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Tag: Ijaw elders

  • N’Delta youths knock Ijaw elders for withdrawing ultimatum

    •Warn militants against resumption of hostilities

    Ijaw youths yesterday faulted elders and members of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) for withdrawal of an ultimatum to the Federal Government for resumption of dialogues over militants’ attacks in the oil-rich region.

    The youths under the auspices of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide also warned militant groups against resuming hostilities in the region.

    The Eric Omare-led IYC, in a statement, insisted dialogue, not hostilities, remained the best approach to resolving knotty issues of development in the region.

    “We call on militant groups in the Niger Delta region threatening renewed hostilities to exercise restraint to still give room for peaceful resolution of the Niger Delta question.

    “It is the inconsistent posture and lack of sincerity on the part of the Federal Government towards resolving the issues that has led to agitators running out of patience and threatening to resume hostilities.

    “However, we strongly believe that dialogue remains the best option towards resolving the issues”.

    Omare however said it was hasty for members of PANDEF led by the King Alfred Diete-Spiff to have withdrawn their ultimatum after meeting with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

    He said the IYC believed that mere promise of dialogue and briefing on progress made with PANDEF’s 16-point demand by the government was not enough for the elders to call off their ultimatum.

    He said the only dialogue that would solve the problems of the region permanently must be centered around restructuring to allow the region control its resources.

    He said: “As far as the IYC is concerned the key issue that the federal government needs to dialogue with the Niger Delta people is the question of restructuring with a view to achieving fiscal federalism and resource control.

    “The other issues on the PANDEF 16 points demand does not require a dialogue team between the federal government and the Niger Delta people because they are routine government responsibilities.

    “Our demand for dialogue with the federal government is to primarily address the resource ownership and control question which underpins the Niger Delta struggle over the years.

    “It is only a resolution of the resource ownership question which gives the communities a stake in the natural resources found in their land that would lead to permanent peace in the Niger Delta region.

    “The other issues on the PANDEF 16 point agenda such as take-off of academic activities at the Maritime University, construction of East West Road, funding of NDDC, Amnesty programme, Ogoni clean up, etc are only palliatives but not the root cause of the Niger Delta agitation.

    “Therefore, any dialogue between the federal government and the Niger Delta people must be geared toward resolving the resource ownership and control question.

    “We make bold to say that no amount of meeting between federal government and Niger Delta leaders would bring permanent peace to the region without addressing restructuring and the resource ownership question”.

  • Ijaw elders clash over report on IYC crisis

    Ijaw elders clash over report on IYC crisis

    The report of the Joshua Fumudoh-led committee on the succession crisis rocking the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has divided Ijaw elders.

    Prominent Ijaw leaders, who were angry with the report, rose from their meeting in Warri, Delta State, yesterday, to condemn the document, which chose IYC leaders elected  in Okirika, Rivers State, ahead of the Eric Omare council elected in Burutu, Delta State.

    Following the report of the committee, which was set up to resolve the crisis in IYC by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, Mr. Pereotubo Oweilaemi-led faction was inaugurated at the Abuja residence of E.K Clark in the presence of Dickson.

    Some of the Ijaw leaders present at the inauguration of the Oweilaemi faction were Justice Francis Tabai, Ambassador Godknows Igali, Bodrick Bozimo, Chief Francis Doupkola, Chief T.K Okorotie and Dr. Felix Tuodolo.

    But Western Ijaw leaders in a letter after their Warrri meeting distanced themselves from the position of Clark, Dickson and members of the committee.

    The leaders, who faulted the committee’s are Hendrick Opukeme, Ken Orubebe, Chief Bright Abilo, Amb. Dibi Yinkore, Goddey Smith, aka King of the Forest; Chief Friday Egbegbe, Don Ben, Dr. Ferdinand Oshonwoh and Ari S. Ari.

    The leaders opposed to the Fumudoh committee said they stood on the Burutu IYC convention that produced Omare as the council’s president since it was conducted by the past leadership in accord with the IYC constitution.

    They maintained that following the zoning of the presidency to the west, they had before the Burutu convention adopted Omare as their consensus candidate, a decision that was earlier endorsed by Dickson.

    They said: “Prior to the expiration of the Udengs Eradiri Presidency and in an attempt to produce a competent and qualified President from the West to lead the IYC for the next three years, the Western leadership adopted Eric Omare as a consensus candidate before the Burutu Convention took place.

    “Consultations took place between the Governor of Bayelsa State and representative of leaders of the West on the preparation for the Burutu convention which eventually produced Eric Omare as the President of IYC.

    “The point to note is that the BurutuConvention was within the legal time allowed by the IYC Constitution as a condition precedent to the emergence of a new exco. It is only the Eradiri led exco that is constitutionally empowered to set up Eleco and hold convention”.

    The leaders said it was an aberration for some elders to hold another convention under the guise of unity outside the timeframe of the constitution.

    Referring to the sponsors of the second convention as interlopers and promoters of division, the elders said their action was a recipe for anarchy.

    “In the larger Nigerian society it would have been an aberration if after Jonathan had conducted an election, then the league of past Presidents would congregate and set up a parallel eleco to elect another President.

    “The action of some past IYC Presidents is pervasive oppressive and calls for anarchy. To make things worse the decision of the elders was jaundiced and smarks of an hurriedly passed judgment.

    “We can see the voice of Esau and the hand Jacob and drawing from the facts on ground it is the Eric Omare led exco that has legitimacy embedded in it,” they said.

    The elders in their letter which was copied to all Ijaw stakeholders and security agencies insisted that the Okirika convention held outside the tenure of the dissolved Udengs Eradiri leadership was a rebellion of the old order against the new breed.

    According to them former IYC leaders, who were at loggerheads with Eradiri,  took it upon themselves to stage their convention without adequate consultation with the Western Zonal leadership.

    “Thus, the Okrika Convention was purely the creation of East and Central element of Ijaw Youth Elders who acted for themselves and their Zones.

    “The Okirika convention is a constitutional anomaly. There is no foundation for their action. The outcome of this ill-conceived convention should be discountenanced and jettisoned”, they said.

    They lamented that despite the opposition against the Fumudoh-led committee’s report, Clark, who should have acted as a father, hurriedly inaugurated Oweilaemi as a factional IYC president.

    The elders in their letter said: “Even when delegation led by Hendrick Opukeme appealed to Chief Clark to put on hold the inauguration, he refused. If Chief E.K Clark, as father of the Ijaw nation cannot resolve conflict within two factions of the IYC, then who will?

    “We collectively condemned in its totality, the Chief J.B Fumudoh Committee which produced a dubious, premeditated and biased report purported to be a reflection of the Ijaw people.

    “This is to say the least unbecoming of men of their age brackets who are supposed to be unbiased and neutral in the resolution of impasse. That, such assemblage of elders’ could conduct themselves with outright illegality is to say the least unfortunate and regrettable.

    “The report of the Chief J.B. Fumudoh Committee is rejected as it was premeditated. It does not in anyway, reflect the true position of the generality of the Ijaw nation, in particular, the Western Zone.

    “We reject Oweilaemi Pereotubo as the IYC president and that his inauguration was done in bad faith and cannot be accepted by the western zone leadership.

    “We condemn in strong terms and reject without hesitation and disassociate ourselves individually and collectively with Chief E.K. Clark on this subject matter as he does not act for the Ijaw nation but for himself.

    “The Chairman of the Committee Chief J.B. Fumudoh failed to compel Udengs Eradiri to accept his candidate, one Enebraye as Secretary General at the Burutu convention and bears so may grouse against UdengsEradiri. Therefore, he transferred aggression to Eric Omare.

    “Eric Omare is our legally recognised and generally acceptable President of the IYC. In the alternative, we demand that a fresh election between the two factions be conducted and whoever emerges is the peoples’ choice.

    They added: “The issue at stake borders more on the West than the East and Central Zones but the committee inaugurated by the Bayelsa State Governor was dominated by the central and Eastern Ijaws whereas the West had only two members.”

    “The committee was composed as follows: Chief J. B. Fumudoh and F. J. Williams (West), Chief Nimi Adoke, Prof. Nimi Briggs, Arc. Etteh and Prof. Fubara (East), Amb. Godknows Igali, Austin Dressman and Mrs. Rafi Suoware (Central).

    “This lopsided committee has only succeeded in imposing an unpopular and unacceptable leadership on the youths of Ijaw Nation, and the West in particular.

    “In this connection, we not only condemn the report of the Committee for identifying with a factional leadership, but Chief E. K. Clark also fell to the antics of fifth columnists who deliberately blackmailed Eric Omare as to the source of funding of his election.

    “The Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, had good intentions in setting up the committee to resolve the IYC dispute and he deserve our commendation.

    “However, the Governor’s noble intentions were hijacked through a conspiracy between Chief Fumudoh, Amb. Igali and Deputy Governor Kingsley Otuaro for their personal and selfish reasons in imposing a factional and unpopular leadership on the Ijaw nation.

    “We send a strong message to the security agencies that in case of any confrontation between the two factions of the IYC, they should hold these persons responsible for causing avoidable conflict in Ijaw nation”.

  • Ijaw elders demand immediate amendment of PIB

    • Dismiss bill as disdainful

    Ijaw leaders have dismissed the recently passed Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) as disdainful to the interests of host communities.

    They demanded for immediate amendment of the bill, saying it was in flagrant disregard of the welfare of oil and gas host communities.

    The Izon-Ebe Oil and Gas Producing Communities Association (IOGPCA), in a statement yesterday by its national president and spokesman, James Edoukumo and Richard Koremene respectively, condemned the passed bill.

    The group said the passed bill is totally opposed to the spirit of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) placed before the National Assembly 19 years ago.

    “In the original PIB, 2 percent was set aside for host communities. Surprisingly, it was removed from the PIGB.

    “On composition of governing board, no reference was made to host communities but that it will be composed by the President. Clear concession would have been accorded host communities,” the elders said.

    They referred the current Senate to recommendations of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) at the public hearings conducted by the 6th and 7th Senates during the prolonged debates on the PIB.

    The Ijaw stakeholders noted there were serious needs to immediately commence amendment process of the PIGB so that critical issues affecting the host communities would be adequately reflected.

    “We are not against restructuring the NNPC to be competitive but all we want is the original PIB, drafted on equity, fairness and justice.

    “Government is aware host communities have been deprived for decades, provoking violence in the Niger Delta.

    “A PIB with host communities at the heart, not a snobbish PIGB, is what’s best for all stakeholders and continued smooth oil and gas operations,” they stated.

     

  • 2015: Ijaw elders to meet Arewa, Ohanaeze, OPC

    2015: Ijaw elders to meet Arewa, Ohanaeze, OPC

    It was a heated session at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State yesterday as elders from the Ijaw ethnic extraction took turns to condemn what they referred to as consistent attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan.

    After a four-hour meeting, the elders resolved to meet with the Arewa Consultative Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) to resolve areas of differences.

    Those who contributed at the meeting that was held under the aegis of the Ijaw National Congress believed that reasoning with other ethnic groups would give their geopolitical zone a second chance.

    They were of the opinion that consulting with other ethnic groups would lead to an agreement that would allow Jonathan a second term in office.

    They were worried that the tirades launched against Jonathan and the present negative mood of some important sections of the country would work against Jonathan in 2015.

    The meeting was convened by Bayelsa State Commissioner for Culture and Ijaw National Affairs, Dr. Felix Tuodolor.

    One of the leaders, Chief Thompson Okorotie, submitted that Jonathan deserved a second term in office.

    But he said there must be ethnic harmony to guarantee a second term for the President.

    “He is doing so much than any other person has done. So, he is going for a second term”, he said.

    Another elder, Churchill Enebele, observed that the Ijaw Youth Congress, a critical group in the zone, was engulfed in a crisis that must be resolved to speak for Jonathan with one voice.

    “The IYC crisis must be resolved to elect a credible candidate that will plot the affairs of the presidential election in 2015”, he said.

    But Prof. Alagoa’s suggestion that the elders should form a group to meet with Arewa and Ndiigbo was adopted by other elders.

    “We want to urge them for support and appeal to them to reach out to their larger group to return the President before the election starts”, he said.

    Tuodolor said the Ijaw Nation had yet to meet its collective aspirations despite its strategic importance to the country.

    He said: “Sadly too, the insurgency, ideologically depraved Boko Haram does not help matters at the center as the lack of peace and security of lives and property not only distort the social order but practically impedes meaningful development.

    “This anomaly is itself a travesty of justice. It is an ideology of the anomie; to make the country ungovernable, a detestable ideology of calling the dog a bad name in order to hang it.

    “That is why we must not allow our son to stand alone in the rain so that his reign of power may not go down on the wrong side of history.

    “And very importantly, we must press home for him to serve our country beyond one term so that he will consolidate on the gains of his rule which far exceeds that of any administration.

    “Other regions or nations should control theirs as it is the tenets of true federalism. Also, INC should lead the process of building solid bridges between the Ijaws and other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta first and then the rest of the Nigeria”.