Posted by By Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa on
Ijaw freedom fighter, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakar Dokubo- Asari, has launched a blistering attack on the anti-corruption campaign of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the agency of selective operation.
Ijaw freedom fighter, Alhaji Mujahid Abubakar Dokubo- Asari, has launched a blistering attack on the anti-corruption campaign of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing the agency of selective operation. He also gave an indication that he would drag former President Olusegun Obasanjo to court to account for money the country earned in eight years.
Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, Dokubo said the case of Chief Diepreye Alamieyseigha of Bayelsa State, has exposed the deceit in the anti-corruption war as former governors, who misapproprated more than the ex-Bayelsa governor are free.
He regretted that the Ijaw sacrificed Alamieyeseigha and allowed him to be disgraced.
His words: "All of you were here when our brother, Alamieyeseigha, was governor of this state. I was not on friendly terms with him, but immediately he was arrested, I became one of his crusaders even in prison, because the cause is an Ijaw cause.
The disgrace of one Ijaw man is the disgrace of Ijaw people. The pain of one Ijaw man is pain to all Ijaw people. We can quarrel and fight at home but not outside because we are an endangered people. The Ijaw man is an endangered man. Alamieyeseigha is the only one in prison. All those who were impeached went to court and they were returned to their government houses.
"Today, they are free and being patted on the back to return the property they had stolen without accounting for these property. What sort of judgment and justice can be so selective that one man would die in prison while others, who stole more than him, are walking free and even thinking of becoming ministers?
"Ijaw people were disgraced that Alamieyeseigha stole money when people who stole more than him are walking free. We will resist and must resist this evil."
On his declared war against former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Dokubo said there was no going back as he is prepared to drag Obasanjo to court to account for all the money his administration got in his eight year rule.
He explained that Obasanjo, during his rule, created wealth for young Yoruba men with the money and resources of the Niger Delta and shut out people of the region.
Hear him: "I am sorry to say this because I would not want to compromise the Bayelsa State government's position, but I am not a PDP member, so I must say this. Obasanjo created wealth for people with our own money. Obasanjo created wealth for five young Yoruba men. I am older than most of them. If they have access to those resources, I see no reason at 43 years old I cannot, because in my family land, there are oil wells. I Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo- Asari am taking Gen Olusegun Obasanjo to court to account for every kobo he received in his eight years rule. We are taking the fight to them. That is the truth of the matter."
He also sounded a note of warning to militants operating in the region, noting that they should not play into the hands of the enemies who are looking for ways to disgrace Vice President Goodluck Jonathan from his current position.
"Today, I believe Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the vice president of the Nigerian state, should be given a chance. Though I don't believe in the Nigerian state as I have not accepted to be a Nigerian, majority of Ijaw believe in Jonathan and we will give him a chance. We will encourage Ijaw people to give him a chance. I have not been paid to say this.
The previous government offered all sort of things to compromise the struggle and jettison it, but I refused. So it is not what this government would give me that would be better. I chose to remain in prison for one year and 10 months. I want to say as Ijaw people if we do not give Goodluck Jonathan a chance we would regret it, because our enemies would exploit our refusal to give him a support to disgrace him from this government and we would not like another Ijaw man to be disgraced.
"For me, we allowed Alamieyeseigha to be disgraced. We should not allow Jonathan to be disgraced because if Jonathan is disgraced we are all disgraced."
Dokubo,who said he has temporarily shelved his plans to travel for medical attention because of a scheduled meeting with major militant groups, said they had agreed to meet with him, stressing, however, "we are not fighting or cleaning up the mess created by government."