…he is the first talking to us in our land — Ogulagha monarch
Monarchs under the platform of Delta Ijaw Traditional Rulers Forum, have thrown their weight behind the presidential bid of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, come 2023.
The forum declared its support for Adebayo, during a visit at the Palace of His Royal Majesty (HRM), Elder Capt. (King) Dr. Joseph I. Timiyan (Ebenanaowei of Ogulagha kingdom) led by Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, FNIM, the governorship candidate of the party in the state and other party stalwarts.
The king of Ogulagha kingdom, who doubles as the Chairman of the forum, said they are supporting the international businessman to succeed president Muhammadu Buhari because of his capacity, antecedents, experience and commitment to youth development.
He revealed that their love for the largest private investor in the state, Gbagi, also influenced their decision to support Adebayo.
The monarch noted that Adebayo, remains the best man for the job and urged Nigerians to adopt him as their consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
He said that the group would support him to succeed as his agenda for the country was second to none.
Meanwhile, the monarch disclosed that Adebayo, was the first presidential candidate to come to their domain to tell them what he has for Nigeria and Nigerians, “this is the first in history”, he said.
According to him, “I think since we got our independence in 1960, till date, he is the first presidential candidate that is talking to us like this. They invite us to Asaba, to listen to them.
“I am talking about the Ijaw Traditional Rulers, he is the first talking to us in our land. I know this is very brief, he will come again so that he can go down to where our former minister has gone to witness the area we come from.
“How the oil the federal government is using to develop other area and to develop themselves and how we are deprived, you will pity us and when you get there before 2023 that you will be in Aso Rock, you will remember us and we believe you will do the needful.
“Nigeria, today, as we can see, the government of Nigeria, still believe in the Colonial system of divide and rule. That is what they are doing, forgetting that the people in the rural and urban areas, are all exposed. We know the secret of everything now, not like before.
“Not as they were using our forefathers and our fathers. Awareness has come very close to the people. We now know the importance of the Crude oil and the gas they are getting from our land. The gas is from here and gas can also generate light.
“So, now that we know the good things about our land, we want people who can make use of it, people that can make use of our own good to develop us and to make us feel as if we are in Dubai.
“We are very happy here because in life I never believed that a presidential candidate will come and visit us, the Ijaw Traditional Rulers. That we will sit down like this one-on-one talking to a presidential candidate, we only sit down like this at Asaba.
“As traditional rulers, when they are doing their normal campaigns, we don’t go to the arena and it is only the lucky few traditional rulers that they will pay homage or courtesy visits to and once they come to Delta, if they are doing it at Asaba, maybe is the Asagba of Asaba that will get that one not people like us from the riverine area, it is not possible.
“But you that has deemed it fit to recognize us, know that there are people in Ijaw land and there are traditional rulers, let me see them, you have done noble and there is no way we will hesitate, we will give you what we have.
“I think God also will pity us because the situation we are, God also knows it and that if he knows that you are the man that will salvage us from the sufferings, God will answer our prayers even if he refused to answer your own, he will answer our own.
“If he answers our own, it is for your own good and if he answers your own too, he is answering our own. Irrespective of party, that is not the issue. The man that has that good conscience to do what the people wants.
“When they say the Ijaws and the Niger Delta youths are restive. Why are they restive? That is the question. If the jobs are available for the youths to do, will there be restiveness?
“Before now, they say the Ijaw people are not educated, we cannot employ them. You said it here, government is having 60 per cent and the oil companies are having 40 per cent. So, when the employment comes before we know, they bring their people to occupy the places.
“Imagine in our place, we have the terminals, the flow stations and everything, you cannot see one Ijaw man to be a manger in Shell or Chevron and Shell has existed in our area for over 50 years but you cannot see one Ijaw man either in Chevron, Shell or Agip.
“And you cannot see any Ijaw man in the military as a General now. The few Generals we have, they are all retired. So, we are really in deep pains but I know God is over there.
“There is nothing that is difficult for God to do. Everything is possible for God and I think this is the right time for God to do it.
“I pray that God will do it for us because if these kingdoms are behind you, who will go against it? We are traditional rulers, we believe in God and also we believe in our kingdoms.
“Every Ijaw kingdom has its own powers before God Almighty who supercedes everything. So, if we say we are united and we are one and we say this is how it’s going to be and God looks at it that you are the man that will save us, then it will work”, he declared.
