NATIONAL CONFAB: IYC FROWNS AT NORTHERN DELEGATES DEMAND FOR SCRAP OF NDDC, NIGER DELTA MINISTRY, AMNESTY

Francis Sadhere

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, has frowned at the demand by northern delegates for the scrapping of Niger Delta Ministry, NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and Amnesty Programme, threatening to take some drastic measures.

The Ijaw group stated this in a press statement signed by its Spokesperson, Barrister Eric Omare, and made available to National Reformer.

The group said; “The Niger Delta people are still willing, ready and capable of bringing the Nigeria economy to its knees, The opposition of reactionary northern delegates to resource control and demand for scrapping of the NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Amnesty programme, are provocative to the Niger Delta people and we may be forced to take drastic actions.”

“The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide rejects in its entirety the decision of the National Conference Sub-Committee on devolution of power and resource control to maintain the current status quo of 13% as derivation for oil producing states and thereby rejecting the demand for resource control.

“This decision is retrogressive, anti-federalism and totally unacceptable to the Niger Delta people. The Committee’s decision to maintain the status quo and refusing to address the crucial issue of resource control betrays the expectation of Nigerians and Niger Deltans in particular that the National conference would right the wrongs of the past, deepen our federal system of government and put Nigeria on the path to development. This is nothing but a triumph of the retrogressive and provocative agenda of reactionary forces in Northern Nigeria,” it said.

According to the group; “these are interventionist agencies created for specific purposes which are not only beneficial to the Niger Delta Region but the entire country as demonstrated in the astronomical increase in the nation’s revenue as a result of the Amnesty programme.”

The IYC said that they were working with other ethnic nationalities and stakeholders in the Niger Delta and would in the coming days, review and take a position on the way forward.

The Ijaw group warned that the decision of the Niger Delta people to give peace a chance and to allow the federal government to address the problems of the Niger Delta should not be taken as a sign of weakness.

They strongly call on southern delegates, particularly Niger Delta delegates to the National Confab, to insist on resource control during the debate in plenary and not to deviate from the position of the region on resource control under any circumstance.

IYC said it had observed with dismay the unauthorized and reckless contributions of some Niger Delta delegates who have taken positions which amounts to deviation and betrayal of the Niger Delta position.

It therefore, warned that any Niger Delta delegate who deviates from its position on resource control would be declared as a persona non gratia and would not be allowed to return to the region.