President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday expressed dismay over what he described as “abusive denigration of his personal integrity and the whipping up of divisive ethnic sentiments” by the Itsekiris over the botched ground breaking ceremony of the $16billion Export Processing Zone Project.
The project which was due for commissioning by Jonathan last Friday was botched following severe threats by ex-Niger Delta militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo and other Ijaw indigenes.
While the Itsekiri leaders called the president a coward and demanded the his resignation and that of the State Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Tompolo kidnapped 14 journalists in furtherance of the protests by Ijaws.
But speaking through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president regretted that elders, community leaders and parties to the dispute have resorted to threats and accusations of partisanship against him in press conferences and paid adverts in newspapers.
He said they were “being most unfair to him and doing a great disservice to continuing efforts to forge greater national unity and peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians”.
Briefing State House correspondents yesterday, Abati explained “the postponement of the ground-breaking ceremony for the project earlier scheduled for last Friday was not in furtherance of any anti-Itsekiri agenda.
“Rather, it was borne out of the clear need to give all concerned parties more time to achieve the communal peace, understanding and harmony that will greatly facilitate the project’s speedy actualization for the benefit of Itsekiris, Ijaws, Urhobos, Ibos, Isokos and all other Nigerians”, he added.
Abati assured interested parties in the dispute that as the leader of the nation, President Jonathan “is not, and cannot be on the side of any party to the avoidable dispute over the location and ownership of the site of the Gas Revolution Industrial Park.
“The project itself was conceived for the benefit of all Nigerians, not just Itsekiris, Ijaws, Urhobos or other ethnic groups in its immediate environment. In terms of employment opportunities, it is projected that the Gas Industrial Revolution Park will ultimately create up to three million jobs for Nigerians in its catchment area and other parts of the country”, he stated.
The presidential spokesman said the president urged,all parties to the communal dispute over the location and ownership of the site of the Gas Industrial Revolution Park to cooperate fully with ongoing efforts by the Federal Government and the Delta State government to peacefully resolve all outstanding issues.
“He looks forward to coming to perform the ground-breaking ceremony for the Gas Industrial Revolution Park very soon in conditions of communal peace, unity and harmony”, Abati added.
He further stated: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has noted with regret the very unnecessary controversy and acrimony that has arisen over the postponement of the ground-breaking ceremony for the Gas Revolution Industrial Park at Ogidigben in the Warri South West Local Government Area.
“President Jonathan is deeply saddened by the very unjust, uncharitable and unwarranted accusations of nepotism and partisanship that have been made against him in the wake of the postponement.
“The President is particularly dismayed by the unseemly resort to the abusive denigration of his personal integrity and the whipping up of divisive ethnic sentiments by parties to the totally needless communal disagreement that resulted in the decision to reschedule the ground-breaking event.
“It should be apparent to all Nigerians by now that while President Jonathan may be affiliated to the Ijaw ethnic group by birth, he knows fully well that he was elected President of all Nigerians and has always shown by word and deed that he will always uphold the oath he swore on assumption of office to protect and promote the interests of all citizens with justice, equity and fairness to all as his guiding principles”.
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