THE IJAW WOMAN’S ROLE IN THE NIGER DELTA STRUGGLE
by AnnKio Briggs (The Amazon Princess of the Niger Delta)
The Ijaw woman has always been in The Niger Delta in the Ijaw territory for without the woman there will be no Ijaw Nation, therefore your role as the future mothers and leaders of Ijaw Nation is well established.
The Ijaws have always been a whole people, a highly industrious and vibrant people, peace loving, yet very protective of their rights.
Ijaws have never been conquered and you must make sure that they are never conquered.
The Ijaws have lived and will continue to live on their lands, in their creeks, swamps, and rivers, for your lands, creeks, swamps, and rivers are your very lives and existence, most important they are your future and children’s future.
You will get yourselves educated, your children male and female educated,
You will develop yourselves and emancipate yourselves.
You will stop gas flaring and environmental abuses in Ijaw territories,
You will refrain from all activities that abuse your womanhood, and your culture, that disrespects your past and disgraces your future.
You will emancipate yourselves now, and your children’s future that way you will be proud to hand to your children a future they will be proud to protect and improve upon.
There is nothing like a political Niger Delta, you are Ijaw women in the core Niger Delta, you are not from coastal states, these are new terms and words brought into the system to further deceive and confuse you, you are of the wetlands, islands, rivers, swamps and creeks of the Niger Delta this is your geographical location, everything on your lands, waters, rivers, creeks, and swamps are your own to have and to keep and to do with as you please.
You should question without fear or favour the stealing of, looting of your resources, and the wicked destruction of your God given environment which is your lives,
You should question the imposed laws that have denied you all your rights to economic and political participation in the Nigerian state that you support with your sweat, blood and resources.
You should not be afraid to question the terms and conditions that has lead your forefathers to hand to your fathers, and now to you this unjust and unequal conditions that you are burdened with,
You must not be afraid to stand up against these ever increasing injustice, oppression and abuse, that you live in,
Most important you must be strong to stand up and be counted on the side of the struggle, to emancipate yourselves, your environment, and to bear and nuture your children in a free and just Nigeria, and if this concept is not possible then you are within your rights to desire and achieve for you and your children a just and free Ijaw Nation, as no one can deny that you are 1st of all, an Ijaw woman from Ijaw nation so created by God before you are a Nigerian.
You should no longer accept to be the goods and products on sale at the Nigerian market that was created by the colonial oppressors.
As the future mothers and leaders of our Ijaw nation your responsibilities to yourselves and your children and their future is to get the best education, without education you will remain slaves in your own lands and bear children that will have to free themselves,
“Educate the Ijaw woman educate Ijaw nation.”
There is no field and area of education, development, and knowledge that you venture into that you will not excel in.
Your aim always should be to change your nation the Ijaw nation from the status of the enslaved and oppressed nation, to that of a free Ijaw nation that is rightly her birthright, God did not create Ijaws and placing them in their creeks, swamps, and islands, blessing them with the natural resources that they need to develop to the glory of God as slaves to anyone, therefore it is your rights to say no to political and economical slavery, it is your rights to say no to poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, to neglect, to lack of quality education, healthcare, social welfare, and to the greatest abuse of all the denial of the rights to dignity, respect and self-determination, may l add these rights are universally recognized and protected by the United Nations and by Nigeria.
A lot of things have been stolen from the Ijaws and the Niger Delta people, it is your responsibility to protect what you have, to safeguard Ijaw nation from further looting and abuses, don’t be fooled our oppressors and the looters of our resources are determined to hold onto what they have taken by force, and continue to take from us with total disregard to our pleas for equity and justice, you must be equally determined to hold onto your rights and get equity and justice.
The Niger Delta is made up of many ethnic nationalities, the Ijaws have been further balkanized into many other states in the Niger Delta, and into the south-west, this act of separation from our kith and kin, is vicious and evil, turning us into smaller clans, but you must see this as a temporary abuse by the system as you join the call by Ijaw nation for 2 extra states of Ijaws and the call for the rights of the south-south or if you prefer the Niger Delta to select from one of their own the next President of Nigeria in 2007.
This is the only indication that will convince us as Niger Deltans and as Ijaws that the wind of justice is beginning to blow in our direction.
We have been told and we choose to accept that the best form of governance is DEMOCRACY, and as we have watched and have seen the form of democracy that is practised in Nigeria, we know it has not worked for us, as Niger Deltans and Ijaws, Nigeria’s type of democracy has failed us, it is your responsibility to insist on the real democracy of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Insist on the democracy that allows you to vote for the candidate that will work for you wherever you send him.
Insist on the democracy that allows you to recall your representative back if he fails to work for you,
Insist on the democracy that will allow you to develop your people and your communities,
Insist on the democracy that will allow for fair and transparent elections,
Insist on only a candidate, who understands that politics is a service to the people, and not a business to be invested in where by he or she looks for monetary returns
Insist on a politician who understands he or she is a servant of the people he or she represents, and not a master of the people.
In concluding, l have no doubt in my heart that the time for positive change, justice, and equity, is here and it is now, l believe absolutely that we must start our crusade for full and equal participation as women and partners to our brothers fathers, and husbands, in the struggle on the platform of transparency, honesty, and peace, these are the qualities our oppressors lack, if we are to be justified, and supported then we must as a people who are fighting for our survival and our dignity then we must start on the platform of FORGIVENESS on the platform of forgiveness we will rise above our oppressors, where the virtues of transparency, honesty, and peace will come to us naturally, as no other nationalities outside of the Niger Delta peoples particularly the Ijaws know from personal experiences the evils of oppression and abuses and we will more than any other peoples want so much to put an end to oppression and corruption and practice democracy which really has always been our ways of life.
Thank you for listening, God bless you protect you and strengthen you as you do the right thing.
GOD BLESS AND KEEP THE NIGER DELTA
GOD BLESS AND FREE IJAW NATION
The Ijaw woman has always been in The Niger Delta in the Ijaw territory for without the woman there will be no Ijaw Nation, therefore your role as the future mothers and leaders of Ijaw Nation is well established.
The Ijaws have always been a whole people, a highly industrious and vibrant people, peace loving, yet very protective of their rights.
Ijaws have never been conquered and you must make sure that they are never conquered.
The Ijaws have lived and will continue to live on their lands, in their creeks, swamps, and rivers, for your lands, creeks, swamps, and rivers are your very lives and existence, most important they are your future and children’s future.
You will get yourselves educated, your children male and female educated,
You will develop yourselves and emancipate yourselves.
You will stop gas flaring and environmental abuses in Ijaw territories,
You will refrain from all activities that abuse your womanhood, and your culture, that disrespects your past and disgraces your future.
You will emancipate yourselves now, and your children’s future that way you will be proud to hand to your children a future they will be proud to protect and improve upon.
There is nothing like a political Niger Delta, you are Ijaw women in the core Niger Delta, you are not from coastal states, these are new terms and words brought into the system to further deceive and confuse you, you are of the wetlands, islands, rivers, swamps and creeks of the Niger Delta this is your geographical location, everything on your lands, waters, rivers, creeks, and swamps are your own to have and to keep and to do with as you please.
You should question without fear or favour the stealing of, looting of your resources, and the wicked destruction of your God given environment which is your lives,
You should question the imposed laws that have denied you all your rights to economic and political participation in the Nigerian state that you support with your sweat, blood and resources.
You should not be afraid to question the terms and conditions that has lead your forefathers to hand to your fathers, and now to you this unjust and unequal conditions that you are burdened with,
You must not be afraid to stand up against these ever increasing injustice, oppression and abuse, that you live in,
Most important you must be strong to stand up and be counted on the side of the struggle, to emancipate yourselves, your environment, and to bear and nuture your children in a free and just Nigeria, and if this concept is not possible then you are within your rights to desire and achieve for you and your children a just and free Ijaw Nation, as no one can deny that you are 1st of all, an Ijaw woman from Ijaw nation so created by God before you are a Nigerian.
You should no longer accept to be the goods and products on sale at the Nigerian market that was created by the colonial oppressors.
As the future mothers and leaders of our Ijaw nation your responsibilities to yourselves and your children and their future is to get the best education, without education you will remain slaves in your own lands and bear children that will have to free themselves,
“Educate the Ijaw woman educate Ijaw nation.”
There is no field and area of education, development, and knowledge that you venture into that you will not excel in.
Your aim always should be to change your nation the Ijaw nation from the status of the enslaved and oppressed nation, to that of a free Ijaw nation that is rightly her birthright, God did not create Ijaws and placing them in their creeks, swamps, and islands, blessing them with the natural resources that they need to develop to the glory of God as slaves to anyone, therefore it is your rights to say no to political and economical slavery, it is your rights to say no to poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, to neglect, to lack of quality education, healthcare, social welfare, and to the greatest abuse of all the denial of the rights to dignity, respect and self-determination, may l add these rights are universally recognized and protected by the United Nations and by Nigeria.
A lot of things have been stolen from the Ijaws and the Niger Delta people, it is your responsibility to protect what you have, to safeguard Ijaw nation from further looting and abuses, don’t be fooled our oppressors and the looters of our resources are determined to hold onto what they have taken by force, and continue to take from us with total disregard to our pleas for equity and justice, you must be equally determined to hold onto your rights and get equity and justice.
The Niger Delta is made up of many ethnic nationalities, the Ijaws have been further balkanized into many other states in the Niger Delta, and into the south-west, this act of separation from our kith and kin, is vicious and evil, turning us into smaller clans, but you must see this as a temporary abuse by the system as you join the call by Ijaw nation for 2 extra states of Ijaws and the call for the rights of the south-south or if you prefer the Niger Delta to select from one of their own the next President of Nigeria in 2007.
This is the only indication that will convince us as Niger Deltans and as Ijaws that the wind of justice is beginning to blow in our direction.
We have been told and we choose to accept that the best form of governance is DEMOCRACY, and as we have watched and have seen the form of democracy that is practised in Nigeria, we know it has not worked for us, as Niger Deltans and Ijaws, Nigeria’s type of democracy has failed us, it is your responsibility to insist on the real democracy of the government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Insist on the democracy that allows you to vote for the candidate that will work for you wherever you send him.
Insist on the democracy that allows you to recall your representative back if he fails to work for you,
Insist on the democracy that will allow you to develop your people and your communities,
Insist on the democracy that will allow for fair and transparent elections,
Insist on only a candidate, who understands that politics is a service to the people, and not a business to be invested in where by he or she looks for monetary returns
Insist on a politician who understands he or she is a servant of the people he or she represents, and not a master of the people.
In concluding, l have no doubt in my heart that the time for positive change, justice, and equity, is here and it is now, l believe absolutely that we must start our crusade for full and equal participation as women and partners to our brothers fathers, and husbands, in the struggle on the platform of transparency, honesty, and peace, these are the qualities our oppressors lack, if we are to be justified, and supported then we must as a people who are fighting for our survival and our dignity then we must start on the platform of FORGIVENESS on the platform of forgiveness we will rise above our oppressors, where the virtues of transparency, honesty, and peace will come to us naturally, as no other nationalities outside of the Niger Delta peoples particularly the Ijaws know from personal experiences the evils of oppression and abuses and we will more than any other peoples want so much to put an end to oppression and corruption and practice democracy which really has always been our ways of life.
Thank you for listening, God bless you protect you and strengthen you as you do the right thing.
GOD BLESS AND KEEP THE NIGER DELTA
GOD BLESS AND FREE IJAW NATION
posted by TIUranta at 1:22 PM
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