PORT HARCOURT— PEOPLE of South South are not second class citizens in their own country, says Ijaw Elders Council. Reacting to media reports  credited to Prof Tam David-West, in which he  lashed at the duo of Chief Edwin Clark and Chief Albert Horsefall for calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the coming presidential election, Prof Abiye Obuoforobo,  who spoke for the Ijaw Elders, said from the comment credited to Prof West, it was clear the Prof of Virology was not in touch with issues in the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region.

The Ijaw Elders Council wondered why David-West would say that the region should be mindful not to provoke the North against Jonathan’s aspirations in case he indicates interest to run for the presidency.

According to Prof Obuoforobo, since the region is not a conquered territory, there was no need for such comment.

“We are equal stakeholders in this country. For 50 years,  the Northerners had ruled this country more than any other section of the country,” he said.

You remember in 1979,  Shagari came, possibly for fear of a Southerner becoming president, the military struck. We are all witnesses of what happened.

From that time till Abdusalami, it was all Northern affairs. And if we have such history,  how can he say that we should not make them angry, so that we can get the presidency. Are there second rated citizens in the country? Certainly we are not.”

He said the statement that the duo of Chiefs Clark and Horsefall were opportunist was completely unacceptable.

“These are people who have always been on the forefront of Ijaw issues. West mentioned the fugitive former Governor of Delta State, that our reverend Chief Clark was not able to stop him from being Governor. But everybody knows that it was Chief Clark with his coalition of elders of Delta State, who were able to bring to justice the fugitive former Governor. A leader must be rooted in his people, carry the aspiration of his people.”

“You can’t be a leader in diaspora. I believe Prof David-West is not in touch with realities in both the Niger Delta and Ijaw community,” he said.