the State House during a joint press conference between Russian President and Yar’Adua in 2009. My offence at that time was that I had the temerity to tell Yar’Adua that the amnesty was fraudulent. That was it, but shortly after then, I fled the country. For 10 months, I was outside the country until I arrived when Jonathan became Acting President. From Babangida to Yar’Adua, I have been detained by the government.

National Mirror was monitoring and covering the case by then, but till now we are yet to ascertain the position of the case in court.

I don’t even know what happened because I had no access to my lawyers and even my doctor. All I knew was that one day SSS officials just came and told me that I had been released and that I should go. I never applied for bail. Of course, I was privy to some surreptitious moves and so on. I never begged. There are people who are alive. The Amayanabo of Nembe, His Royal Majesty, Edmund Madubebe Dakoru, came to me in my cell (at that time, former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva was his SA) came to beg me to change my lawyer and take Afe Babalola(SAN) and then make a bargain to beg Obasanjo. But I told him I would prefer to die in the prison. Also former governor of River State, Mr. Donald Duke, came to beg me, myself and his wife, Onari, attended the same Primary school. He told me there are only living heroes, but I told him that almost all the heroes that I knew were all dead.

He told me that all I needed to regain my freedom was to go tell Baba that ‘I am sorry,’ but I insisted I would do no such a thing. I would never beg Obasanjo to release me from prison. When Obasanjo knew I was not ready to beg, he tried to use some elders to come and talk to me, Chief Edwin Clark, George Alfred Diete -Spiff and several people from Niger Delta. Senator (Uche) Chuckwumerije and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, also came, but I stood my ground. I cannot deny the fact that I am not Nigerian. I am an Ijaw man.

If for that I am going to be killed, I am ready to die. So the government granted me bail behind my back. Since I came out, many people have been agitating that I should tell the government to discontinue the case, but I said it with Goodluck Jonathan or anybody? But I know why the government would want to use it as the last card to blackmail me to submission. I don’t give a damn. Last year, many of my mates, relations and friends died. They never knew they were going to die. They had tall dreams. So, how do I know that if I beg today, I will not die tomorrow? It will be very shameful for me. If the government feels it is going to use it, It cannot hold me.

My aspirations and dreams are very clear. I came into this world to be alive, to glorify God and to lift up my people. I cannot come into this world and not contribute to bringing out my people from slavery. And to make sure we become free men and in doing that, I am ready to die because whether I am afraid and run away, death with still catch up with me. Our struggle is very clear; we are not struggling for Niger Delta Ministry or Presidency. We want an independent Ijaw nation with Ijaw people ruling themselves. But this first, should be negotiated. A Hausa man would not force me to live with him. A Fulani man, a stranger who invaded this country some 200 years ago, cannot force me to live with him. A Yoruba man cannot force me to live with him. I have Ibo blood. If I cannot live in Ijaw land, I can go and live in Ibo land. I know my root. But somebody I have no connection with cannot trust me.

During the administrations of former Presidents Obasanjo and Yar’Adua, militancy was on the increase, but now that Jonathan is in power, it appears to have been reduced. Could it be because Jonathan share the same views with you on this self-determination? If he does, would you really say his administration is doing something towards the realisation of the emancipation of Ijaw people?

I don’t think Goddluck Jonathan is going to do anything. We are becoming very impatient. But it will be wrong to fight your own brother. Jonathan is one of us; he is our brother, our blood, our flesh and our bone. You give him the benefit of the doubt and see if he shares the same aspiration with you. But overtime if it is clear he does not share the same aspiration with you, then you say, ‘my brother, e be like say the way you dey waka no be the way we dey do our own o, we wan leave you waka on our own o.’ And it would come to that because people are becoming impatient, they have started asking questions. The Boko Haram people are becoming bolder now.

They think we have been subdued, and this is not what we can take. Our belief is that for us to peacefully live together, we must peacefully re-negotiate the terms of our living together and if Jonathan does not believe in that, then we must ask ourselves question whether we are on the same template. He is our brother, but we cannot sacrifice our freedom for him. When Isaac Boro started, he didn’t know Goodluck Jonathan, when King Jaja of Opobo started, he didn’t know Jonathan, when King Koko Okia of Nembe started, he didn’t know Goodluck Jonathan, when Nana of Itsekiri started, he didn’t know Jonathan.

All the people who started this struggle never knew Jonathan. So, we cannot sacrifice our patriotic struggle for freedom for the sake of one man. We cannot do that. We must re-negotiate the terms and that is why there must be an un-inhibited gathering of the people with sovereign power to negotiate. Nobody can tell us that Nigeria is sacrosanct; it is not. It is a dubious, evil creation of the British for their economic interest and white supremacy.

You cannot put an old wine in a new bottle; it will burst. For us, we have given Jonathan enough time to look at this fundamental issue of freedom. Jonathan became the President not because he was the best, but because of what he represents. When the Gbagi man from Abuja look at him, or a man from Birnin Kudu look at him, he sees in Jonathan his own image and picture – the image of the deprived , oppressed people who have been put under the jack-boot of the “Born to Rule Project.”

It is the same thing with the Biron and Ogoni men. How can Jonathan stand shoulder to shoulder with former military President Ibrahim Babangida, it is not possible. It is the collective strength of the deprived people that said no to enslavement that brought Jonathan to power. If today, having climbed up, he pushes down the ladder, we will be waiting for him when he comes down.

http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/33597/

Hmm,speechless

Everybody wants their Nation now.......

Which way Nigeria ?

The earlier SNC the better!!!!

When a MAN passes a ROAD and poo on d path, He should not Closs his nose when he's coming back. To SERVE nigeria is not by FORCE

A-S-A-R-I!!!!!!!!!

You have fired another "simile", more powerful and more forceful than the bombs of the Boko boys.
I am sure that the internal colonial masters will almost have heart attacks after reading this.

WE are getting ready for our independent nations.

If Jonathan wins 2015 elections, there are chances of a very violent coup, worse than the so called counter coup of 1966.

The ND/Biafra Soldiers must be made to understand that Nigeria has never been one, is not one and will never be one.
They should not be caught unawares.

Asari have links with russia. That's a good one we need ally badly.

The truth is that if Asari is given the opportunity to serve as our President, he may not be able to match Jonathan. Things are easier said than done when it comes to leadership. I respect Oshiomole so much for his ability to turn from a critic/activist to a politician/leader and also successful at both.