The administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Chief Dennis Otuaro, has urged the youth of the Niger Delta to shun violence as the region marks the annual Isaac Boro Day.
Boro Day is marked on May 16 every year in commemoration of Major Isaac Adaka Boro, a foremost Ijaw freedom fighter who died in Okrika, Rivers State, while fighting on the side of the Nigerian government during the Civil War.
Regarded as an Ijaw hero by his kinsmen, Boro is remembered for his exploits and attempts to liberate the Ijaw people by first declaring the Niger Delta Republic and later for his struggles to seek a better deal for his people from international oil companies.
In a statement issued to mark this year’s Boro Day by his Special Assistant on Media, Mr Igoniko Oduma, on Thursday, Otuaro paid glowing tributes to the memory of the icon of the Ijaw struggle on the occasion of his 56th-anniversary celebration.
He said that Boro was being remembered for his vision and efforts to ensure a better standard of living for the Ijaw people, describing him as a courageous Ijaw freedom fighter who lived a selfless life and promoted the ideals of an egalitarian society.
Otuaro stated that Boro believed in the unity, progress and development of Nigeria, where equity and justice would reign, saying it was for this reason he fought to keep Nigeria as one indivisible nation.
According to him, the commemoration of Boro Day is one of the most significant ways of celebrating Boro’s legacy of community service and mutual coexistence.
He noted that the establishment of the Presidential Amnesty Programme was a response to the agitation by Niger Delta youths whose advocacies were anchored on Boro’s school of thought and principles.
He, therefore, advised Ijaw and indeed Niger Delta youths to celebrate this year’s Boro Day responsibly while upholding the ideals for which the late icon is being remembered.
The PAP boss said: “Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro is an Ijaw hero and icon of the Ijaw struggle. His 56th anniversary is a commemoration of his bravery and courage.
“Today, many Ijaw and Niger Delta youths are drinking from the fountain of Boro’s struggle, which is a worthy legacy bequeathed by him.
“The Presidential Amnesty Programme was created as a direct response to the intense agitation by Ijaw and indeed Niger Delta youths who were inspired by Boro. Therefore, it is imperative that all hands be on deck to promote peace and stability in the region in order to fully achieve the objectives of the programme.”
Otuaro also urged Ijaw and other Niger Delta youths to shun violence, embrace unity and love one another.
He also enjoined the Ijaw people to look inward to note the fact that Boro fought for the unity of a strong, virile Nigerian nation where the Ijaws would have pride of place.
According to him, Boro did not engage in acts of disunity and pull-him-down syndrome, which have become the pastimes of some youths today.
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