By Francis Sadhere
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on prominent Itsekiri chief, Chief Ayiri Emami, to stay clear from Ijaw affairs, just as the body also warned him to stop provoking Ijaw people to war with him and by extension his people.
This call was made in a statement by Barrister Eric Omare, Spokesperson for IYC, and made available to our correspondent in Warri.
According to the statement, “For the avoidance of doubt, we state clearly that the IYC and Ijaw nation do not need the permission of Ayiri Emami or whosoever to take position in defence of the Ijaw and Niger Delta interest. It is highly provocative for Ayiri, an Itsekiri and Ilaje man to decide who lead Ijaw youths and what position the IYC or any Ijaw organization should take.”
The statement reads further: “In the evening of Saturday, the 28th of May, 2016, some journalists called the attention of the Spokesman of the IYC to a publication signed by the some members of the executive council of the IYC to the effect that the President (Udengs Eradiri) and Spokesman (Eric Omare) have been suspended and that they were under pressure from strange quarters to publish the purported suspension.
“In response, the Spokesman of IYC issued a statement dated the 28th of May, 2016 to clarify the fact that it is only the IYC parliament that has the power to suspend or remove an officer of the IYC. Therefore, the purported suspension is of no effect.
“Despite this clarification, the President and Spokesman of IYC keep receiving calls from journalists in Warri, Yenagoa and Lagos on this issue. More specifically, Ayiri Emami was mentioned as the one who sent the purported suspension letter to journalists to publish and when he asked by a journalist as to why he (Ayiri) is the one sending a press statement on behalf IYC for publication, Ayiri responded that it is because the authors of the purported suspension letter did not have money to publish it hence he is helping them to publish it.
“Based on the foregoing, the President of IYC, Udengs Eradiri in the morning of Wednesday, June 1st, 2016 at about 10.30am confronted Ayiri Emami on phone and Mr. Ayiri said as follows THAT: He is sponsoring the purported suspension of the IYC President and Spokesman. He is sponsoring the purported suspension because of the call by the IYC President and Spokesman for the immediate take off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko as a condition to for the Niger Delta people to negotiate with the federal government. That he does not want the Maritime University to see the light of the day. Further that before anything relating to the Maritime University, Okerenkoko can be presented to government; there must be a meeting with him (Ayiri). The President and Spokesman of IYC are supporting the Niger Delta Avengers.
“It is an aberration to imagine that a person of Ayiri’s standing wants to decide the direction of Ijaw people and even have the audacity to take steps to sponsor purposeless Ijaw youths to cause division within the IYC.
“We wish to in clear and unequivocal terms warn Ayiri Emami to stay clear from Ijaw affairs. The Ijaw people are not interfering in the internal affairs of the Itsekiri people; hence an Itsekiri man should also not interfere in Ijaw affairs.
“The IYC take special note of the role Ayiri Emami has been playing in the ongoing military attacks on Gbaramatu communities and some other Ijaw communities.
“Ayiri Emami is provoking Ijaw people to war with him and by extension his people and the world must take note of these acts of provocation. Let no body blame Ijaw people as the aggressors as we are been pushed to the wall by Ayiri’s provocative actions.
“To the members of the IYC national executive council that are moles in the Ijaw nation and been sponsored by Ayiri and his cohorts to cause division in the IYC, the Ijaw people would surely take appropriate disciplinary actions against them and treat them as betrayers.
“We want to also make it clear that the President and Spokesman of IYC have nothing to do with the Niger Delta Avengers. But the IYC insist that the federal government should take immediate steps for the Maritime University, Okerenkoko to start academic activities. This we believe would help in restoring the confidence of the people of the Niger Delta region in the Buhari administration.
“The IYC also call on media houses not to publish any press release or any publication whatsoever sent to them by Ayiri Emami or any other person on behalf of the IYC. By the IYC Constitution and practice, it is only the President and Spokesman of IYC that has the authority to speak or issue press release, communiqué or any publication on behalf of the IYC. All publications on behalf of the IYC must be authorized by these relevant officers.”
