LAGOS JULY 24TH (URHOBOTODAY)- The recent appointment of retired Brigadier General Peter Boro as leader of Amnesty office by President Muhammadu Buhari has come under attack by an Itsekiri Leader, Joseph Tenumah who described the appointment as a reconfirmation of the long held view that the Niger Delta region is only for the Ijaws, while the other ethnic nationalities that constitute the region are seen and treated as second class citizens.
He argued that there are over twenty-five ethnic nationalities that constituted the Niger Delta region and who have in one way or the other contributed meaningfully to the Niger Delta struggle and self determination dream of the region, stressing that when it comes to the sharing the dividends of the struggle they were usually hijacked by only the Ijaws and in most cases every other ethnic nationalities are seen as mere followers. Tamuno who maintained that such action is against principle justice, fairness and equity as contained in the Nigerian constitution recalled, “It is on record that from 1996 till date the Itsekiri people especially my kids and kins of Ugborodo have not only contributed to the internationlisation of the Niger Delta struggle but have in our own small measure played our role when the need arises.
“I believe very strongly that the appointment of the respected army general from the Ijaw extraction is another bitter-pill that our people cannot swallow at this time.
“I do not have a personal grudges or issues with the retired army general but the appointing authority ought to know that there exist several other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta and that the Niger Delta is not synonymous with the Ijaws alone.
:It is on record that the first chairman of the Amnesty programm Mr. Timi Alaibi is an ijaw from Bayelsa State, the outgone chairman, Mr. Kingsley Kuku is an Ijaw from Ondo State while the incoming chairman is another Ijaw from Bayelsa State. What a funny scenario?
“In the light of the above, we strongly reject this appointment and request that an emergency stakeholders meeting be convened to chat the way forward.”