October 25, (THEWILL) – In this interview the Bayelsa state commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs , Hon Erasmus Ucheowaji spoke to our Correspondent, DAVID AMOUS – OWEI the mission and vision of the ministry and other issues .
Excerpts:
May we know you?
My name is Erasmus Ucheowaji Patrick.By the grace of God am the Honorable Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs.
May we know why the Bayelsa state created a separate ministry for Ijaw National Affairs ?
The ministry of Iaw National Affairs was created specifically to handle Ijaw National Affairs by the former governor of Bayelsa state and the distinguished senator representing Bayelsa West senatorial district,Senator Henry Seriake Dickson in 2012 as a platform for fast tracking the needs of the Ijaws worldwide.Bayelsa state remains the Jerusalem of the Ijaws all over the world and the only homogenous Ijaw state , the idea behind the creation of this unique ministry was purely for Ijaw affairs accros the globe.So when the miracle governor Senator Douye Diri was inaugurated as governor of Bayelsa state in 2020 excised the culture component to Tourism to form a ministry of Culture and Tourism and by that arrangement, the ministry was named the Ministry of Ijaw National Affairs as a full fledged ministry of Ijaw National Affairs to leverage on what senator Seriake Dickson created to fast track and articulate the needs of the Ijaws world wide.Bayelsa state is the homeland of all Ijaw people.The ministry therefore,is an instrument of the previous government.
As a Ministry has the reasons behind it’s creation achieved from your assessment as the commissioner ?
The ministry for Ijaw National Affairs as the name implies is a service oriented ministry which l met and it is poised to tackling every fundamental needs of the average man are brought ,partners and talk with Ijaw extractions their requests, demands and with the ultimate of presenting them to governments.Also,the ministry gave rise the to establishment of Ijaw Heroes park.The idea behind the Heroes park was to immortalize and bury Ijaw departed ones that had made their marks.It is for all Ijaws. So far so good ,a few of illustrious departed Ijaw sons have been buried therein and more would come.The ministry also oversees and partners with Ijaw National Congress and work in hand with it’s leadership to fast track, facilitate government administration. So far apart from Ijaw National Congress, the ministry also as an oversight functions handles the Ijaw Youth council matters too.Another beauty and uniqueness of the ministry is the study of Ijaw Language in private and public schools within the state. And this is a work in progress.Very soon,to be precise, by November 8 2021 it will be unveiled as a deliberate policy and experts have been sent for further trainings to acquire necessary skills to ensure that our children are taught Ijaw Language and to ensure that the Ijaw Language does not go into extinction .The ljaw child by the time the the policy is implemented would speak Ijaw Language fluently without any flaws.The state Executive council has given nod to make the Ijaw Language a compulsory subject in both private and public schools.The initial plan was to domicile a centre for study of Ijaw Language.But Exco approved the second prayers to make it compulsory for the learning of Ijaw Language and this will made public on November 8 , 2021.This is not only a work in progress but a dream that must be realized. In Bayelsa state in order to promote our cultural heritage,there is an approved dress code which was put in place by the immediate governor of the state now senator Seriake Dickson who made it mandatory for all civil servants to dress in Ijaw attire to work every Friday.Hence,every Friday our ladies go to work dressed in wrapper and head tie to match while their male counterparts also put on etibo and bowlar hat to match and to further enhance it, the commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Iti Orugbani has sent a memo to the present governor for all commissioners to appear during Executive council in traditional attire and the state governor had graciously approved it. Very soon it will be extended to all corporate organizations operating in Bayelsa state to adopt the dress code.
Arising from inter ministerial committee drawn from ministry of Education, ministry of Ijaw National Affairs, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the commissioner of Education my colleague Dr Gentle Emelah is the chairman and plans have been included to implement the the teaching of Ijaw Language in all schools.
You were a former Senior Special Adviser to the state governor on Ijaw National Affairs and Culture and you are now a commissioner, was there any advise you offered that were not implemented.?
Government is a contininun and as SSA l had working relationship with the pioneer Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs and Culture , Dr Felix Tuodolo and Dressman the second commissioner.Am trying to move the Ijaw Culture forward and my office is widely opened for any positive and progressive ideas that would promote and project the Ijaw Affairs in every ramifications. Government is one , whether my advises were not implemented remained immaterial.I gave the best l could.
Before you came onboard there were always crisis whenever the umbrella pan – Ijaw organization ,INC and IYC conducted their elections to elect their leaders.But your tenure has witnessed peaceful conduct of elections, what will you say is responsible for the peace and stability?
Who else will l attribute these peaceful elections to other than God almighty and l must not fail to also extend my kudos and appreciation to our miracle governor, senator Douye Diri who graciously approved the memo l sent for the conduct of the Ijaw National Congress election and his timely release of funds made the work very easy for me and other stakeholders.l recalled that during my screening at the state house of assembly l was bombarded with barrage of questions on how l would be able to fix the moribund Ijaw National Congress which was without leadership for many years, so when l was to conduct the election l put my profound proposals to the governor.I also embarked on prayers and before the elections, there prayer sessions every Tuesday and Thursday for fervent prayers by all the staff of the Ministry of Ijaw National Affairs.Everybody was enjoined to pray in their closet for a peaceful elections as previous elections history were too ugly experience to witness again.With God all things are possible.
I also took steps such as the introduction of e – voting and the Vice chancellor of Niger Delta University ,Prof Samuel Edoumiemokumo and Prof Fubara from Rivers state and when l told the governor who also gave me his words that he had no particular candidates , neutrality in whoever would emerge and implored all the contestants to go out and test their popularity. I also commended him for his wise counsel and when l gave my briefs on e- voting he gave his nod , considering the fact that when he was in the National Assemblies , House of Representatives and Senate ,he was an advocate of e- voting and with the convinction from the Vice Chancellor of NDU who had used it to conduct a free and fair election in the university community, he qickly obliged the idea.Initially most of the aspirants kicked against the e – voting,but after due consultations they all keyed into it. I promised the governor that with the calibres of people as umpire, the election would be transparent , free and fair without rancour.Also ensured that further steps were taken.First l took permission from His Excellency to barricade the express way and the ministry was also shutdown to all staff and also warned IYC to stay aware from the ministry where their office is domiciled. I also warned them that I didn’t want to see their shadow. The governor gave me the go ahead and IYC cooperated and kept their distance through out the duration.
Then, the INC Central Zone election, though was within the ministry, but was under the umbrella body the Ijaw National Congress and the ministry only supervised it in collaboration with notable stakeholders. Again another professor from NDU, Prof Ambly Etekpe with his electoral officers also conducted another free and transparence election that produced leaders for the Central Zone and they have been inaugurated by the National president of INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba.In all of these elections l gave God the glory .
What is the position of the Ijaws on torny issues such as PIA, Resources control and restructuring ?
The Ijaws are the fourth largest ethnic group in the country and being the oldest inhabitants in the Niger Delta will continue oppose any form deprivation, neglect, marginalization , oppression ,inequality and other obnoxious tendencies from the federal government and until the Ijaws are given their rightful attention and provision they will continue to agitate and fight for their rights. Hence, we have not shifted grounds on the PIA, Resources control and true federalism. Until the federal government agree to accept 70 percent and allow us to manage the 30 percent there will continue to be agitation and feeling of neglect and oppression will still resonate. Nobody can tell us the quantum of oil produced from the Niger Delta region , the Ijaw land as the Federal government continue to feign ignorance of 70 percent proceed tax. This is undisputable and can’t be compromised. What is due us should be given to us. Their argument that if they give us 10perecent we shall fight ourselves is not tenable ,we assure them no life will be loss and we remain resolute and despite the insecurity across the nation, the Niger Delta remained peaceful to investors and residents. How long will NDDC forensic audit last and the appointment interim administrator is thwarting the aims and objectives of the interventionist agency. We want authentic board of NDDC to fast track the infrastructural deficit in the Niger Delta in spite of its contributions to the economy of the country. We applaud president Muhamadu Buhari for the reapontintment of Col Millad Dixon Dikio as Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Program ( PAP) Though from its inception till the tenure of Kingsley Kuku who initiated scholarships and human development programs that had impacted the lives of the ex – agitators, for the period s of Col Boro and Prof Dokubo,they are left for history to judge. But Col Dikio has brought a lot of reformations that brought a paradigm shift, today he has brought the program nearer to the grass root where the ex – agitators lived and with the introduction of the entrepreneurial scheme and cooperative the ex – agitators will no longer rely on the #65,000 monthly stipends, but it will not only make them become self reliance,but employers of labour and with reappointment these noble programs will be achieved for the over all peace and stability in the Niger Delta region.
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