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  • Impeachment can plunge Rivers into chaos, IYC warns

    Impeachment can plunge Rivers into chaos, IYC warns

    The Theophilus Alaye-led Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has condemned the moves by the Rivers State House of Assembly to impeach the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

    The spokesman of the IYC, Bedford Benjamin, appealed to the lawmakers to desist from the act, saying it was capable of plunging Rivers State into chaos.

    Bedford said the incumbent governor should be allowed to run the affairs of the state without interference.

    He said: “The rascality of the Assembly is about to cause an unnecessary bloodbath in the state. The IYC cautions loyalists of tyranny to retrace their steps because we will not allow this illegality to thrive.

    “We also heard that the sitting governor was teargassed by uniformed men. It is totally unacceptable”.

    Read Also: Rivers Crisis: Compromised police officers tried to kill me, says Fubara

    Bedford called on the federal government to wade into the matter and prevent anarchy from taking over the state.

    He said the IYC would mobilise in solidarity for their kinsman governor adding that in the past 24 years, no Ijaw man had tasted the exalted office of Rivers governor.

    Benjamin stated: “Now that we are here. Nobody can intimidate and embarrass an Ijaw son out of office. We shall resist it with everything. If this madness does not stop there will be a serious crisis in Rivers.”

  • IYC urges Tinubu to reinstate sacked Ijaw in NNPCL

    IYC urges Tinubu to reinstate sacked Ijaw in NNPCL

    • Threatens to shut down firm’s operations

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order immediate reinstatement the Ijaw purportedly sacked from their jobs at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

    Vowing to resist any ploy to sack its kinsmen in the company’s employ “over alleged cooked and manipulated story of retirement,” the youths threatened to shut down all NNPCL facilities in a few days. 

    Read Also: Tinubu celebrates NUPRC boss Komolafe at 60

    A statement yesterday evening, signed by Binebai Yerin Princewill, spokesman for the IYC, while pledging its loyalty to an indivisible Nigeria, stressed that any attempt to “unjustly undo sons and daughters of Ijaw nationality occupying sensitive offices in the Nigerian State” would not be accepted.

  • Give priority to Ijaw job seekers, IYC urges NNPC

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide has appealed to Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) give priority to qualified Ijaw persons in the ongoing recruitment exercise of the corporation.

    Speaking in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, the IYC Secretary-General, Alfred Kemepado, warned against hijacking the employment announced recently by NNPC.

    Kemepado said it would amount to injustice and unfairness for the Ijaw people, who suffer pains of oil exploration and exploitation, to be marginalised in the ongoing process.

    He said: “Recently you may have discovered that NNPC made a publication for qualified people to apply for various positions in NNPC and applications were made around the nation and as Ijaws as qualified and competent as we are, most of us also applied to be given those jobs.

    “But sad information reaching us is that the Presidency has hijacked the process of recruitment and that our people, the Ijaw people are being sidelined and we find that very offensive for many reasons.

    “One of the reasons is that we cannot continue to dwell in a nation where they come around the Niger Delta especially in the Ijaw territory drill the oil, take the oil and sustain this country called Nigeria and leave us here in the Niger Delta with the associated diseases such as leukemia and the degraded environment but when there is opportunity for employment, our people are always sidelined, marginalised and not considered at all. We find that very offensive”.

    Read Also: Crisis rocks Ijaw Youths Council in Bayelsa

    Describing the situation as intolerable, Kemepado appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the new General Managing Director of NNPC to look into the issue and consider qualified Ijaw for the existing job opportunities.

    “We appeal to the Presidency and the new GMD to look into this issue and ensure that ijaw people who applied for those positions, whom we know are qualified for these positions should be considered and not sidelined by one list from the Presidency.

    “If that really happens we will take it as an insult. From the inception of this government, we have been provoked many times. The time the presidency came to this Niger Delta it promised us that companies would relocate to the Niger Delta. We did not see that happen. But we frown at this one and we are calling on the presidency to have a rethink and do what is right”.

    Kemepado said the IYC also heard that following the appointment of the new NDDC boss, the corporation would be restructured and called on the Federal Government to considered Ijaw people during the process.

    He said Ijaw people had been trained in the oil sector through various interventionist programmes from the Amnesty Office, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and other scholarship schemes sponsored by the government.

    “They are qualified with local and foreign certificates. So nobody can doubt the competence of the Ijaw people. Therefore, the country should not continue to provoke this region. As Ijaw youth council in conjunction with the elders, we have done our beat to keep the peace in this region.

    “Let us make it abundantly clear here that the peace that present Muhammadu Buhari has enjoyed for the past four years and the peace that unfortunately he is enjoying that has resulted to the continuous flow of oil is not as a result of what this government is doing for the people of the Niger Delta.

    “It is only as a result of our resolve as a people to keep the peace here with the hope that in situation like this, our people will not continue to be sidelined and I don’t want the presidency to push its luck too far and further provoke our people.

    “This country cannot afford the provocation of this region and we also do not intend to request for anything more than equity and anything more than justice. We know that there are other issues like the Maritime University Bill that is still waiting on the President’s table to sign. We call on him to sign it.

    “We all know that the East-West road is unattended to. The Brass LNG is unattended to including other issues in the region. But now what is most pressing and most disrespectful to us is the issue of the NNPC and we want the presidency to include our people”.

    Also speaking IYC Chairman, Central Zone, Kennedy Olorogun, said the zine was bothered by the issue of employment ad appealed to the presidency to use the NNPC employment to make up for the neglect of the Ijaw.

    He said the youths had decided to embrace peace but warned against actions capable of provoking them into violence.

  • Imo youths petition CJN over declaration of Ihedioha as governor-elect

    Youths under the aegis of Imo Youth Council (IYC) have petitioned the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Tanko, to wade into the Constitutional crisis brewing in the State over the outcome of the general election.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Emeka Ihedioha as governor-elect.

    But in a petition signed by the National President and National Speaker of the IYC, Comrade Ikechukwu Obiora and Hon Samuel Godstime Chukwubuikem repectively, the youths urged the Acting CJN to prevail on INEC to observe and respect the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution as it applies to the emergence of a winner in a governorship election.

    They posited the declaration of the PDP candidate as the governor-elect is a clear violation of the Constitution and should be reversed before it escalates into full blown Constitutional crisis.

    According to the youths, INEC as an institution should not operate outside the provisions of the Constitution or laws establishing it, adding that no person or institution is above the Constitution.

    The petition reads in part, “We the youths of Imo state and other well- meaning Imolites have observed with grave concern, the flagrant disregard of the Nigerian Constitution by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the governorship election of Imo State.

    “INEC returned the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Emeka Ihedioha as governor-elect in a reckless violation of Section 179 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which stipulate that a candidate for an election to the office of the Governor of a State shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being two or more candidates; he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the Local Government Areas in the State.

    “The statistics of the result of the governorship election showed that the PDP candidate did not score the percentage of vote required to be declared as governor-elect.

    “We are therefore as Concerned Youths of Imo State soliciting your intervention to prevail on INEC to withdraw the purported declaration and order a fresh election to avoid impending Constitutional crisis”.

    They continued: “We are therefore demanding that a date be fixed for a fresh election in the state and if a winner emerges in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, we shall gladly accept the verdict as the collective will of the people of the state, but we will employ all legitimate means to ensure that the illegality foisted on the people of the state by INEC does not stand”.

  • Buhari’s victory testament of level of acceptance, says IYC

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has hailed President Muhammadu Buhari following his victory in the just-concluded election.

    The umbrella body of Ijaw youths in a statement by its Spokesman, Daniel Dasimaka describes President Buhari’s victory as a testament of the level of acceptance he enjoyed in different parts of the country.

    He, however, urged the President to reward the efforts and support he received from the Niger Delta by developing the region in his second term in office.

    Prior to the election, Dasimaka issued a controversial IYC statement endorsing the candidature of Buhari and gave reasons why the region should vote for him.

    Dasimaka said beyond the endorsement, the like minds in IYC worked to garner votes for the President following their conviction that he meant well for the region.

    He said: “We congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and urge him to treat his victory as a victory for all Nigerians and to see the entire country including regions and state where he did not win as his constituency.

    “We call on the President to effectively utilize and build on the massive support he and his party received from the Niger Delta in general and the Ijaw nation in particular on his race to reelection by developing the region and Ijaw land.

    “This victory affords President Buhari the golden opportunity to write his name in the sand of time in the Niger Delta by completing projects like the East West road, Ogoni Clean up, Brass LNG and Petrochemicals, Brass Fertilizer, Train 7 of the Bonny LNG, Bodo-Bonny Road, stopping of Gas Flaring and the transformation of flared gas to Power, among others.

    “The Ijaw youths pledge to continue to work with President Buhari to deliver this on his development plan for the Niger Delta by maintaining the peace in the region”.

  • Elections: IYC warns security agencies against jungle justice

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has warned security agencies against relying on the position of President Muhammdu Buhari on ballot box snatching to perpetrate jungle Justice during the elections.

    The council condemned Buhari’s position against electoral offenders describing the President’s warning that ballot box snatchers would do so at the expense of their lives as undemocratic and less presidential.

    The IYC in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Mr. Alfred Kemepado, said its members would not tolerate anything illegal, including the snatching of ballot boxes to undermine the sanctity of the electoral process within its territories.

    Kemepado, however, said that the desire and resolve to ensure credible, free and fair elections should involve the promotion of undemocratic values.

    He said the President’s speech had the capacity to instigate violence and make law enforcement agents take laws into their hands.

    Noting that Nigeria must be built and sustained as a country of law and order and not a country of jungle justices, the IYC scribe appealed to Buhari and other candidates to desist from heating up the polity.

    He said: “The President must realize the place of his body language, which may have made it possible for his loyalists like Governor El-rufai to issue inciting and provocative statements like that of the “body bag” speech.

    “The oil of the Niger Delta is not available to fund body bags but to promote the unity of Nigeria that will be subjected to restructuring for the benefit of all Nigerians.

    “We call on International bodies to come to the aid of harmless and willing electorates who are willing to express their franchise to get the needed change, so they are not shot at or butchered by the Nigerian military or police in the guise of harvesting ballot box snatchers.

    “The IYC reaffirm the commitment of the Ijaw Nation to align itself with the laws of Nigeria, and will resist any form of ballot box snatching and electoral violence. This we will do across party lines, as free and fair election is what all Ijaw youths desire, which is for our collective national interest, and for the betterment of One Nigeria.”

  • IYC, others back Brambaifa’s appointment

    The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Bodies (CNDYB), Ijaw Unity and Peace Committee (IUPC) and ex-militants have hailed President Muhammadu Buhari’s appointment of Prof. Nelson Brambaifa as acting managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    IYC and the others urged those against the appointment to sheathe their swords.

    Tare Porri, who chairs IYC, spoke at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa.

    He said Braimbaifa, an Ijaw man, deserved the support of Ijaw people, and advised those against him from Bayelsa to desist and mobilise for his success.

    “We have just been told that some persons are not satisfied with his appointment. We want to say that the Ijaw cannot be more blessed than now. God has given us an Ijaw man to head the commission.

    “So, I call on Ijaw leaders to mobilise support for Prof. Brambaifa as MD. When a man from Akwa Ibom was MD, the state and people of Akwa Ibom mobilised support for him. That should be our case.”

    Also, ex-militants under the Third Phase Ex-Agitators, warned those planning to protest against Brambaifa’s appointment to stop.

    Its Chairman, Osaanya B. Osaanya, described them as devillish, advising Bayelsans to stay away from them.

    He said: “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Prof. Brambaifa from Bayelsa State to head NDDC. He is more than qualified to occupy the position. We, as ex-agitators, call on Bayelsans to be wary and run away from devillish people who don’t mean well for our state. We will stand against any form of oppression against the will of the people.”

    The CNDYB, in a statement by its Coordinator, Ayebakuro Igbeta, described Brambaifa as an astute professional with the ability to administer the commission’s affairs.

    Igbeta said: “The coalition, on behalf of the people, praised President Muhammadu Buhari for laying to rest the disturbing issue of NDDC tenure. It cannot be overemphasised that the issue was beginning to brew disaffection and acrimony among the people. This appointment has rested burning questions on the integrity and sincerity of the President Buhari-led Federal Government.”

    IUPC’s convener Justin Ogboma said the appointment showed the sincerity and commitment of the President to develop the region.

    “The decision to appoint Brambaifa is worth commending, as he is one man with honesty, commitment and all-embracing. We are confident that instead of causing disaffection, Brambaifa will build bridges and utilise the position to advance your good work in our region,” he said,

    Also, militants, who identified themselves as the Strike Force of MEND, threatened resistance if the Presidency yielded to selfish demands by replacing or removing Brambaifa.

    They said Brambaifa’s appointment was a product of the cries, protests, agitation and sacrifices of Ijaw, who refused to be cowed by fear, death or intimidation.

    Their spokesperson, Capt. Jhoto Koankiri, advised the Presidency to jettison desperate moves capable of destabilising peace in the region.

    Koankiri said: “The greedy politicians of Ijaw should bury their heads in shame for trying to hinder Prof. Brambaifa’s appointment. We know that some people close to the Presidency are trying to use their position to thwart Brambaifa’s confirmation as substantive MD of NDDC, but we assure these unpatriotic politicians that we are ready for them.

    “Their antics must fail and we are now telling the President to ignore these selfish people as their opinion does not represent the people of the Ijaw.

    “But if the government is tempted to be swayed by these people, we are ready to express our solid stand with visible signs for all to see. Any moves to replace Brambaifa will meet resistance from our ranks and comrades.”

  • IYC Chairman wins PDP ticket in Bayelsa

    The Central Zone Chairman, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Tare Porri, has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the 2019 House of Assembly election in Ekeremor Constituency 1 in Bayelsa State.

    Porri, who polled 26 votes defeated the incumbent lawmaker, Ball Oyarede, who got 25 votes to clinch the ticket in a keenly contested election.

    The IYC chairman attributed his victory to the courage, overwhelming support, steadfastness and prayers of all stakeholders in the 

    Speaking in Yenagoa, the state capita, Porri said he was indebted to the delegates for their belief in him and promised not to let them down.

    Porri commended Governor Seriake Dickson for keeping democracy alive in the state the PDP.

    Referring to the governor as his father, mentor and GovernorI’d -General of the Ijaw nation, he said Dickson allowed a level-playground for all aspirants.

    Addressing his fellow contestants, he said: “To Miss Tari-ere Joyce Gita, history will never forget how you stood tall to defend democracy, with an outstanding character like you, there is hope for our people. 

    “I thank Chief Ball Oyarede for a keen contest and invite you, alongside with other aspirants to join hands with me in moving Ekeremor constituency 1 forward and also leading our party to victory in 2019 because l cannot do it alone.

    “It is the people, who won the election. You my people are the true winners and i accept this victory on your behalf, with confidence that we shall unanimously do same in the general elections.

    “I assure the PDP that there is no viable opposition in the general elections. With this mandate, l shall work tidiously to ensure the victory of the party at all levels. I shall reconcile all perceived aggrieved factions. I shall increase the numbers of the party in the area, and l shall ensure that the music of PDP never fades in the ears of my people.

    “Going forward shall set up a reconciliation committee, to ensure that the party is united and in one accord. After my emergence in the general elections, I assure my people, that Ekeremor constituency one will experience optimal development and growth, working in tandem with the Restoration government.  

    “This cooperation and enhanced policy harmony will surely pay handsome dividends, that will bring infrastructural growth, opportunities for youths, good policies, business sponsorship for market women and many other goodies”.

  • 2019 is a referendum for Niger Deltans, says IYC

    IJAW youths of Niger Delta,  under auspices of Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC),  have said voters will blacklist any aspirant with no genuine plan or interest to restructure Nigeria.

    National President Oweilaemi Rowland said this at a restructuring forum in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    Rowland noted that politicians were using the “all important” issue to score cheap points at the election without the intention to pursue the course.

    He maintained that unless genuine concern on restucturing was shown by aspirants, they would be denied votes from the region.

    “As a matter of fact,  Niger Delta indigines have uninanimously resolved that for us the 2019 general election must be a referendum; we will take time to identify those politicians that are genuine about restructuring of the country and align with them.”

    Explaining reasons for the decision, he said: “There are so many politicians who are playing politics with restructuring; we know them,  but we have agreed that identifying the politician with genuine intentions on the subject matter will be the criteria to get Niger Delta votes.

    “The need to restructure Nigeria now cannot be stressed enough, owing to the obvious versed spread of the country, which has made proper security of the country cumbersome.

    “The responsibilities in the centre cannot be handled by just one person. If the country is restructured, powers will devolve to regions, states or local governments. This will make governance easier and development to be equitably distributed.

    “So, restructuring to allow Niger Delta control the resources in its land is a must. Allowing generating units to control the resources in their areas and pay tax to the centre is what we stand for.

    “To us, restructuring equally means that we must sit down and discuss Nigeria. It is an error that people who produce a nation’s resources is not partaking in resources they produce.

    “Niger Delta people own and produce oil, but we do not have oil blocks;  the oil blocks in our lands, behind our ancestral lands,  homes are owned by persons that are neither from the area, live in the area,  nor have any trace of oil in their native place,” he lamented.

    Speaking on modular refineries, he said it was initiated to end oil theft in the region, but regretted that the plan has been hijacked by those who own the oil wells.

  • IYC rejects appointment of new DSS boss

    The Ijaw Youth Council ( IYC ) Worldwide on Friday rejected the removal of Mr. Mathew Seifa as the Director-General of the Department of State Security (DSS) by President Muhammadu Buhari, who replaced him with Mr. Yusuf Bichi.

    The youth body described the appointment as a true reflection of the President’s ethnic bias and nepotism, which it said had been on display since Buhari was sworn in on May 29, 2015.

    Secretary-General of the IYC, Mr. Alfred Kemepado in a statement in Yenagoa said: “We wonder why the President will appoint a man who had finished his term and retired about six months ago in place of a very qualified Matthew Seiyefa who was already doing a fantastic job for the government”.

    “We understand that the next most qualified people who should have been appointed are all from Southern Nigeria but because of tribalism and sectional interest, Buhari looked the other way and went to bring Bichi back from retirement‬.

    “We condemn the action of the President for his insensitivity, outright disrespect and disregard for people of the South. The provocative action has become obvious that Buhari no longer pretend about his dislike for the concept of ‘ A Nigeria for All Nigerians’.”

    The IYC scribe charged members of the President’s cabinet from the south to protest the appointment of the new DSS helmsman by walking out of the government adding that doing so would demonstrate their patriotism.

    “The removal of Mr. Mathew Seiyefa, who is by far more experienced and qualified for the number one DSS job should not be forgiven and forgotten. We call on people of the region not to consider the President as an ally when it comes to their development.

    “The President has shown disrespect and consistently assaulted our collective sensibilities even in the way he has treated members of his cabinet from our region”, he said.