Briggs said that rather than discuss the issues of injustice, and crude theft of the wealth of the nation by the Federal Government through lop-sided distribution of resources, especially revenue generated from the region, the media was busy calling the people of the region, who dared to speak up, names, and aligning them to militants.
She said that rather than seriously ventilating the issues raised in her recent presentation at an event, journalists have buried the issues, were only promoting the desire of government to locate the agitators in the region, and linking her as one of those who know where the militants are.
According to the Kalabari jewel, “While l respect the great profession of journalism, the headline, “ANNKIO BRIGGS KNOWS WHERE AVENGERS ARE” is cheap, infantile, tasteless, and a disgrace to the noble profession of journalism.
“I am calling on the real journalists in Nigeria, to please, clean their house and restore the dignity and respect due their profession, and not allow a few unprofessional ones amongst them to pull down the profession and drag it through the mud.”
Briggs explained that, “I said in my presentation at the programme, the injustice we have endured in the Niger Delta in over 50 years, the injustice of Kano State taking 44 LGA allocation of what Bayelsa State produces, while Bayelsa State, which produces the wealth takes only 8 LGA allocation is an injustice that will continue to produce people who yesterday called themselves MEND, today NDA, and many more.”
She said that she had suggested that, “Instead of looking for Avengers, end the injustice in the Niger Delta, as long as there is injustice, there you will find Avengers.”
Briggs further argued that, “If Lagos State ends up with 13 per cent derivation, and their land and livelihoods are destroyed like in the Niger Delta; Lagos State, their own Avengers will arise.”
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