Major political figure of the Ijaw ethnic group and leader of the Niger Delta People Salvation Front (NDPSF), Asari Dokubo, has cried out about the collapse of the Niger Delta struggle for control of its resources.
As reported by Vanguard, Dokubo who is a leading participant in the 19th anniversary celebration of the group saw it as an opportunity to air his view about the Niger Delta struggle.
He said: “Right now, the Niger Delta people do not seem to have a common front or strategic direction. As a people, we stand for nothing; hence, the struggle is comatose.”
“People are deserving of the leadership they get, the Niger Delta people do not seem to know what they want, they always want to play second fiddle, and they seek to please others to their detriment. They prefer to do good to outsiders than to their own people.
“We are satisfied with the crumbs as we are survivalists, we reject to fight for the real deal, if you push for something more enduring, they fight you, they ask you who made you a judge or a leader over us.
“When you decide to be alone in your space, they label you that you have compromised and have been bribed. They will desperately throw things at you to bring you down, and try to get you discredited to justify their merchandise.
“When the people value the dealers and crumbs takers so as to become the beneficiaries of the crumbs, you cannot impose your will on them.
“Dokubo- Asari will not impose his will, which has never worked anywhere, I am not a dictator and will never become one, so you just walk out and do the best you can within your space, raise leaders who will understand the ideology, improve on it, and run with it.
“Therefore, I believe there is hope, a new breed may just spring up and take the baton and bring us all to the place we are supposed to be.
“I am 59 and have given most of my life to the pursuit of the good of our region. I have been abused, insulted, misunderstood, and have suffered bodily and more, detained and imprisoned, but have never been found wanting or convicted. What I believe in is clear and will continue the advocacy for my belief”.
