Dasukigate: Ijaw Youths Vow To Resist FG’s Plan To Arrest Jonathan

jonathan-buhari11Ijaw youths under the umbrella of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, have raised the alarm over plans by the federal government to arrest former President Goodluck Jonathan over alleged corruption under his watch.
The ex-president has been a recurring decimal in the ongoing probe of alleged diversion of over $2.1 billion arms procurement fund by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.
The former NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), who is currently standing trial for his role in the alleged diversion, said he was merely following instructions handed to him by then President Jonathan.
But the IYC, which vowed to resist any move to humiliate Jonathan, an Ijaw from the Niger Delta, who it described as the “most performing president that Nigeria has ever had”, said its fears of an imminent arrest was not unfounded.
The IYC President, Comrade Udengs Eradiri, who made this known over the weekend at the funeral of first civilian governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyeseigha, said the recent arrest of Jonathan’s nephew, Robert Azibola, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was a pointer to the fact that the government was moving in on the former president.
Recall that Azibola was detained by the EFCC for several weeks over an alleged $40 million payment he received from the ONSA for oil pipeline security until a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court ordered his release on bail last Friday.
“They have arrested almost all our people”, Eradiri said. “Azibola was arrested by the EFCC and we are calling on the EFCC to stop persecuting him further and charge him to court if there are issues”.
The IYC leader said the anti-graft agency detained Azibola for prolonged period in a bid to force him to make incriminating statements against the former president.
He continued: “Azibola was a businessman, contractor and has the right like every Nigerian to get contracts. Why will the Niger Delta case be a different one? We noticed that the same way they persecuted Alamieyeseigha, they want to continue with Jonathan. Our people who contributed in that administration are being persecuted by this government. The recent one is the ploy to arrest Jonathan which is unfolding every day. This must stop”.
“Jonathan was the most performing president that Nigeria has ever had. We are proud of him. Every day, there is a calculated attempt to whittle down the achievements of Jonathan. We call on Nigerians to mount pressure on the government to focus on leading Nigeria right rather than looking for ways to bring down the achievements of Jonathan.
“Buhari should please focus on governance rather than persecution of people who have added value”, he said.
Speaking on the alleged removal of 10 per cent community equity from the new Petroleum Industry Bill, Eradiri asked the government to do the needful.
The IYC President added, “For us, we will not beg for it. We will not even lobby anybody. The oil is our oil and we will take it. If they like, they should put it, if they don’t like, they should leave it. We expect that this country should have commonsense by including community participation.
“In the issue of pipeline surveillance, this 10 per cent would have covered pipeline surveillance. Once the people know that they have 10 per cent in this business, they will protect it”.

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