2023: Ijaw Traditional Rulers Throw Weight Behind Adewale, Gbagi

2023: Ijaw Traditional Rulers Throw Weight Behind Adewale, Gbagi

The Social Democratic Party (SDP), presidential candidate,  Prince Adewale Adebayo and Delta State Governorship candidate, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi has gotten major boost as Delta Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum unanimously gave their total support to the duo to enable them actualize their ambitions, President of Nigeria and Governor of Delta State come 2023.

In demonstration of their commitment, the Forum, led by His Royal Majesty (HRM), Elder Capt. (King) Dr. Joseph I. Timiyan (Ebenanaowei of Ogulagha kingdom) who doubles as the Chairman, Delta Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum, prayed for him to succeed.

At the palace where the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), KAFTAN TV, went to seek royal blessing and support for his presidential race in February, Adebayo, addressed some of the issues that have dominated their discussions with leaders and major stakeholders across the country and the state. 

The issues addressed include the skewed political appointments against the people from the zone, Crude oil theft, injustice against the people of the Niger Delta from where the wealth of the nation is taken from to enrich individual pockets and cronies, plans to buy votes, inability to pay salaries as well as the revamping of the agricultural sector to make the country's economy self-sustaining.

According to Adebayo, coming to Delta State was a homecoming of sorts, because he began his early life in Sapele, the administrative headquarter of Sapele local government area of the state.

Key highlights of the visit were the special royal prayer sessions laced with traditional invocations led by His Royal Majesty (HRM), King (Dr) Charles Ayemi Botu, the Pere of Seimbiri kingdom, who pledged total support for Adebayo's election victory.

He expressed believe that no matter what developmental strategies put in place, without long term solution such as bringing justice, fairness and equity to the people and ensuring that a southern president was enthrone in 2023, such efforts would always end up as short-lived.

"Truth is very important in the consciousness of the Ijaw people and the universe all together. Before the royal parents, we pledge to you that what the Social Democratic Party is bringing to Nigeria, are not promises of highways.

"It is a promise that we are going to do justice because every excuse that the Nigerian government has had over time as to why we are under develop, why we are not able to complete projects, we set up all kinds of organization even the willing Commission which we set by the Colonial government was based largely on the agitations of the Ijaw people and other minorities.

"And everything we have done since that time, whether it is OMPADEC, NDDC. All these things don't work. Why? Because they are all attempts to run away from the truth. They are attempt to collect what belongs to somebody and you say you give them a small part of it.

"These things don't add up and these things do not work for two reasons. There is no person who can shave someone's hair in their absence and you cannot say to somebody that they are going to take care of you more than you can take care of yourself

"Secondly, the person who possibly took the whole of what belongs to you even if he gave you a part of it back, the habit of coming back to still take that small part is also there.

"We believe that God has been kind to Nigeria, enough that as we round every part of Nigeria, we discovered that every place and every community has something that is unique to them.

"The same way I have been making a case to allow the people of the Niger Delta to own, operate, license and develop their resources. The same way I am advocating for Gbagi people in Abuja, whose lands we forcibly took and created a federal capital for ourselves which strangers from all part of the world are coming land speculators and billionaires.

"When a country especially a black country like ours, to do inter colonization of ourselves. When you go to Zamfara today, there is enough money for ourselves and the whole of Africa to raise our GDP to the size of Europe.

"But the original sin that we committed in the Niger Delta, is happening there now. Otherwise if you are born in Zamfara State, you should immediately know that you are a millionaire by birth. It is happening in Kogi, Borno and everywhere.

"So, what we can do, is to make sure that when we are discussing justice, it is not an oil, Niger Delta story, it is a human story that a known society can fight. If one group or the other combine together to use their force to take what belongs to another, there is no part of Nigeria, that you cannot find wealth.

"If you go to southern Kaduna if they are allowed to do Ginger, they will make more money in six months than NNPC will make in five years from just Ginger. There is a more demand in the world for palm oil than for petroleum.

"Another manifestation of the injustice I'd that for the past five months, I have been making a case that Nigerians are keeping quiet when over 80 percent of the crude oil produce in this part is stolen and the story the government has been telling is that the community are the ones stealing the oil but I did my investigation and discovered that it is not true.

"It is the government itself that is stealing the oil. These are hefty ships owned by international shipping companies registered in Switzerland and giving small money to the people in government", he said.

He called on the people to vote for the Social Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections in order for them to enjoy, justice and the wealth of their land.