Seriake Dickson said yesterday that notwithstanding the political crisis that has engulfed Rivers state, the Ijaw Nation was not at war with the President or the APC-led Federal Government.

The former governor who said this in a statement he issued after he visited the suspended Governor of Rivers state, Governor Siminalaye Fubara, at his residence in Port Harcourt commended the people of Rivers state for maintaining peace and order even in the midst of the extreme and rare political development.

Dickson noted that “while the state appears peaceful, it may very well be the peace of a graveyard which, any little trigger can alter the balance of peace in the state and across the region”, and therefore appealed to all the parties to maintain peace.

According to him, “I want to appeal to all our people, the youths of Rivers State, and in particular the youths of Ijaw Nation, in Rivers State and across the Niger Delta, from Arogbo in Ondo State, to Ibeno in Akwa Ibom State, to continue to be peaceful and resist any provocation or incitement to violence.

They should refrain from violence and destructive tendencies, particularly the destruction and vandalization of strategic oil and gas infrastructure in the region, which has the tendency to cause further pollution-damage to our already compromised environment, slow down the pace of economic development and activities in the region, and create fiscal challenges for government at all levels in the country, especially at this time when the global economy is experiencing unprecedented instability with consequences for all nations.

“I also urge the Sole Administrator, who himself is a highly decorated and respected military veteran from the Niger Delta region, to refrain from actions that do not build confidence and aid the quick and amicable resolution of the crisis. I commend the security forces for keeping peace in the region and urge them to continue to work with stakeholders and constituted authorities to do so, even in Rivers State and across the region.

“I call on the President to prevail on stakeholders, especially my brother the FCT Minister and the governor, Siminalaye Fubara, to find a common ground for tolerance and accommodation for a quick resolution. As I have always said, there are no perfect fathers and sons. We must learn to tolerate and manage one another in spite of our imperfections and always remember the unique relationship they have built over the years, which has led to the emergence of the governor. It is always the divine prerogative of fathers to tolerate and forebear for the overall interest of all.

“On the part of the President, I would like to state that the Ijaw Nation is not at war with the Federal Government or with the President, and we are looking up to him as the leader of the nation to lead in the resolution of the issues and restore normalcy and democratic rule. I call on all leaders from the Niger Delta at the State and National level to play an active part in the resolution of this issue.