INC urges Tinubu to caution Wike over comments on Ijaw people

By Deborah Coker

 The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to call the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, to order over his comments on the Ijaw.

The INC was reacting to alleged comments credited to Wike in which he said the Ijaw people ”were a minority of minorities in Rivers and other South South States except Bayelsa”.

In a statement in Abuja on Friday, Chief Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, National Publicity Secretary INC, said that the congress had taken note of the FCT minister’s remarks.

”We will continue to maintain peace and stability, as we call on President Tinubu to caution him and redirect his focus to his ministerial duties.

“The INC remains committed to preserving the harmony enjoyed by all in the Niger Delta region.

“We have taken note of the recent remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

“Given his eight-year tenure as governor of Rivers we expected a more informed understanding of the state’s history,” the INC said.

For the record, the INC said that the Ijaw people are the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria, with over 40 million people, and the oldest tribe in Nigeria, as documented in history.

“They are the largest ethnic group in Rivers with eight local government areas, and also not a minority in Delta.

“The Ijaw have consistently advocated for fairness and equity in the Niger Delta region and the South-South, and we will not be swayed by individual attempts to provoke us,” Oyakemeagbegha said. (NAN)