Is IYC Dead?

Editorial

One is declared alive as long as the spark of life- oxygen, is sustained by the Source–God. Whether one is seen by the public or not, as long as one is somewhere breathing, and taking part in life’s activities he is alive. That is the ordinary concept of life.But in the concept of leadership, Soyinka says “The man dies in all who keep quiet in the face of tyranny”. In other words, Leadership man’s aliveness is measured with the barometre of how well one functions as the” voice of vision” or “conscience” of the people one represents. Any thing less is called to question.

The president of Ijaw youth Council, IYC, DCN Peter Igbifa has not been heard for a long time now. The concerns of Ijaw nation are stockpiling like arms, heaping like waste dump and loading like a tipper articulated vehicle, yet IYC president is no where to be found or heard.Are people worried about his whereabouts?

Last time, we heard that he was kidnapped and released by yet to be identified gunmen. This was when the mother of all protests was aborted by IYC faithfuls in the midst of high expectations of the public.

The mother of all protests was staged to correct the long delay in appointing substantive NDDC board by the Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio.

But the struggle or the IYC boat was rocked in mid-sea. The narratives of the day were accusations and counter-accusations, some bribery collections were the centre of discussion–a situation that tells much about the president’s pedigree and his manifestos at the electoral process that enchanted him to power. Ijaw nation is still in disbelief whether IYC is still the voice of the Ijaw youths.

Whether it has been turned to a platform for the survival of the fittest, someone needs to know as a follower. Truly, the shameful outing made the large populace of Ijaw youth to lose confidence and trust in the revered Ijaw youth apex group.

However, the silence of the president: was it the best decision despite the shortfall and embroiled distrust? Why is he silent for this long? Has he been kidnapped again? Have the security operatives been alerted over his long absence? Or has the velocity of his leadership bouyancy in public to front the bedeviling issues of the nation and the office he is occupying decelerated? Is it the best stand to take? It is self denial of leadership, except he is invariably saying that he is no longer the president of IYC or he should stand firm no matter what and defend his mandate. Leadership has its pecuilar challenges, which involve abuses, backstabbing, name-calling and defamation of character. It is advised that he put behind what has happened and forge ahead. Try and restore trust and build more confidence in the youth and forge ahead. His silence is only creating wrong impressions in the minds of the youth.

Yes, it is a fact that he may be demoralized and emotional robbed by what happened, but he should gather all the broken parts and couple himself and continue the journey no matter the temptations.

Editorial
By Congress Newspaper