The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ijaw Youth Council

  • Niger Delta declares ‘War on Books’

    Niger Delta declares ‘War on Books’

    • “A book must stir you up to do something. To be, we have to think.” ~ Ken Saro-Wiwa”

    For decades, the Niger Delta has been engaged in agitations over the exploitation and neglect of the region by the Federal Government of Nigeria. The region is responsible for over 90% of the revenue that accrues to the Nigerian State.

    Isaac Boro, an Ijaw Nationalist is a forerunner of the Niger Delta struggle. Being a man of conviction, youthful passion and exuberance, he led the region into an historic declaration of the Niger Delta Republic characterized by arms bearing which has since defined the Niger Delta struggle.

    But things are changing in the Niger Delta, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, an Ijaw man became President of Nigeria and the zone was pacified.

    Niger Delta Books 2The former President, who launched a National bring back the books campaign and oversaw a Niger Delta amnesty programme that witnessed a lot of emphasis on education and training, seems to have set an agenda for his people unsuspectingly.

    Mr. Udengs Eradiri, the President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) who was preceded by the fiery Asari Dokubo and Kaima declaration signatory, Mr. Felix Tuodolo has taken up the charge and has decided to declare a war on books in an attempt to change the course of the struggle in changing times.

    What is not lost upon him is the simple quote ‘Knowledge is Power’ and Mr. Eradiri has taken this message to the Niger Delta youths as the new alternative to violence, arms bearing and insurgency.

    Eradiri’s IYC has sent a strong message to impress this philosophy with the launch of a Library and Information Communication Technology (ICT) Centre at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state. He said ‘First of all, they must be educated’ and added that the initiative was set up ‘to create an environment to develop young people’, he said the motives of  ‘a library and an ICT centre’ is primarily ‘to change the perception of our young people’ while it o provide costless means of studying and quality research through internet-linked laptops and computers.

    Mr. Eradiri, said that the center will be used as a resource and also a training hub for youths while noting that it shall develop programmes and ‘enter into agreements to encourage learning among the youths’.Niger Delta Book 1

    Mr. Eradiri’s IYC has entered into partnership with Books to Africa, a UK based international Non-governmental Organization, which donated about 1000 books that formed the first stock of the library and ICT center which has dozens of Computers. The NGO is known to give books from donors majorly in the UK to need areas in Africa.

    The library was named in the honor of the late Dr. Oronto Douglas, a renowned intellectual and writer who has traversed the globe in pursuit of the Niger Delta struggle.

    The Ijaw Youth Council pledged to contribute its quota to ‘ensuring that it (the forum) becomes a breeding ground for leadership.’

    ‘And how do you breed leaders?’ asked Eradiri who intimated the people present at the launch of the facility of the Educational Endowment which his leadership has instituted. He challenged other eminent indigenes and business interests  in the Niger Delta region to contribute to the endowment funds.

    Meanwhile the fortunes of Oil which the bedrock of the agitation is in steady reversal. The instruments of the impending Ijaw resurgence will be data not bazookas.

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  • Ijaw youths vow to resist Alamieyesegha’s extradition to UK

    Ijaw youths on Tuesday vowed to resist the extradition of former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyesegha, to the United Kingdom to face alleged money laundering charges.

    The British government recently wrote its Nigerian counterpart, requesting Alamieyesegha’s extradition to face trial.

    But the youths under the auspices of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, said they would not allow their kinsman to go and face fresh charges in UK.

    The youths in a statement signed by their Spokesman, Mr.Eric Omare, alleged that the request was politically-motivated and instigated by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

    They said: “The real brain behind the extradition request includes some key players in the Nigerian government, former President Obasanjo who wants to punish Chief Alamieyesegha for his recent statements on his ordeal in the past and because of Chief Alamieyesegha’s consistent opposition to the ruling party.

    “The IYC also condemn Prof. Sagay, the Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti-Corruption for justifying the extradition request by the UK government.

    “It amounts to professional misconduct for Prof. Sagay who was one of Chief Alamieyeseigha’s lawyers during his arrest and subsequent trial in Nigeria to now be acting as an adviser to the federal government on same matter.

    “Nigerians would recall that Prof. Sagay fell out with his old time friend and benefactor, Chief Gani Fawehinmi because of the arrest of Chief Alamieyesegha in London. Also, when Chief James Ibori was sentenced in London, he condemned the sentence for being excessive. Now same Prof. Sagay is singing a new song.

    “We make bold to state that Prof. Sagay’s conduct is not only unprofessional but he also lacks consistency and integrity. Prof. Sagay is nothing but a man who speaks from any side of his mouth that meets his daily bread and no useful advise can come from a committee headed by such an inconsistent character.”

     

  • INC cancels Ijaw Day

    INC cancels Ijaw Day

    The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has postponed its annual Ijaw Day celebration.

    The ceremony was to hold on February 23.

    The postponement is in honour of the 11 women politicians from Bayelsa State and loyalists of First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who died in  multiple motor accidents near Ahoada on the East-West Road on Valentine’s Day.

    INC’s President Boma Obuoforibo spoke yesterday when he led members of the congress, President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Mr. Udens Eradiri, and leaders of other ethnic nationalities on a condolence visit to Governor Seriake Dickson at the Government House in Yenagoa.

    Obuoforibo described the death of the women as a big loss to the state.

    He urged the Ijaw to accord the deceased a special recognition.

  • The Ijaw quest for Rivers’ number one seat

    Ijaw youths, under the aegis of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), gathered in Effurun, Delta state, last week for the maiden IYC World Summit. They brainstormed on critical national and local matters affecting the Ijaw stock, especially the younger generation. Themed ‘Partnering for Prosperity and Sustainable Development’, the summit was designed to focus the Ijaw youth’s mind on self-development so as to be able to take advantage of all the opportunities that Nigeria and the world might have to offer for self-actualisation and fulfilment.

    Much was said to the direction of the theme and the supposed heart of the programme, but other things, voiced and silenced, were also believed to be of serious consideration in putting the programme together; some are even believed to take pre-eminence space in the heart of the organisers than even the promo-ed theme. For instance, Nigeria’s politics, the 2015 elections, to be specific, is believed to be of more importance to the organisers and their sponsors than youth development.

    Much might not have been said in the opening remarks of the IYC President, Udengs Eradiri, about ‘the other reasons’ for putting the summit together, he did not forget to sound out the importance of the ongoing political struggles that the Ijaw nation is involved in. The fight to see to the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, a struggle that most Ijaw people, of various standings and persuasions, are involved in, was definitely expected to feature, even if it would come under a veil. As a matter of fact, the call was wrapped in a plea to all, especially the opposition parties.

    Another striking project of the Ijaw nation was the charge to all to ensure an Ijaw man succeeds the Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi in 2015. According to Eradiri, the project is not one that should be treated with everyday commonality; it is one that must be achieved. Though it was mentioned in a passing remark of sort, its import was not lost on those in the hall, especially journalists conversant with the political happenings in the state.

    “An Ijaw man must be governor in Rivers State, but we must help ourselves. Even now those who can’t even afford the form have started jostling to be governor. It is the youths that vote and we must be relevant at all times,’’ Eradiri said.

    Many who probably did not take the ‘Ijaw must take Rivers’ struggle so seriously might have had a change of mind when it featured in a programme, supposedly of international stature. The concerns, however, are the not-very-encouraging factors bugging this project. One of such is, like Eradiri said, the deluge of aspirants coming up from the different Ijaw enclaves of the state, their capacities notwithstanding. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to have shut its door against the Ijaw quest, with the party saying no to zoning. The PDP is in the stranglehold of the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, a kinsman of Governor Amaechi, who has no biological connection to Ijaw.

    Rivers is under the control of the opposition All Progressives’ Congress (APC), the leader of the PDP, Jonathan, is Ijaw and some Ijaw politicians in Rivers had tried to use this factor to subvert realities, most times claiming that Governor Amaechi has been trying to set Ijaw people in the state against their brother, the president, even when the state is losing its livelihood to Bayelsa under Mr President’s watch.

    Will the Ijaw quest become a reality in the face of the Ikwerre (or is it Wike challenge) and Ogoni challenge? The last word here is: utmost decency should guide which area gets the coveted seat. Violence should not be used in the quest of any of the area to achieve their end. After all, it is all about service and harming the people in the process of getting power is sure a disservice.