Ijaw Youths challenge Buhari on Resource Control, allege persecution of Niger Delta people

President Buhari

The Ijaw Youth Council IYC has called on the Federal Government to have an economic plan as an alternative for the people of the Niger Delta region who are involve in the oil bunkering activities and illegal refinery before stopping them from accessing their only means of livelihood in the creeks.

President of the IYC Comrade Udengs Eradiri who stated this in a chat with newsmen in Yenagoa said as the government is stopping them from their means of livelihood the people must also be involve in the participation of their resources.

He stressed that when they are denied access to their own resources it would give rise to another form of militancy in the region.

Eradiri also described as sad the spate of oil theft in the Niger Delta saying it is crime against humanity because the livelihood of the people is bastardized while the people are also killed and are forced into a quest for survival.

“I have said in the past much as we support the war against oil theft, it must come with an economic plan as an alternative so that as you are going in to stop them from their way of life, provide an alternative,.

“Engage, employ the youths who engage in illegal refining of crude in the creeks.

“But when you do otherwise, there will be effects,that’s why you are seeing the increase in crime rate, robbery is going up,kidnapping is on the increase, they are kidnapping even ice fish sellers now.

“It is because when you destroy their means of livelihood and you don’t create any alternative is a deliberate ploy to destabilize the Niger Delta so that businesses would not come here.

“They say oil theft is economic sabotage,what of the illegal mining that are going on in the north,is that not worst economic sabotage,at a point there was lead poisoning as a result of illegal mining.

“The monies that they realize from illegal mining is huge,why do we not have the JTF policing illegal miners, knowing fully well that the monies realize from gold illegally mined is far much more than monies realized from stolen oil.

“Retired Generals have mines of their own in the north, the statistics are there,why are we not talking about those minerals in the north that are illegally mines to the pockets of individuals,why is it that only Niger Delta oil that is in the pages of newspapers,” Eradiri asked.

The IYC President also called for proper investigation on how oil blocks were shared adding that if President MUHAMMADU Buhari is sincere with his anti CURRUPTION drive he should also revisit and investigate owners of Nigeria oil blocks.

“We must also investigate how those oil blocks were shared ,did it followed due process?, the UK government should stay away from Diezani,this was how they muscle up and now Alamieseigha is dead.

“ Now they have started with Diezani,they should leave Ijaw People alone, are they not other governors that have stolen?, go to UK almost all the streets are owned by northerners who stole Nigeria money.

“So why are they just on Goodluck Jonathan’ men,just to demonized Goodluck, Goodluck should have won Nobel Prize for peace, Goodluck deserves a nobel peace prize,Goodluck deserves respect from Nigerians,as far as we are concern the anti-CURRUPTION fight is a fight against the Ijaw people,” he said.

The IYC President also expressed worry that the Single Treasury Account system is already having a negative toll on the economy of the country adding that the Amnesty and the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC are having the effects as according to him projects are suffering in the region.

Eradiri said the Amnesty Programme is in jeopardy as the activities at the office is more of a snail speed because the Single Treasury Account system is making it so difficult for these institutions to carry out their constitutional and statutory functions.

The IYC however urged the President to exempt the NDDC and the Amnesty office in order for these institutions to freely carry out their responsibilities of training young people from this region as at when due and also developing the Niger Delta.

“We call on the President to exempt the NDDC from the Single Treasury Account ,my own understanding is that institutions that are revenue generating organizations like NNPC,NIMASA,NPA should generate the monies and inject them to a common purse.

“Not institutions that are set up particularly for special purposes,like the development of the Niger Delta.

“With the Single Treasury Account System, projects are suffering in this region,t he Amnesty Programme is more of a snail speed because the TSA .

“The TSA concept is making it very difficult for these institutions to carry out their constitutional and statutory functions,” Eradiri said.

The Ijaw Youth Council IYC also condemned the cancellation of the Maritime University in Delta state by the present administration led by President Muammadu Buhari.

Eradiri who said the cancellation wass unfortunate, noted that the University would have helped many young people from the Niger delta to achieve and gain knowledge as well as save the government a lot of money sending people abroad for training.

“Today even the institution that was set, such a special institution to build capacity of Nigerians, not only Ijaw people, just as they have police academy in the north, a special institute was set in the south, this vindictive administration have come and cancelled that university.

“Nigerians should calculate how much we have spent in capital flight sending our people abroad for special courses in the maritime sector, a University and Programme were set up by Patrick Akpobolokemi .

“These individuals should be people that would have been rewarded by Nigerians for their service to Nigeria, Kingsley brought peace to Niger Delta, stabilized this region, but today what are they paying him with ?,” Eradiri said.

Eradiri also called on the Government of the United Kingdom to stay away from the Ijaws and the Niger Delta people under the pretext of fighting CORRUPTION.

The IYC who also blamed the UK and the Nigerian Government drawing to the circumstances that led to the death of the former governor of Bayelsa State Diepreye Alamieyeseigha says the council would continue to stand on Resource Control which Alamieyeseigha stood for.

The IYC said the selective prosecution of the Ijaws and the Niger Delta People by the President Buhari led Federal Government would no longer be acceptable.

The Ijaw Youth Council IYC also calls for the unconditional release of the Radio Biafra Broadcaster Nnamdi KANU ,saying that they are exercising their rights and so there is no reason why he should be arrested.

Eradiri said the issues that he is raising are fundamental to the existence of this country saying that the Ijaws also are raising the same issues Nnamdi and his colleagues are doing.