The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ijaw Youth Council

  • Military begins war on militants in Bayelsa community

    Tragedy has befallen the Toru-Ndoru community in Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The rural community has murdered sleep since the beginning of the New Year. It has been a tale of violence for the people, who had prayed for good tidings at the break of 2018.

    What led to the bloodshed and destruction in Toru-Ndoru? It has the trappings of militancy. The crisis in the community is blamed on the nefarious activities of a militant leader identified as General Karaowei. The militant leader and his foot soldiers brought the destruction upon the community.

    Karaowei was said to be on the wanted list of security agencies in the state especially the military. Sources identified him as a notorious kidnapper and murderer and he is said to be leading a gang of militants involved in abduction, sea robbery and other criminal activities in the area.

    His gang was also linked to the kidnapping of four British missionaries and humanitarian workers last year and the killing of one of them identified as Ian Squire. The military was engaged in undercover operations to smoke out the militant leader and his gang without disturbing the peace of the community.

    But the undercover operation went awry. A senior intelligence officer was beheaded in the community by the gang. A resident of the community, Mr. Living Miting, threw more light on the circumstances that led to the beheading of the security officer.

    Miting, a former Clerk of Parliament, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, said an undercover operation, which went awry led to the decapitation of the officer, adding that Karaowei also abducted a former militant leader, who was involved in the operation.

    He said: “Karaowei was contacted by some persons in a ploy to get him. They arrive the town together with the military intelligence officer. They told him there was money stashed somewhere and they needed him to get the money so that they could split it.

    “In the middle of that discussion, Karaowei was called on phone by an unknown person who told him that the meeting was a set-up to get him killed and that every conversation was being recorded.

    “This got him angry and he took the military intelligence officer and the other person to his camp. He returned the next morning to the community with the head of the military officer”, he said.

     

    Military Operations

    Karaowei did not only decapitate the security officer, he made a ceremony out of it. Residents were stunned and scared to their bone marrows when they saw the militant leader walking majestically round the community with the head of a military officer. In a display of arrogance and impunity, the gang converted the head to a drum and later disappeared into the creeks with it. There was tension in the community and some residents fled out of panic.

    The military was provoked and troops stormed the community to neutralize the gang and arrest its members. There were outcries. The residents accused the military of razing over 50 houses while searching for the killers.

    Casualties in the operation increased. Four soldiers and unknown number of militants were killed in an offensive launched at the militant camp by troops.

    Mitting said: “In the course of trying to get Karowei, the military launched an attack at his camp. His boys were caught when they went to get food stuffs in the community market by members of the community and handed over to the military officers.

    “After being tortured, the boys confessed to be Karaowei boys and they revealed his location. So the military launched an attack in the company of those boys two days ago on Karowei’s camp. He was on the run on seeing them and there were casualties on both sides though figures unknown.

    “There are so many houses that had been razed down now. The Ijaw boys working with the military officers point at houses and the houses were burnt immediately. Over 50 houses have been burnt now. In the community were his mum hails from, about 20 houses had been razed.

    “Right now, so many persons are displaced, having nowhere to stay,money to feed and nowhere to sleep. Also, there are serious looting. Once the military leaves a point, criminals from all angles to pounce on the area and loot the area.

    “It is most times politicians who create these monsters. How does this boy get his weapons? He isn’t running short of supplies. He has sophisticated weapons. He doesn’t have what it takes to buy these guns. He shoots sporadically into the air to stop people from attacking him.

    “In the last elections, I worked for PDP while he worked for the opposition party. We hail from same community. I almost got killed by this same boy when I wanted to get materials to Ekeremor community. He is very deadly and needs to be taken seriously.

    “He should be apprehended because if he comes back to the community, the people are in trouble. He has more information than the military. He knows who revealed information about him and will go after them with force and commit more damage than the first”.

    Lamenting the situation, the Chairman of IYC, Central Zone, Mr. Tare Porri, condemned the violent attitude of some youths in communities. Porri asked the soldiers to rid the community of militants. But he appealed to the troops to conduct their operation professionally.

    He said: “The situation there at Ndoro community was orchestrated by some of our political leaders who buy these weapons and pay these young men to intimidate people during elections and after the election, they fail to retrieve these weapons from them.

    “This has brought us to where we are today. This issue is a big problem. And the annoying thing is that when reported to the security personnel, they come after your life. It is very painful. This is a self -inflicted injury.

    “Some of our political leaders celebrate these young boys more than the sane ones. As a zone and Ijaw youth council, we sympathise with those affected by the operations carried out. We condemn the act in its entirety.

    “Cutting the head of a human and celebrating with it is an abomination and we condemn it.  We call on our community’s leaders and rulers to stop celebrating criminals. I am worried that if the military doesn’t succeed in apprehending the young man, his return will be deadly.

    “We don’t want this issue to be misinterpreted. This is a clear case of political leaders encouraging criminality and sponsoring our people against our people. We appreciate all their efforts and pray that the perpetrators are brought to book.

    “We call on our political leaders, community leaders supporting criminals in our environment to stop. The Governor of Bayelsa State, who doubles as the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation has swung into action and has had several meetings with security operatives. The military, police, civil defence and Navy has mobilized into the community. What we want is peace to return to Ndoro community”.

    Also, the Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who has always stated his administration’s zero-tolerance to crimes, described the recent killings as barbaric, lawless and totally condemnable.

    The governor in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Security Matters, Dr. Boma Spero Jack, asked security agencies to also unmask politicians sponsoring the militants. He described the development as completely unacceptable and counter-productive to the security efforts of his government.

    The statement called on fleeing members of Toru Ndoro community to return and go about their normal and legitimate duties, as the government was on top of the matter. The statement also called on the military authorities to be professional in the ongoing operation and abide by the rules of engagement to avoid collateral damage.

    The statement advised the army to consider the lives of innocent and law abiding citizens, especially women and children. He also called on community leaders not to allow criminally-minded persons to gain ground in their domains, as their actions could impact negatively on them.

    The governor advised community members to continue to volunteer useful information to the government to support the efforts to flush out criminal elements in the area in consonance with its policy of zero tolerance for crime and violence. He said that the government would also support all efforts aimed at unmasking political leaders who sponsor criminal elements in the society.

     

  • Fire razes Warri market

    Fire razes Warri market

    Property and commodities, mainly fish, were late Tuesday destroyed in an inferno that once again swept through a part of the popular Ogbe-Ijoh Market in Warri South council area of Delta state.

    Tuesday night’s incident, which came barely a year after a similar incident destroyed shops and wares in the market, destroyed some 500 shops.

    Meanwhile, the Eric Omare-led faction of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has once again urged the Delta state government to quickly complete the construction of the ultramodern Ogbe-Ijoh Market, to finally put stop to the perennial fire incident.

    Warri market

    Though the real cause of the fire could not be ascertained immediately, some victims of the incident who spoke to journalists on the site of the ruins left of the market traced it to a electricity power surge, while some others accused the vigilance team paid to watch over the market of complicity.

    The situation was further compounded for the grieving victims when urchins from the area stormed the market to and started looting the shops, defying the raging inferno.

    Commenting on the incident, leader of Ogbe-Ijoh Market Traders Women Union, Mrs Queen Ajemitolu, in pidgin said “I don tire for this market wey dey burn every time.

    “Na fish we dey sell here, because of no proper care, and temporary structure so the time people dey dry fish, or if NEPA light come, e dey cause fire,” she lamented.

    Speaking during his visit to the scene of the incident, the IYC President, Eric Omare, sympathized with traders over the unfortunate incident and bemoaned the persistent outbreak of fire in the Ogbe-Ijoh market while calling on Governor Ifeany Okowa to as a matter of urgency commence the construction of the market.

    Warri market

  • Ijaw youths condemn death of Briton; seek arrest of culprits

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has urged security agencies in the country to fish out the kidnappers responsible for the death of a Briton, Ian Squire, who was one of the four missionaries kidnapped on October 13, 2017, in Delta State.

    The IYC, in a statement signed by its factional President, Eric Omare, also said it would set up security structures across the Ijaw nation to collaborate with security agents in a scheme designed to make Ijaw land uncomfortable for criminals.

    The tragic death of Squire and the freedom of the three other hostages; Alanna Carson, David and Shirley Donovan, was broken by sources in the British Home Office. Efforts to ascertain details of the incident were unsuccessful as police sources could not provide needed details.

    While urging security agents not to spare any resource in the hunt for those responsible for the crime, Omare said killers of Squire must not go unpunished.

    “The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide condemned in the highest terms the death of a Briton, Mr. Ian Squire in the hands of kidnappers in Delta State. This is unfortunate and highly condemnable.

    “This incident does not reflect the character of Niger Deltans. It is a case of criminality and should be treated as such. The people of Niger Delta are peaceful and hospitable as evidenced by centuries of missionary activities by missionaries from foreign countries who have had peaceful sojourn in the region.

    “We call on the security agents to bring the perpetrators to justice. The perpetrators must not be allowed to go unpunished. We, again call on community and traditional leaders to support security agents to help in fishing out criminals from their communities.

    “The IYC would set up clan and community security structures to work with security agents so as to make Ijaw communities uncomfortable for criminal elements,” he said.

     

     

     

     

  • Our case against oil companies in Bayelsa, by Ijaw youths

    Oil companies operating in Bayelsa State should be prepared to contend with the anger of Ijaw youths. The youths have hinted of their plans to begin sustained protests against the multinationals over what they described as injustice done to them and their state.

    But the companies can avert the looming protests, which are capable of disrupting oil production in the country. The Eastern Zone’s chapter of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide said their plans would only be suspended if the companies looked into their demands.

    The newly elected Executive Council, IYC Central Zone issued the threats during its inauguration recently. The Chairman of the zone, Mr. Tare Porri and his executive members took oaths of office at the Ijaw House, Yenagoa, the state capital.

    The police, Department of State Security (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agencies sent detachments to secure the Ijaw House and forestall possible breakdown of law and order. The pioneer President of IYC, Dr. Felix Tuodolor, led other past leaders of the council to attend the occasion.

    Also present were Ijaw leaders, a member of the state’s House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah, aides of the state’s Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, women and crowd of Ijaw youths. Porri spoke before the cheering crowd.

    First, the chairman asked oil companies operating in the zone, which covers mainly Bayelsa, to relocate their headquarters to the state capital. He said it was unacceptable that the firms had refused to relocate despite the directive of the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to do so.

    “We want to state here that all the multinational companies operating within  the central zone of the Ijaw nation as a matter of urgency, if they are willing to do business in our environment, must relocate their headquarters back to the central zone.

    “Myself and my team will stop at nothing to ensure that the multinational companies return their bases back to the central zone. Of course they have the Ijaw nation, the Ijaw youth central zone to contend with. We are ready to take them head on on this very serious matter”, Porri, whose point was applauded by the crowd said.

    The chairman said the youths were worried about the age of oil pipelines buried in the criss-crossing the state. He alleged that most of the pipeline had expired and required urgent attention. According to him since the pipes were buried after the discovery of oil in commercial quantity at Oloibiri area of the state, they had not been changed.

    He said expiration was the cause of most of the pipeline explosions and equipment failures causing oil spills in the environment. He said his council had the mandate to ensure replacement of corroded pipelines in the zone.

    He said: “Since oil was first discovered  in Bayelsa, in Oloibiri, the pipelines that are criss crossing  the entire central zone which they used in taking first oil from our environment have all expired. Even human life has an expiring date much less equipment made by humans.

    “Most of the explosion, most of the things that happen in the environment are not caused by  Ijaw youths. Ijaw youths are law-abiding, Ijaw youths are not fighters and we are hardworking.

    “I want to make bold to say that all the multinational oil companies that are again operating in our zone should as a matter of urgency commence the process of replacing all the expired pipelines across the central zone because we will no longer tolerate corrosion and equipment failure.

    These oil companies have a way of creating contracts for non-indigenes, for non Bayelsans, for non central zone businessmen and part of the enjoyment in the oil industry is through the pipeline arrangement that is why they are deliberately causing explosion in our environment.

    “So, my team and I are going to take on the multinational companies and ensure that all the expired pipelines in this central zone are replaced with immediate effect”.

    The IYC boss also asked the management of oil companies operating in Bayelsa State to either create employments and other jobs for youths in the state or face unrest. He said the rising unemployment rate of the youths amidst oil exploration and exploitation was unacceptable.

    Porri, said the youths were particularly concerned about an oil multinational, Aiteo Group, which took over from the Shell Petroleum Development Companies (SPDC) in Nembe Local Government Area of the state. He said their investigations revealed that the new oil firm had no indigene from the state in its payroll adding that most of the workers in the company were non-indigenes.

    He said one of the mandates of his executive council was to get the youths engaged in meaningful ventures and urged the companies to help in ensuring the peace in the state and discouraging attacks on their facilities by getting youths in their host communities involved in their operations.

    He said: “You are aware that Shell was operating in Nembe. Now Shell divested and sold its business to a private company, Alteo. But as I talk to you, Alteo which is a company that took over more than four flow stations from Shell has no Bayelsan in its employment data.

    “Therefore as a zone, we are calling again on Alteo, that if they want to continue doing business in this zone, as a matter of urgency, they should engage our youths and give them jobs. Otherwise, we will not allow them to operate in Nembe”.

    Porri further lamented that an oil well that would have been allocated to indigenous firms in Bayelsa when the zone occupied the Presidency, Ministry of Petroleum and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) was given to  a non-indigenous company.

    He said if the oil well had been allocated to an indigene, it would helped to stimulate the local economy and boost the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.

    “An oil well that would have ordinarily been given to Bayelsa state governor, that would have improved the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) base of this zone was given to an individual, a private firm.

    “My message to whoever that has bought that oil well, Ijaw youths moving forward will not allow them to operate in that oil well until the property is returned”, he said.

    Elders’ Advisory Council

    The new chairman announced the establishment of the first Honourary Elders’ Advisory Council (HEAC) for IYC in the zone. He said the council was borne out of his desire to return the IYC to the grassroots in line with the Kaiama Declaration. He immediately appointed a former President of IYC, Mr. Mike Wenebowei to head the council.

    “You are aware of the fact that the Kaiama Declaration, was founded on the principle of the Ogbos and then of course the clan structure. Therefore, I want to use this rare privilege as the chairman of the central zone to set up the first ever Honorary Elders Advisory Council.

    “The mandate of the council is to collate data of all the founding fathers of the Ijaw youth council from central zone, all the chairmen, dead or alive, to enable us document their achievements and celebrate them,” he said.

  • Matters arising as IYC gets new Central Zone leadership

    Matters arising as IYC gets new Central Zone leadership

    There is no gainsaying that the national leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide is under the throes of leadership crisis. The IYC has two factions at the national level. But the Central Zone of IYC is calm.

    The central zone recently held elections to constitute its new executive committee. The election which held at Ijaw House, Yenagoa was free of rancour. It was adjudged free and fair. At the end of the poll, Mr. Tare Porri, a lawyer, emerged the new Chairman of the zone.

    Others are Amiebi Turner, Vice-chairman; Wariebi Buruboyefe, Secretary; Oki Torutein Isiya, Assistant Secretary; Kockman Kurobo, Information Officer; Beledanyo Barass, Treasurer and Daniel Pre-ebi Eyenghe, Financial Secretary.

    Also elected were Okpu Juliana Alagoa, Woman Leader; Timilaemi Ebifoubo, Mobilisation Officer and Gesikeme Fulutu, Students Representative.

    In fact, most Ijaw leaders believe that the central zone is the nucleus of the IYC operations. The zone, which is mainly Bayelsa State, was the brains behind the Kaiama Declaration that led to the founding of the council.

    It was in Kaiama located in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, that the youths, in honour of the late Ijaw hero, Maj. Isaac Adaka Boro, who hailed from the town,  gathered to take a decision to commence agitations for self-determination and resource control.

    Therefore, the zone is a rallying point for IYC activities especially as Bayelsa is the only homogeneous Ijaw state. Undoubtedly, the newly elected leadership of IYC in the zone has a big task on its hand.

    But the new chairman of the zone, Porri, is capable and well-prepared to offer the leadership. The votes he garnered showed he was widely accepted to lead the zone. Out of the 100 delegates that voted in the election, 81 voted for him. Porri, in his first public outing also vowed to run an all-inclusive administration.

    He was grateful to the state Governor Seriake Dickson for creating an enabling environment for the elective committee to deliver a peaceful election. Addressing Dickson as the leader of the Ijaw nation, he said the governor’s intervention in the IYC crisis led to the birth of the new zonal leadership.

    “This was one election that was keenly contested and he provided the needed leadership as a father to all. This was one election the governor was unbiased.

    “He never had a candidate and he actually supported the electoral committee, the national IYC and the zonal leadership to ensure that the elections were peaceful and credible. Sincerely, the election that brought us on board is adjudged the freest, fairest and most credible in the history of IYC”, he said.

    Porri also thanked the members of the IYC and its founding fathers that came out to support the electoral process. He said the youths came out without molestation to  cast their votes. He promised not to let down the youths saying he would continue to move the Ijaw nation forward.

    The chairman-elect said on the day of their inauguration he would set up the first Elders’ Advisory Council. “It is one of our focus because we are determined to return the IYC back to the grassroots. We are returning the council back to the clans, the Ogbos, parliament and other stakeholders, who are the original owners”, he said.

    He added: “The Kaiama Declaration is founded on resource control and self-determination by any means necessary. We will hit the ground running by taking necessary steps to address some of these challenges currently affecting the Ijaw nation, part of which is that right now we don’t have the formidable force that will also support the governor of Bayelsa State in presenting the Ijaw position before the Nigerian state.

    Porri also reinstated that Ijaw position on the state of the nation saying only restructuring would guarantee a united Nigeria. He said if the country failed to restructure, the Ijaw would opt for self-determination and total resource control as contained in the Kaiama Declaration.

    He said: “We are not scared of break-up, but what we are saying is that if we must continue to live together as a nation, we must restructure. If they are not ready for restructuring, we are saying that we want to have total control of our resources.

    “By so doing, we are resorting to the spirits behind the Kaiama Declaration which is self-determination by all means possible.

    “While we continue to heed the call that Nigeria must live together, we will not also hesitate to state that any attempt to think that we are a weaker vessel, we will take actions to end this marriage. Everybody should come to the table with their demands so we can resolve to move this country forward”.

    The chairman further described the existing eight local government areas in Bayelsa State as no longer acceptable. He argued that Bayelsa is not the smallest state in the country in terms of landmass and lamented that the condition of the state typified  the lopsidedness of the Nigerian federation.

    He said with the state’s landmass and its contributions to the development of the country, Bayelsa deserved more local government areas.

    Porri said: “I did my Law School in Kano, some of the local government areas are not up to three communities. Kano State should not be up to 20 local government areas by all standard.

    “Look at Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in Bayelsa. If it were to be in Kano, Southern Ijaw would have produced 10 local government areas alone. The same thing with Ekeremor. Most leaders in this country are not sincere in the way they do their things.

    “We are not happy that Bayelsa has only eight local government areas because derivation is on local government basis. That is why even when we are the one bringing the resources on the table, they are the people determining what happens to those resources”.

    He said Ijaw agitation predated that of Biafra and recalled that their hero, late Major Isaac Adaka Boro, once fought the Federal Government to demand resource control. He insisted that Ijaw was never part of Biafra.

    He said: “Don’t forget that our agitation predates that of Biafria. Don’t forget that our hero Major Isaac Adaka Boro started this agitation before Biafra. Our hero was arrested and imprisoned. He was later released to fight the war against Biafra”.

    He also condemned the attack on a military post at Ogbubegbene in Boamdi, Delta State. Porri described the attack on the military that led to the death of a soldier as evil but said the military should adopt another method of fishing out suspects without harassing and intimidating Ijaw communities.

    He said that Ijaw youths were ready to help the military apprehend persons behind the attack at a military checkpoint in Burutu, Delta State. He, however, lamented that about five communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area were the worst hit in the ongoing operations by the military to arrest the fleeing suspects.

    He said: “You are aware again of what happened a few days ago at Ogbubegbene where some group of young men attacked a military post there and killed an army man. They also took away some weapons. We are condemning the act in its entirety.

    “But that does not mean that the military should also take laws into their own hands by invading our communities. About five communities in Ekeremor Local Government have been invaded by the Nigerian military.

    “We are saying that this sort of activities will result in a serious crisis which may get out of control. While we are condemning the action of those hoodlums, we are saying that the action of molesting women and children can damage the relative peace we have in the region”.

  • Rear Admiral Ikoli was murdered, not suicide – IYC

    Rear Admiral Ikoli was murdered, not suicide – IYC

    Ijaw kinsmen of the late Rear Admiral Daniel Ikoli have ruled out suicide as the cause of death of the former member of the Presidential Committee on Arms and Fleet Commander of the Western Naval Command.
     
    The Ijaw Youth Council claimed that Rear Admiral Ikoli, who was founded dead in his Apapa home on Monday was murdered in a “sudden, quick and unlawful” manner.
     
    The IYC in a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Henry Iyalla, said the manner of his death, shortly after his elevation to the rank of Rear Admiral, was suspicious, alleging that there was indication that it is an inside job within the Navy.

  • Crisis rocking Ijaw Youth Council deepens

    The crisis rocking the umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, has deepened following a suit seeking to stop Mr. Udengs Eradiri from parading himself as the president of the council.

    The suit which was filed at the Bayelsa State High Court by aggrieved members of the executive council of IYC is asking the court to grant an interlocutory injunction stopping Eradiri and Mr. Eric Omare from parading themselves as the president and spokesman of the council.

    The claimants relied on a purported national convention of the IYC held on June 16, 2016, in Rivers State where they claimed that Eradiri and Omare were removed from their offices.

    According to them, Mr. Elvis Donkemezuo and Mr. Mike Edonkumor were reportedly nominated and elected the president and spokesman of the council respectively.

    Donkemezuo who admitted filling the suit also reacted to an interview Eradiri granted The Nation where he referred to him as an impersonator and a non-member of IYC for failing to pay his dues.

    Eradiri also said Donkemezuo would soon be arrested for impersonation adding that based on the judgement of the state High Court, he (Eradiri) would remain the president till 2017.

    But Donkemezuo said Eradiri was suspended by seven out of the 10-member executive council of IYC over allegations of misappropriation of funds, abuse of office and highhandedness.

    He said a panel which was headed by the council’s Legal Adviser later indicted Eradiri and removed him from office.

    He claimed that a convention of Ijaw youths held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, ratified the removal of Eradiri and immediately elected him to become the President of the council.

     

  • Crisis rocking Ijaw youths deepens

    Crisis rocking Ijaw youths deepens

    The crisis rocking the umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, has deepened following a suit seeking to stop Mr. Udengs Eradiri from parading himself as the President of the council.

    The suit which was filed at the Bayelsa State High Court by aggrieved members of the executive council of IYC is asking the court to grant an interlocutory injunction stopping Eradiri and Mr. Eric Omare, from parading themselves as the President and Spokesman of the council.

    The claimants relied on a purported national convention of the IYC held on June 16, 2016, in Rivers State where they claimed that Eradiri and Omare, were removed from their offices.

    According to them Mr. Elvis Donkemezuo and Mr. Mike Edonkumor were reportedly nominated and elected the president and spokesman of the council respectively.

    Donkemezuo who admitted filling the suit also reacted to an interview Eradiri granted the Nation where he referred to him as an impersonator and a non-member of IYC for failing to pay his dues.

    Eradiri also said Donkemezuo would soon be arrested for impersonation adding that based on the judgement of the state High Court, he (Eradiri) would remain the President till 2017.

    But Donkemezuo said Eradiri was suspended by seven out of the 10-member executive council of IYC over allegations of misappropriation of funds, abuse of office and highhandedness.

    He said a panel which was headed by the council’s Legal Adviser later indicted Eradiri and removed him from office.

    He claimed that a convention of Ijaw youths held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, ratified the removal of Eradiri and immediately elected him to become the President of the council.

    He said: “I was absent at the convention, but the convention unanimously nominated and elected me in absentia as the President of IYC because of my integrity and my background.

    “Upon my arrival, I accepted, but ever since then, Udengs has has been parading himself as the President, despite the fact that he knows the law. When somebody is removed, he should go to the court and challenge your removal.

    “Instead of him to go to court. He said he said I was impersonating him. How can I be impersonating him. I am from Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government of Bayelsa state.

    “It is the local government of Ijaw icon, late Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro. Boro was my cousin from my lineage. So, I don’t know between me and Udengs who is even more an Ijaw man”.

    He said the court judgement that said Eradiri’s tenure would end in 2017 did not foreclose his removal by indictment.

    He faulted the claims that he was not a member of IYC because he failed to pay his dues saying there was no time the payment of dues was a constitutional provision for being an IYC member.

    Donkemezue further said the constitution Eradiri was relying upon had not been adopted by the congress.

    He said: “There was never a time payment of dues was a constitutional requirement or a yardstick for becoming a member of IYC. Eradiri is traveling with a purported constitution, he cooked in his bedroom and want to impose it on Ijaw youths. But Ijaw youths are smarter than he is and they told him that, that constitution had not been adopted.

    “The chairman of that purported constitution review committee, Nengi James is still alive. If you ask Nengi any day any time Nengi will tell you that, that constitution is inconclusive. So, I don’t know where Eradiri is coming from with all these stories”.

    He said Eradiri had no right to claim the title of Presidency adding that the agreement reached in 2013 was that he would be a caretaker chairman of IYC.

  • Ijaw youths to Buhari: Crush real militants

    Ijaw youths to Buhari: Crush real militants

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Monday, condemned the unwholesome activities of a new militant group in the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

    The IYC spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to fish out the real troublemakers and spare innocent persons and communities in the region.

    Omare, who spoke in Yenagoa said there was no justification for NBA to embark on destruction of oil facilities and pollution of the region’s environment.

    While siding Buhari’s efforts in unmasking the identities of the culprits, he said such move should only be targeted at the real militants.

    The new militant group has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on the SPDC platform at Forcados, the Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, and the pipelines transporting crude oil to the Warri and the Kaduna refineries.

    Omare said: “We do not see the justification in the Niger Delta Avengers embarking on destruction of oil facilities because Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, denounced the group.

    “I think Tompolo did the proper thing by coming out to inform the entire world that he was not part of the NDA when there were insinuations to the effect that he was behind them.

    “As with other cases of attack on oil facilities, the Niger Delta environment and people are the ultimate victims and would suffer from these latest attacks. The IYC believes that irrespective of their grievances, there are better ways of expressing them rather than contributing to the further destruction of the already massively degraded Niger Delta environment.”

    Omare added: “The security agencies should go after the real culprits and not innocent communities and people in the region. From our experience, the security personnel in a bid to impress their superiors and justify the huge amount of money budgeted for the purpose, always attack innocent communities and people.

    “This must not be allowed to happen this time around. We would also advise the Federal Government to be prompt in directing security agencies to deal with insurgent groups all over the country including the Fulani herdsmen who have been killing innocent Nigerians just like they have just directed in respect of the Niger Delta Avengers.”

     

  • Ijaw youths knock DSS for raiding Jonathan’s ally’s home

    Ijaw youths on Wednesday knocked the Department of State Security (DSS) for ransacking the Abuja residence of King Amalate Turner, an ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    The home of Turner, who is the King of Opume Kingdom in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State, was on Tuesday searched by DSS for an unexplained reason.

    But the leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), after an emergency meeting at its headquarters in Yenagoa, described the DSS’ action as an affront to the traditional institution of the Ijaw nation.

    The President of IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, alleged that the due process of issuing official invitation to a suspect and obtaining a search warrant was not followed during the operation of the DSS.

    Describing it as an abuse of fundamental human rights, Eradiri said the entire nation was still in shock over the way the security agency treated the property of one of its kings.

    He said: “On Tuesday, very sad and bitter news came into Ijaw land that the DSS has invaded a property of a royal majesty, a king in Ijaw land, King Amalate Turner. The act is condemned.

    “It should not be accepted by the Nigerian public. We see it as an abuse of fundamental rights of individuals of this country. The procedure was not followed. DSS should have invited the person.

    “Initially, we even thought it was an armed robbery operation. It was just like the way armed robbers operate. Security agencies have modus operandi of engaging civil society.  We condemn that act and I am sure the right action should be taken.”