The Ijaw National Congress has called on President Bola Tinubu to rein in the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over remarks attributed to him regarding the Ijaw people.
The INC was responding to Wike’s alleged statement that the Ijaw were a “minority of minorities” in Rivers and other South-South states, except Bayelsa.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the INC’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Ezonebi Oyakemeagbegha, emphasized that the congress had taken note of Wike’s comments and urged President Tinubu to intervene.
“We will maintain peace and stability as we call on President Tinubu to caution him and redirect his focus to his ministerial duties,” the statement read.
The INC reaffirmed its commitment to regional harmony, noting that Wike, having served as Rivers State governor for eight years, should have a better understanding of the state’s historical and ethnic dynamics.
“We have taken note of the recent remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. Given his eight-year tenure as governor of Rivers, we expected a more informed understanding of the state’s history,” the INC stated.
The congress also highlighted the historical significance of the Ijaw people, describing them as Nigeria’s fourth-largest ethnic group with a population exceeding 40 million.
“They are the largest ethnic group in Rivers with eight local government areas, and also not a minority in Delta,” Oyakemeagbegha said.
He further stressed the Ijaw people’s longstanding advocacy for equity and justice in the Niger Delta, reaffirming their resolve not to be drawn into unnecessary provocations.
“The Ijaw have consistently advocated for fairness and equity in the Niger Delta region and the South-South, and we will not be swayed by individual attempts to provoke us,” he added.
