N’Delta Group Alleges Plans By Buhari To Imprison Jonathan

A civil rights organisation, Vanguards of Nigeria’s Democracy, on Saturday alleged that there was a clandestine move by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to “investigate, malign and imprison” former President Goodluck Jonathan on trumped-up charges.
The VND specifically accused Mr. Buhari and his All Progressives Congress-led administration of “unsavoury and patently repugnant action”, which it said, were anti-Niger Delta in nature and specifically against the Ijaw ethnic nationality.
The group believed the ex-president was the target of the controversy surrounding some alleged missing funds from the nation’s treasury.
But the President, through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, wondered why people would dwell on speculations when nothing concrete had been established against the former president.
“All these are speculations and I cannot react to speculations because there is nothing concrete yet against the former President”, Adesina said.
The spokesperson of VND, Mr. Osaghae Ogiemudia, however, in a statement in Abuja on Saturday, claimed that the present administration had shown its disdain for the Niger Delta and Ijaws in several ways.
According to him, all Niger-Deltans, especially those from the Ijaw ethnic nationality, should support and rally round Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, “the only Ijaw governor”.
He said, “We, the members of the Vanguards of Nigeria’s Democracy, are aware of some clandestine moves made by the APC-led government to probe, investigate, malign and imprison ex-President Jonathan. We are already aware of the trumped-up charges the APC government is leveling against a man who has diligently served the Nigerian state at the highest level of government.
“The APC led government should take notice that the appointments made so far are skewed in favour of the North, as no Ijaw man has been appointed. While an Ijaw President did not discriminate in appointment, President Buhari is implementing a Northern agenda through some of the appointments”.
Listing some of the specific ways the Buhari-led government had displayed its anti-Ijaw posturing, the group said the president unilaterally cancelled the waterway surveillance and security contract awarded to the Delta-born Ijaw businessman, Mr. Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo.)
The group also criticised the sacking of the Director-General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi and described it as “one of the principal appointments given to the Ijaws of Bayelsa State”.

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