IYC accuses Tinubu of politically alienating Ijaws in government

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), has accused President Bola Tinubu of suffocating and alienating the Ijaw people in his government.

IYC also reiterated their earlier call to the President not to make the mistake of appointing non-Ijaw as the Amnesty Programme Coordinator.

A statement signed by its spokesman, Benabia Princewill, said that, while the body will not banter words with its sister tribes that are also suffering the same issues of deprivation, the Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) is not like any other ministry or commission like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or Niger Delta Ministry.

The statement noted that the Ijaws solely paid the price for the establishment of PAP, and has been magnanimous in accommodating other tribes in the programme, so far, expressing confidence that Tinubu will not make the mistake of appointing a non-Ijaw as its coordinator.

The statement reads: “IYC has been keenly following political developments of the Tinubu-led Federal Government, and, so far, we are beginning to see that the government is exhibiting a high level of hatred against the Ijaw people, and we will not continue to keep quiet forever. We cannot continue to talk about peace when the necessary ingredients of peace such as fairness, equity and justice are not there.

“Before our eyes, Adokiye Tombomieye was removed from Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) and was replaced with someone from another tribe in Niger Delta. Similar thing happened in the Local Content Development Board.

“Few months ago, the Tinubu-led Federal Government of Nigeria surreptitiously sold Agip Oil Company to its crony, Oando, without following the normal processes. Our people are not holding any key offices in any of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“Again they are trying to collaborate with the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited to sell the company to a consortium owned by cronies of the Federal Government without cleaning our environment, an evil the IYC has spoken against and will follow up to the later until the Ijaws and Niger Deltans are given the rights of first refusal. Our people must be included; otherwise, this purported sale will not work.”