Both Chief Asari Dokubo of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force and Rivers State native Tein Jack-Rich, a humanitarian and politician, have issued pleas for calm in the midst of recent political unrest.
The two Niger Delta strongmen, who made the plea on Friday when Jack-Rich paid Dokubo a courtesy visit at his house in Obuama, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers, also asked for support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Though disagreements are natural, Dokubo warned that the state’s officials shouldn’t continue down the “path of bearing grudges against each other” because of the political standstill he saw.
He argued that the people of Rivers ought to take advantage of Tinubu’s inclusive government and give the president all the help he needed to succeed because they could not afford to be left behind at the federal level.
The Niger Delta warlord denied reports of a rupture with the president, saying that despite his displeasure with certain developments, he was committed to supporting Tinubu in his efforts to restore Nigeria’s honor.
“I am not your typical politician; I am only Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s friend. I’m not trying to get in the door, but those who are have worked hard and are counting on me to make sure their efforts were worthwhile.
Dokubo, who has known Tinubu since the early 1990s, expressed full confidence in the president’s abilities, leadership, and commitment to social justice.
He urged both Fubara and Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, to put their differences aside and work together for the good of the people of Rivers, who he said deserved the benefits of democracy at the national and state levels.
“And as our brother (Jack-Rich) said, we must always move forward and work for the good of Rivers,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Jack-Rich complimented Tinubu for his quick intervention in the political turmoil in the state.
He claimed that the president’s actions had calmed tensions in the state and given citizens and businesspeople renewed optimism.
We have a vested interest in Rivers’ continued prosperity, political and economic participation, and preservation of peace.
He stated, “I am appealing to the FCT minister and our governor to work out their differences; sometimes friends fight, parents and children might have disagreements, and they express such in their ways.”
Mismob Media