What I Know About Australian Negotiator - Asari Dokubo Opens Up
Major political figure of the Ijaw ethnic group in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria and leader of the defunct Niger Delta Volunteers Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari has said that the Australian negotiator Stephen Davis is playing out a script by former Olusegun President Obasanjo.
According to a report by Sunday Sun, Asari stated this during a recent interview in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital.
“Davis is Obasanjo’s friend. Obasanjo brought him to Nigeria and he is playing Obasanjo‘s script. He is playing Obasanjo’s agenda. Whoever introduced him to the government should have done a background check on him,” he said.
Asari’s outburst came on the heels of disclosure by Davis, who claimed that Boko Haram revealed to him that former Chief of Army Staff General Azubuike Ihejirika and former governor Ali Modu Sheriff were their sponsors.
The former militant said: “How can he say opposition is sponsoring Boko Haram and then the first name he would mention is Azubuike Ihejirika. When did Ihejirika start to sponsor Boko Haram, was it when it was formed in 2002 when he was never Chief of Army Staff of when their leader Mohammed Yusuf was extra-judicially murdered in 2009 or when did he start sponsoring if not that someone is playing politics.
“He said former governor Ali Modu Sheriff is sponsoring Boko Haram and I ask when? Was it when they accused him of allegedly murdering Yusuf’s father-in law who was his former Commissioner? Lest we forget one of the demands of Boko Haram in 2009 was that Sheriff should be put on trial, so when did he start the sponsorship.
“Now all of a sudden, Sherrif who was a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was not a sponsor of Boko Haram until he defected to the PDP. Now APC are not shouting. So when they are hobnobbing with him he was not a Boko Haram sponsor until now. APC is evil and they are hiding the truth from people. As far as I am concern, my friend Stephen Davis has totally reduced himself. All his comments are pepper soup joint talk.”
Asari who disclosed that he was the first Nigerian Davis negotiated with said he is very familiar with the Australian negotiator, down to his family.
On how Davis negotiated with him, the ex-militant replied: “He negotiated with me when I was in the creek on behalf of the European Embassies in Nigeria. He negotiated with me to cease fire and come out to meet with the then President Olusegun Obasanjo. He negotiated with me without paying anything. We only agreed because we thought Obasanjo would be sincere but it did not happen.”
Asari is of the opinion that Davis is being economical with the truth and he is totally disappointed in the politics he is playing, adding that he has diminished himself as an International negotiator.
Still speaking on the missing Chibok girls, Asari insisted that at no time was any girl kidnapped, saying it is a scam.
When he was reminded that the international community and government agencies believe the girls are missing, he replied: “Which International community? The international community that went to Iraq and said there were weapons of mass destruction, till today they have not seen any. The International community that went to Libya to kill Ghadaffi and today have totally destroyed Libya. Which International community are you talking about the international community with vested interests? They came since with goggle map and co, so why have they not located the girls. It is a disgrace. Why have America soldiers not rescued the girls.”
He added that insurgency in Nigeria will not end anytime soon and therefore called on Nigerians to prepare themselves as the the military cannot be trusted to end the insurgency since it is polarised along ethnic lines.
Recently, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka in a new piece called Wages of Impunity, revealed that he had worked together with Stephen Davis who he described as a federal government negotiator, when negotiating with the Nigeria Delta militants under Late President Umaru Musa Yaar’adua’s administration.
