Niger Delta needs new plan to solve FG’s reluctance to develop region – IYC Spokesman

The time  has come for the Niger Delta region and it peoples to take a new strategies towards addressing the underdevelopment challenges faced by region and the federal government  reluctance to develop it.

This is according the Spokesman of the Umbrella body of Ijaw Youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) ,Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe who berated President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst underperforming president in infrastructural development for the region .

He said the region must do away with obsolete strategy and adopt a new era of strategy alliances with other ethnic nationalities, intellectual and aggressive engagement with the Federal Government for a more accelerated development of the region.

The National Spokesman of the IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, who made this known in Yenagoa on Saturday during his 36 years birthday colloquium, unveiling of the book titled “Chronicle of Ebilade Ekerefe: The Journey So far” and declaration for the Presidency of the 9th Council of the IYC.

He told the gathering of Ijaw Youths and Elders that the Ijaw nation and other stakeholders from the region cannot continue to apply obsolete approach and expect to achieve desired result in an evolving world, “We are currently in a jet age and we must prepare an army of young, vibrant and intellectually mobile Ijaw youths in a NEW ERA to drive home our demands. The Ijaw Youth Council has come of age to look inward and come up with renewed strategy to confront the myriads of challenges that affects us as a people if we most get it right, pointing out that these among other issues made him set up the free ICT training institute to build the capacities of our youths in this direction and prepare them for the future challenges”.

Ekerefe, who attributed the successes of the IYC to the thousands of youths, Elders and State Governors of the region particularly the Bayelsa Governor, Senator Douye Diri and had receive accolades from stakeholders in the region for his dedication and boldness at speaking out against injustices and failed commitment of the President Buhari led administration to the demands of the Niger Delta people, described the eight years of the outgoing administration as unfair to the region.

He pointed out that the President Buhari led federal government unfair treatment is widely known, insisting that he did not treat the people of the Niger Delta fairly despite the huge economic contribution of the region, “Under his government, all the institutions of government which was established by law to develop the region ran under interim or sole administration bases which stalled the development of region. Despite our outcries, the East West road remains an eyesore.”

 “Potions of the road remains a death trap with all the audio promises made. There were serious efforts to terminate the Amnesty program and annex the NDDC into the Niger Delta Ministry but we stood our ground and fourth very hard for the status quo to remain.Majority of the projects awarded by the Buhari’s federal government in the Niger Delta region are all in “groundbreaking,” the worst of it is the climate change. The perennial flood which has made live very unbearable and yet, the federal government has refused to come to our aid. Unemployment is on the rise and our people remain constantly agitated.”

“Rampaging Fulani herdsmen have invaded our region, killing our people with impunity and the security apparatus of the country which is predominantly made of of the Fulani extraction are doing nothing.In few days from now we shall be entering the Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s regime. Nobody knows his plans for the region and what will befall of us. The future is full of uncertainties and there’s no better time than now for a vibrant and courageous leadership”.

On his aspiration to vie for the position of President of the 9th Council of the IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, noted that despite his modest achievements as the National Spokesman for three years, “I’ve come to that point of accepting the call from my teaming supporters, political stakeholders, elders of Council, various organs of Council and the masses to become the 9th president of the most revered revolutionary youth Council in the whole of the West African sub-region”.

Ekerefe pointed out that despite the challenges facing the leadership of the council, if elected President of the IYC, he would build a new era on the solid foundation that we’ve laid in the past three years as Spokesperson of the Ijaw Youth Council, “a NEW ERA restoring the hope of the youths in the region and recruiting a new army of young intellectuals but radical in their views. An Era of building strategic alliances for the overall good of the people. I’m the bridge between the young and the old”.

“I’m young, vibrant and energetic to be your president for the next three years and make no mistake, I’m the representation of A NEW ERA. Just as I did not sleep as Spokesperson in advancing the course, I’ll not still sleep as your president. Under my watch, the Ijaw nation will be protected against arms banditry and marauding Fulani herdsmen who are terrorizing our land with no consequences. It will not be business as usual”

”In the New Era, my leadership will aggressively and strategically engage the Nigerian state in a more robust and coordinated manner that will produce desired results. While we shall constantly keep the issues of resource control and fiscal federalism in the front burner of the national discourse, issues of climate change will be prioritized. We shall take the advocacy and engagements to the international scene and create global awareness on greenhouse emission”.

“In doing so, we shall set up a research team of young intellectuals from the Ijaw extraction who will help us with the white paper as our guide in our advocacies and engagements. Of course, we’ve kick started the free ICT skill acquisition training program already, with the aim of building the capabilities of 301 Ijaw youths before the end of the year. It’s not rhetoric. We shall accomplish it and expand its scope to accommodate more youths across the region and other initiatives that will be attractive to youths, especially, agriculture and sport’s development”.

The event was attended by Former Nigerian Ambassador, Dr. Boladei Godknows Igali, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Professor Teddy Adias, the 2nd Vice President of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, Alabo Nengi James, OON, Former National Treasurer of the INC, Chief Kailate Jephtha, Former and Incumbent Speaker of the IYC Mobile Parliament of the Ijaw Youth Council.