From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
We thank God daily that He is not a man otherwise the terrible things that would have happened every second, minute and day would have been unimaginable. Again, a lot of secrets would have been hidden such that no man would have been able to uncover them before their executions.
The above prologue automatically ushers us to the crux of this piece that revolves around many conspiracies against Gov. Douye Diri whom Almighty God choose, programmed and positioned specifically for a period like this in the political history of the Ijaw Nation.
Ijaws are like the Israelites who are blessed with abundant human and natural resources. Today, the Jews are the most blessed and most powerful people in the world. They are the brains behind the scientific and technological advancement of the United States of America.
Besides the immeasurable love of God and His abundant blessings, the Israelites of old and the present generation of Israelis in the Modern State of Israel that was created in 1948 go through a lot of challenges mostly insecurity because they are surrounded by enemies on all sides.
But each time God plagues His children with challenges, He raises special leaders that proffer solutions and lead them out of such adversaries and captivities. Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, Gideon, Samson, Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, King David, King Solomon, Joseph, David Ben Gurion, Benjamin Netanyahu and others are classical examples of some of the unqualified leaders that God choose and qualified for His special mission.
Like Israel, God has raised leaders like King Fredrick William Koko of Nembe, King Amakiri (Amachree) of Kalabari, King Perekule of Ancient Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Ibanichuka of Okrika, King Akalisuo the Odide Ediro of Okarki-Engenni, Rev. King Egabu Amangala of Ogbia Kingdom, Chief Ernest Sisei Ikoli, High Chief Harold Dappa-Biriye, Chief (Sen.) Dr. Melford Obiene Okilo, Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha, President Goodluck Jonathan and others.
Today, the leadership responsibility and burden is resting heavily on the shoulder of Very Distinguished Senator Douye Diri, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State and Governor-General of Ijaw Nation.
Christians and Bible students know the story of the selection of David by Prophet Samuel among the children of Jesse. All the children of Jesse that were described as legitimate children were rejected but insignificant David who was described as shepherd boy was chosen in absentia. He was in the bush where he was taking care of animals as a herdsman.
The above story may as well qualify as that of Senator Douye Diri when analyzed from different ways and perspectives.
Almighty God, the master planner choose and positioned Gov. Douye Diri strategically for a time like this.
His Body Language alone has brought unimaginable peace, unity and understanding among Ijaws. I say the above, knowing his overwhelming power and influence in the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta region.
His ordinary words alone can do a lot of things and also change a lot of things. Today, his endless interventions has brought about unprecedented peace and security in Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta region in general.
Some persons thought and even prayed that Gov. Douye Diri should fail in the area of service delivery. But God proved them otherwise. The giant strides of Senator Diri in the area of Infrastructure particularly roads and bridges are beyond imagination.
His signature and legacy projects have turned Bayelsa state to a construction site with highly commendable projects scattered everywhere in the state.
His present performance in the areas of education, health, sports, prioritization of workers welfare, women and youths empowerment, etc are almost unbelievable.
Few years ago, some retrogressive elements shouted everywhere that Gov. Douye Diri will fail woefully, thus will not be able to create positive impacts, make inputs or determine who will succeed him including members of the State House of Assembly and those of the National Assembly as against what has been the political tradition where incumbent Governors nationwide play very key roles in the above wise.
Realizing that the humility, accessibility, good heart, love and compassionate disposition towards the poor, needy, widows and others who are suffering different forms of social disabilities and his outstanding performance has endeared Gov. Douye Diri so much to Bayelsans and indeed the entire Ijaw Nation thereabout making it easier to play pivotal role in the forthcoming 2027 General Elections, the aggressors, haters, antagonists and grand conspirators have gone to work again.
Before now they campaigned and wanted to paint Gov. Douye Diri in a very bad light before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other Nigerians. They cooked up stories that President Tinubu helped Gov. Diri to secure Supreme Court judgement but thereafter, the Governor shunned Mr. President or reneged their agreement. But they saw that the story fell like a poorly constructed paper kite.
They came up with another story that Gov. Diri want to serve as Running Mate to a Northern Candidate against Mr. President in 2027. Again, they saw that it did not fly especially when the Presidential Election will come up in February or thereabout in 2027, while the second tenure of Gov. Diri is still subsisting till February 2028 when he will hand over to his successor. No wise or smart politician will sacrifice 8 months governance period and allocation and resign to contest for a position that he is not sure of victory. That will be too suicidal.
Gov. Diri was chosen to reform, transform and reposition Bayelsa State in many ways, including igniting the Economic Revolution of the state and he is focused on the above and will never engage in any deceptive, divisive and distractive ventures coupled with his strong relationship with President Tinubu.
Verified reports have revealed that the same few insignificant, unrepentant and relentless characters have embarked on another round of fruitless campaign of calumny about Gov. Douye Diri planned defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and others.
Their original plan is that they want to stop the Governor from producing his successor or any National or State Assembly Member.
One of their laid down strategies is to set so much confusion in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). They will factionalize the party and encourage countless litigations.
Thereafter, they will delay all the problems, confusions and court processes until when INEC will close all Nominations and Substitution windows.
The moment INEC concludes and closes all windows and opportunities to nominate or change candidates after party primaries, they will use court judgements to nullify the processes especially those of the supporters and candidates of the Governor that will emerge. The moment that is done, the Governor will not have any single person in the incoming National or State Assembly in 2027.
Several events and testimonies points to the fact that Gov. Douye Diri is enjoying special divine grace that is likened to that of King David whom God described as the Apple of His Eyes and one after His heart. Besides the undiluted love that Senator Diri has for God, his special dance steps and zeal for the service of God are all pointers about the David Grace that he is enjoying from God.
Bible describes Ahitophel as a very honourable man and King David’s Advisor. As a matter of fact he was almost infallible and because of the above, his wise counsels and judgements were never ignored, faulted or taken for granted.
Ahitophel was one of the closest confidants of King David and the king held him in high esteem. Sadly, out of desperation, perhaps he had fear of loosing his position if David was overthrown so, he joined a rebellion against King David. His case was worst among the grand conspirators because of the wicked advice that he gave to Absalom the rebellious son of King David.
When David saw that his own son had led a rebellious against him and they were determined to dethrone and even kill him, he wept especially when he got wind of the very bad things that Ahitophel advised his son to do to his wives. In the midst of his sins, he summoned extraordinary courage to pray to God his father and friend with whom he had a very close and deep relationship. God answered his fervent prayer and turned the Counsel of Ahitophel to foolishness.
Like King David, Gov. Douye Diri’s fervent prayers will make God to turn the counsels of the naysayers, saboteurs and antagonists into foolishness.
Political parties in Nigeria are likened to vehicles that convey people from one destination to another. Nobody will decide to stay or remain in a bad or damaged vehicles. They will look for other ones and join especially when their destination is very important.
In a country that play a “winner takes all” kind of politics does not even leave oppositions at the mercy of God and society, they relegate opposition to the background and even push them into extinction.
Today, Ijaw that is the fourth largest tribe in Nigeria and also own well over 65% of the crude oil and gas that is used to run the Nigerian economy is relegated to the background because they are not in the ruling party at the centre.
Ijaws are not among the first forty (40) Nigerians from the President to Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Federation, Service Chiefs, etc that take critical decisions in the country.
Ijaws must take drastic decisions, if they truly want to survive or take back their rightful position in the country.
Ijaws who are found in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Edo, Rivers with Bayelsa as the only homogenous Ijaw state in the geographic Niger Delta (South South) are actually the majority in terms of population. They were also the dominant tribe politically. But the defeat of PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 automatically made Ijaws who are mostly members of the PDP to become minorities in the opposition party.
This sad development relegated Ijaws to the background, while leaders from minority tribes in the geographic Niger Delta who are in the APC that is the ruling party at the centre have taken over everywhere such that they now lord over Ijaws.
The only way forward for Ijaws is for them to join the ruling APC and use their population as majority to take back their revered position.
Truth is bitter but we cannot shy away from it especially when it affects a whole tribe that boast of over twenty five million Nigerians.
Every great and successful person stoops at some point in life in order to conquer.
Ijaw was able to produce the Vice President and later President of Nigeria because they were in the then ruling PDP, today APC is the ruling party. Ijaws must learn to adopt to changing trends and developments.
Ijaws should mobilize their multitudes to prevail on Gov. Douye Diri who is presently the only remaining PDP Governor in the South South to move to the APC. Today, he is automatically a minority. He is alone in the South South PDP Governor Forum. Bayelsa state that is the giant in South South cannot suddenly be reduced to a dwarf and political orphan.
Movement of Bayelsa state to APC will not remove or take away anything from Bayelsans or Ijaws, rather it will help to restore the dignity and pride of Ijaws as the leaders of the geographic Niger Delta region (South South) as against the prevalent shameful situation where Ijaws now beg and serve other minorities in order to get appointments and other favours in a country that is run with Ijaw crude oil and gas.
