BREAKING: Ijaw youths threaten hostilities over scraping of Niger Delta Ministry

By Sola Omoniyi & Miracle Esegha

The Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, worldwide has threatened hostilities over the scraping of Niger Delta Ministry by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This is according to a press briefing held in Warri on Friday by the spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Amb. Princewill Binebai.

Addressing the press, the IYC spokesman said attempt to scrap any ministry or commission that had to do with the Niger Delta would be resisted with the last drop of the blood of Niger Delta youths, adding: “This is not a threat but a statement that will become a reality should the reverse becomes the case”.

Speaking at the briefing, Binebai called on the multinational oil companies to prepare towards relocating their headquarters back to the Niger Delta region where the oil and gas are produced.

He stated, “You cannot be drilling and exporting oil from our soil and paying royalty to other state (s)”.

The statement reads, “Council is well aware that the Ijaw people in the Niger Delta region, despite contributing towards the economic and political well-being of the country, the Ijaw people have not truly been given their fair share in the resources that are produced from their communities.

“IYC will continue to prioritise the unity of Ijaw nation for in unity lies our strength hence Prof. Dime, pioneer President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC ) had posited in 1992 at Arogbo in Ondo state that “If Spiders Web Can Unite, They Can Tie Up A Lion ” . The unity of Ijaw is important and our march for a better Ijaw nation.

“While the Ijaw people will continue to be peaceful and will always embrace one Nigeria, we must sound it clearly that our continued guarantee of peace in Nigeria should be laced with justice, fairness, equity and political inclusion. It is very sad to note that almost everything that has come to the Niger Delta, particularly to the Ijaw people are all products of agitation and struggle. Nothing has ever been given to the Ijaw people freely.

“Henceforth, council will not tolerate and accept the incessant Invasion of Ijaw communities at every slightest opportunity by the Nigerian military. The Ijaw people should not be treated as strangers in this country, people must learn to respect them as critical stakeholders in this country.

“Council will not rest until justice is done for the gruesome murder of Peterside Alafuro, an Ijaw from Rivers state that was murdered by a trigger happy police officer in Rivers State, we are calling for justice, we will not allow this evil to be swept under the carpet.

“Going forward, the Ijaw Youth Council will embrace friends of the Ijaw people in the Nigerian state and will also resist foes of our region and the Ijaw people in particular. Our development and progress will be at the front burner as we engage with critical stakeholders in Nigeria to negotiate a better deal for our people. Never will the Ijaws take the back seat.

“The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) is stating that the bill for the establishment of our precious Nigeria Maritime University, (NMU) Okerenkoko in Delta State has suffered too much legislative hiccups, never have we seen anywhere in the world how a school of such will struggle so hard for survival, the Federal Government of Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu must quickly in collaboration with the National Assembly see to the passage of the bill.

“The floating dock originally designed for Okerenkoko as a complementary gesture for the Nigeria Maritime University, Okerenkoko must without delay be relocated back to Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

“The PIA provides for 30% from NNPCL profit for oil exploration in frontier basin which are within states in the northern region. While it makes provision for only a paltry 3% operational expenditure for the development of Niger Delta oil bearing communities. This is a monumental imbalance that has given some form of legitimacy by the government of Nigeria to a people that are contributing nothing compared to those that the resources are coming from. On this note, the IYC will constitute a legal team that will critically look at the rationale behind this ugly trend before seeking a proper means of redress through the options available to us as Niger Delta people”, he added.