Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri and the attempt to blackmail him as a member of the new associates .
Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri and the attempt to blackmail him as a member of the new associates .
I woke up this afternoon to see series of failed desperate attempts to blackmail the office and person of Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, President of Ijaw Youth Council.
From the beginning of this whole saga, I have refrained myself from making any statements giving the level to which some have seen it as a opportunity to call people black sheep amd score political points.
I was not also amazed when in a lame attempt at giving me a bad name that some tried to also use my name to promote an act which i knew nothing about . But God knowing our inner most thoughts used the Governor , Sen Douye Diri to save the situation that I am not a party to this whole issue.
In many attempts, Jonathan Lokpobiri has always done things quietly in his bid to always protect the ijaw Nation he swore to protect . At the beginning of this unsavoury political drama, it was the passionate and patriotic intervention of Sir Jonathan among other interventions that circumvented the first impeachment move when he reached out to King Ateke Tom, our leader HRH Alhaji Asari Dokubo and others to immediately step in to forestall the entire coup to remove Sim by the State Assembly . Am sure , Hon Ayinla and others are all alive to corroborate this piece. It is on record that sir Jonathan consistently pleaded with Alhaji Asari to change his earlier posture against Sim for the sake of Ijaw Nation which finally saw Alhaji resolving to sheat the sword of discord in honour of Ijaw Nation and our greater aspirations as a people . This fact, most people do not know because he is not a loud person and I challenge anyone with a contrary position to dispute it.
I was sitting in Opobo Town hall during the botched IYC Eastern Zone election at Opobo town when the factional Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Adolphous Timothy representing Opobo/Nkoro state constituency, in defence of an accusation against President of not supporting Gov Sim gave an elaborate discussion which he heard between Hon Farah Dagogo and sir Jonathan, were our revered President was pleading passionate with the later ( Hon Farah) to reconcile with Gov Sim for the sake of Ijaw Nation and speak with him. At the time this conversation was ongoing, neither him nor Jonathan has ever met or knew themselves. His submissions came as a rude shock even to sir Jonathan who did not know that the then factional Speaker overheard the entire conversation between him and farah.
A few days ago, we had discussed ways to step into this seemingly unending feud between George Turner , the associates and the Bayelsa State Government. The President in his usual way put a call to George Turner as a friend and brother to jettison the idea of his avowed decision to go ahead with his planned rally. George, who holds the president in very high esteemed agreed to meet the President in Portharcout. However, given their different schedules meeting to sit and discuss was not possible hence they both agreed to meet along the road while he sir Jonathan was on his way to Akwa Ibom for a meeting. George agreed given the tight schedule of both and a short meeting was done on the road for this one on one conversation. In that meeting, Sir Jonathan appealed to George Turner to understand the mood of our people and as a young Ijaw Son shift his planned rally to a much later date as this may spark a lots of reactions which will not only undermine our people as Ijaw Nation but may lead to such unexpected turn of events . He made this appeal as President of Council which George said he will look into it given their long standing relationship which is public knowledge.
It appears to me that this otherwise necessary interventions is being given a different picture by some very desperate characters just as they have dug up a video of a trip which we all planned last year to the UK but unfortunately for some pressing family developments i could not make it. Today this video is now being used as a justification to name Sir Jonathan as part of the new associates . Quite ridiculous.
It is on record that the new associates was birthed just recently and this trip was done since last year.
What this means, is that if I Owoupele Jeremiah Perekeme had been there and expectedly in that video, i would also be named as a Senior member of the new associates. Could it also be good to submit that Emmanuel, the Secretary of the IYC London chapter, a known blue blooded son of ijaw whose vociferous positions in defence of Sim and Ijaw Nation is also part of the ASSOCIATES TO FIGHT GOV FUBARA? HAAA NA WAAAO.
It is sad that youths of today has become extremely dangerous and being used as home rats to fight ourselves. This trend is sad unethical and represents the last stage in the culturization of endemic Evil in Ijaw land .
Where is the truth in Ijaw Nation . Where is the integrity in humanity. Sir Jonathan will continue to discharge his mandate in serving ijaw Nation till his constitutional term expires .
In all, I call on Ijaw youths to imbibe our time tested virtues of being true to issues and cultivate sincerity of purpose in all things and at all times .
Leave Sir Jonathan Alone and seek ways to assist him in defending our sacred cause as a people. None is all knowing but together we can achieve more .
JP OWOUPELE ESQ.
