Asari Dokubo Denies Hating Northerners

 

Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, on Thursday said it was unfortunate that some of his strong views on national issues have been translated to mean that he hates the north.

Asari told reporters at a press conference in Abuja that having spent the greater part of his life in the struggle to defend the oppressed, it would be wrong for people to consider him as one who hates the north or any other part of the country.

The former President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) however insisted that he would never shy away from speaking the truth, not minding who feels offended.

He noted that it is time for Nigerians to face realities and come together to fight the injustice in the land.

This, he said would ensure that they do not go back to the “era of darkness, especially now that the calls for a sovereign national conference have become louder.”

He stressed that a new vista of interaction has been opened with people across the country where everyone has shown commitment to “midwife a genuine rebirth of mutual cooperation, love and unity amongst ourselves and all our various people.”

He said: “Most of my address has been translated as hatred against the north, this is far from the truth, because the word hatred has never existed in my dictionary.

“But I will never shy away from stating the fact, not minding who feels happy or sad about it.

“I have spent most of my life, in my close to 50 years that Allah has graciously allowed me to live so far, in the forefront of various struggles against oppressions of my people and others. I cannot do this if I hate any part of the country. But I will remain consistent in the fight against oppression.

“It is time for us to face the obvious realities and come together to fight and ensure we don’t go back to the era of darkness, especially now that the calls for a Sovereign National Conference have become louder.

“We believe that with the appearance of true, sincere and genuine northerners, a new page of interaction has been open, where we see ourselves as equals and our interest as closely knitted.

“These genuine patriots have assured and confirmed to us that those who held the disgraceful and racial belief of being superior to others and are born to rule do not represent the overwhelming majority of the people of the north.”