A former acting President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Wisdom Ikuli has called on Ijaw people at home and in diaspora to vote for Elder Timi Kaizer Ogoriba as president of the Ijaw National Congress ( INC) in the upcoming election.
Describing Ogoriba as the best and most preferred candidates among those justling for the INC presidency, Ikuli opined that the Ijaw people need a vocal and intelligent representation to pilot the affairs of the congress.
“After the Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro Niger Delta struggle, Ijaws were scattered without any united Ijaw group or umbrella that held Ijaws together.
“It was Elder T.K. Ogoriba that sacrificed everything he had, including his teaching career to bring Ijaw people together under the Movement for the Survival of the Ijaw Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND).
“He was arrested several times. Some of us may be aware of his famous rescue from Creek Haven Government House, where he was detained by the then military governor.
“A special Egbesu team was mobilized for that historic mission. On arrival at the Creek Haven Government House, all the guns of the military personnel on duty were rendered inactive. None of the guns sounded.
“The soldiers became motionless and they were all disarmed. All the guns were later handed over to the police at Oporoma during their escape,” Ikuli recounted.
“Some persons actually made unimaginable sacrifices and others paid the supreme prices for the freedom we are enjoying today.
“Elder T.K. Ogoriba is one of the great Ijaw sons that made almost unbelievable sacrifices for the Ijaw Nation to get political identity and the vocal voice that we have today.
“It is a known fact that it was from MOSIEND that groups like Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and others were formed. It is time to reform, transform and reposition Ijaw National Congress (INC),” he said.
Ikuli asserted that he he is convinced that Ogoriba and his team will place the Ijaw nation on the global map.
