Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has described the police raid of the Abuja residence of Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, for arms, as an attempt to intimidate the Ijaw nation.
He, however, stressed that nobody could intimidate the Ijaw ethnic group, adding that the Ijaw voice would continue to speak out against injustice and inequality in the country.
Speaking during a solidarity visit to Clark in his Asokoro home on Tuesday, the governor praised the elder statesman for his courage and leadership of the Ijaw nation.
Dickson, who was accompanied by Senator Ben Bruce, former Water Resources Minister, Muktar Shagari, a former Senate chief whip, Senator Stella Omu and a former permanent secretary, Alabo Graham Douglas among others, noted that if the police action was meant to harass the Ijaw nation into silence, it had already failed.
The governor said, “I thought I and my friends should be here to … with you and to again publicly restate our condemnation of the intimidation of a 92-year old leader of our people, one of the foremost leaders of Nigeria.
“We know that no weapon fashioned against our leader, our people will stand. If this was targeted to intimidate our people, it has failed. The spirit of the Ijaw nation cannot be intimidated, the Ijaw spirit is indomitable. That is what you have shown, you have taught.”
Dickson, who lost his mother recently, stated that Clark had demonstrated quality leadership for his people, adding he personified what he called the indomitable spirit of the Ijaw people.
“We admire your courage, your strength of character and personifying the indomitable spirit of our people. We know that this will not sway you.
In this nation, the Ijaw spirit cannot be intimidated. The Ijaw voice will continue to be heard,” the governor said.
Addressing journalists after a meeting with his host, Dickson lamented the killings across the country and accused the Federal Government of turning a blind eye while raiding the homes of innocent citizens.
“The killers are known, killer herdsmen who are involved in the killings are known but they are protected and why are you now harassing a 92-year-old man?” he queried.
Clark had narrated his ordeal to the delegation, noting that the police might have denied the invasion of his house if a former permanent secretary in the ministry of power, Amb. Godknows Igali was not around.
