Why S-South leaders moved against Oyegun, Dokpesi — Adasen, Delta SSPA chairman"

Why S-South leaders moved against Oyegun, Dokpesi — Adasen, Delta SSPA chairman" CHAIRMAN of the South-South Peoples Assembly, SSPA, Delta State, Dr. Brown Adasen in this interview explains why former Federal Commissioner for Information and South- South leader, Chief Edwin Clark, kicked against the appointment of the assembly’s former interim national chairman, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, as Chief of Staff to President Jonathan. He also speaks on why the SSPA aborted the leadership of one of its most intelligent and articulate officers, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, as national chairman. Excerpts: Will you say that President Jonathan has met the aspiration of those of you who canvassed for a president from the South-South? When the South-South people decided that they should have a President, it was not because we had one particular person in mind. We felt that we were a part of this country and so what other zones have enjoyed, we should also be entitled to those things. We say we were lucky to have gotten it, but we are not fighting to have a president that will only concentrate on the South-South development. That is not what we want, we want a president that will represent the whole country, a president who believes that the whole country is his constituency and that is exactly what I think the president is doing. We also want a purely civilian president and we have him and you can see the level of attack on him in terms of criticism. No president has been so criticized as Dr. Goodluck Jonathan However, I think he is doing well, we must not just criticize for criticizing sake, there must be a yardstick. Are you saying the South-South will support him in 2015 despite the opposition from the North? There is no opposition from the North against Jonathan. I want it qualified. Pull him down mission Some persons from the north are kicking against him, not the northern people. I say this because I know of a truth that many of the northern people and leaders are for this government. So, when you say leaders from the north, you give some few persons opportunity to feel that they are carrying the whole of the north in their pull-him- down mission, which is a lie. Majority of the north are for Mr. President because they know that he is working and have the interest of their people at heart. SSPA used to speak with one voice. But there appears to be a crack, as Chief Edwin Clark fought the emergence of a former leader of the group, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, as Chief of Staff to the President. What is amidst? It is said in politics that there is no permanent enemy or permanent friend, but there is permanent interest and I believe in it. What was the interest of the South-South people? We all knew what our interest was but before you knew it, the man who led us while we were in Calabar to make the declaration that the presidential candidates must all come from the South-South in all the political parties; that there will be true federalism and resource control and that no part of Nigeria be ceded to any part. But the man took another course outside of the common course of his people. To our further dismay in 2011, because the man he wanted to be president did not win the presidency, he again, outside of what we had all agreed, went to become campaign manager or so of another presidential candidate from the north. There was nothing wrong in it if it was any other person because we did not believe that South-South alone would produce president, but not the chairman of SSPA. The same person after doing that cannot because he is interested in a job, go back and say he is now for President Jonathan. What of if the other person from the north, who he went to work for had won? I believe that what he did was not good enough and a person like Chief Clark will not take that. Not only him, nobody in the South-South leadership will take it. Clark spoke the mind of so many people. It is not that he had something against him, no. Dokpesi could be considered a son to him and so, he should not have any reason to fight him. The question to ask is, did Clark make the statement so that he would be made the Chief of Staff? The answer is obviously no. You see, fair is fair. I think the statement by Clark was made on behalf of the people. There is nothing outside abnormal that Clark said about Dokpesi. He (Dokpesi) is aware of these things. Hiring people to attack Chief Clark is uncalled for because he did the right thing. Why was Chief John Odigie-Oyegun unceremoniously removed as SSPA chairman? (Laughs) Do not forget that he was made the chairman of SSPA before he became the running mate to Ibrahim Sheakaru, presidential candidate of defunct ANPP. SSPA is not partisan but we will doff our hat for any party that is able to bring its presidential candidate from the South-South. But he went to a party and in his party, he became a running mate. He sent a wrong signal about the seriousness of the South- South as far as the presidency is concerned. Being its former chairman, we did not expect him to compromise our stand. He is an intelligent and articulate man but his hands were tied in the defunct ANPP and his position ran contrary to our aspiration in SSPA. Who is the current national chairman? The national chairman is Air Commodore Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), former military governor of Akwa-Ibom State.