Leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari yesterday declared that he does not hate northern Nigeria.
The former president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) who hitherto has been critical of the north, clarified that those who have translated his strong views on national issues as hatred for the north, do not know him.
Asari made the clarification after a meeting he had with the former chief security officer to late head of state, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, Mohammed Sani Abacha, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, Dr Fredrick Fasheun and Chief Ralph Uwazuruike in Owerri, the Imo State capital, last week, where they resolved to work together for the peace, unity and interest of their peoples.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, Asari said that haven spent greater part of his life in the struggle in defence of the oppressed, it would be wrong for people to consider him as one who hates the north, or any other party of the nation.
He said that he believed that it was time for Nigerians to face the obvious realities and come together to fight for their right, to ensure that they do not go back to the era of darkness, especially now that the calls for a sovereign national conference had become louder.
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 that we don’t go back to the era of darkness, especially now that the calls for 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”.
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