A group in the South-South region, the Niger Delta Self Determination Movement, NDSDM, has issued a stern warning to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government over its planned establishment of Ruga settlement for Fulani herdsmen across the country.
In a statement to DAILY POST on Monday, which was part of agreement in an emergency meeting held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the group warned that there is no land in the Niger Delta left for the establishment of RUGA settlement.
The statement signed by Annkio Briggs, its Coordinator, the reached the following decisions: “That the electorates of the Niger Delta Region and States owes it to themselves to patiently wait until the ongoing court case concerning the February 2019 Presidential Elections before taking a final and critical decisions concerning the APC Federal Government of Nigeria, and as we take note of the so far released results of the different National and International Organisations accredited by INEC who officially monitored the 2019 Presidential Elections.
“That the Federal Government of Nigeria, the President Buhari lead APC Government have No
Constitutional Rights to a forcefully under any guise or for any reasons take any piece of Land from any LGA in any of the 36 states that make up Nigeria, in any Region or in any LGA.
“That the Ethnic Nationalities of all of the 6 Niger Delta States Our State Governments, Senators, Members of House of Representatives, State Houses of Assembly Members, Federal Government, the other 30 states of Nigeria, Africa, UN and the World that NO PIECE OF LAND, or SEA FRONT, CREEKS, SWAMPS, MANGROVES & FORESTS within the Niger Delta Region also referred to as the South-South is to be given, leased or sold to NON NIGER DELTANS for the purpose or purposes of Cattle Grazing, Cattle Colonies, Ranching, Farming, Routing, RUGA, etc specially or specifically to any other Ethnic Nationality, Religion or Culture for any reason what so ever or because of any hardship experienced, either such are natural or man-made.
“That the recognized Niger Delta people of the Riverrines, Creeks, Swamps, Mangroves and Oceanic are the INDIGENOUS PEOPLES of the Niger Delta region and will not be oppressed into ceeding a metre of the mentioned places, as without these Indigenous peoples of the Riverrines, Mangroves, Swamps, Creeks, Rivers and Oceanic Communities Nigeria will have no Rights to the Waters, Rivers and Shorelines of the Niger Delta not to speak of the 200 Nautical miles.
“The incestant verbal attacks, and the threats targeted at the people, Government of Rivers State and Governor Wike of Rivers State, will not threaten Us Christians the Indigenous Owners of what we proudly today refer to as Niger Delta Oil, Gas and Several other Natural resources rich Region (for now in Nigeria) into silence.
“The latest attacks, threats and insults are obviously indicative of the frustrations been felt by the oppressive gang in Nigeria to forcefully take Over and Control the Natural Resources rich and 100 percent Christian Rivers State of the Niger Delta Region.
“That Rivers State Government and People have so far allowed the building of Mosques in our beloved Christian Rivers State and Niger Delta is because we the different Ethnic and Indigenous Nationalities of Rivers State and the Niger Delta region have always been tolerant and accommodating of other Ethnic Nationalities and Religions.
It is foolishness for any Ethnic Nationalities indigenous or non indigenous to Nigeria to assume us to be a weak people by whatever Choice of assessment.
“The accommodating and loving teachings of Jesus Christ the Son of the Living GOD is not the teachings of ‘DIE THAT YOUR ENEMY MAY LIVE. IT IS A TEACHING THAT WE SHOULD LIVE THAT OUR LIVES WILL GLORIFY THE LIVING GOD.'”
The NDSDM said that Governor Nyesome Wike had not declared Rivers State a Christian State, adding that the State had always been and will remain a Christian State.
It said that Gov. Wike only stated the obvious truth and fact that Rivers State was a Christian State.
It added, “Not only is Rivers is a Christian State, it will remain a Christian State, if there is any doubt in anyone’s mind or any groups thinking or any political cabals mind let us have a referendum and a census to determine whether Rivers State and the Niger Delta people are Christians.
“That there are Muslims who are not Indigenes of Rivers State and Niger Delta have lived in our Communities, LGA, States, and Region and practice their religion freely and unmolested does not mean River State and Niger Delta region is anything other than a Christian State and Region.
“If any other Christian state in Nigeria or Niger Delta is too political to state the fact that their State is a Christian State let there be no doubt that Rivers State people say without fear, favour or apology that Rivers State is a Christian State and that Gov. Wike is only stating the very obvious as he knows it not only as the Governor of Rivers State but as a Son of The Christian Rivers State Soil.
“That Nigeria is ‘facing religious and ethnic crises’ is because a group of people had the audacity, temerity, and impunity to recklessly believe that for some cultural and religious beliefs that Nigeria and the majorly Christian Indigenous people of Nigeria belong to them, and have unguarded carried on illegal, murderous and unconstitutional acts against Christians, by taking over the political power and control of Nigeria, the control and ownership of their ancestral homelands and of the resources of the Christian Niger Delta people and region.
“It is people who are short on intelligence and who are reckless that will continue to fool and delude themselves that the evil and injustice they have carried on against us will continue, that the genocide and pogrom, and land grabbing will continue.
“The NDSDM while not wanting to dignify actors and perpetrators of greed must point out that the Analogue governors are the ones who refuse to allow children of the poor to use the Almajiry schools built by President Jonathan to acquire knowledge that will take them out of begging, poverty and slavery.
“Analogue Governors are the ones who pass laws to oppress the rights of Christians to preach, worship, evangelize or own land to build churches in their states and yet believe they have a higher right to be free to practise their religion, and build Mosques of worship for themselves in Christian states and regions.
“This is not the last time Nigeria and the world will hear Gov. Wike, Rivers Indigenes and Servants of the Living GOD and followers of Jesus Christ, and Students of the Holy Spirit say without fear, or favour that Rivers State is a Christian State. Niger Delta Region is a CHRISTIAN REGION.
“It is not Christian Governors of the Niger Delta Region or Gov. Wike of Rivers State that cooked religious fanaticism and dished it up to Nigeria.
“It is not Christians that have brought their non Nigeria fanatical kit and kin from across other African countries to implement RUGA, Cattle Grazing in other people’s land, Land Grabbing, Killings, running wild in Northern Nigeria, South West, South East Raping, Kidnapping, raping, murdering and displacing Christians in their ancestral homelands, planning to set up vigilantes in the homelands of Indigenes.”
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