IYC warns kinsmen against negative remarks on Ijaw political appointees, leaders

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has warned members of Ijaw ethnic nationalities to stop the needless and negative attacks against its own people, stating that it is not in the best interest of the Ijaw people to witch-hunt themselves.

Spokesman of the group, Binebai Yerin Princewill, said the struggle of the Ijaws in the Niger Delta was to negotiate a better deal for the people on resource control and self-determination and not to fight one another.

IYC said it became necessary to correct some careless, untrue and negative remarks made by some Ijaw against their fellow Ijaw political appointees and leaders of the Ijaw nation, which has been circulating in the media for quite some time.

He said: “What we are making people believe is that any sensitive office that has an Ijaw son or daughter as head means that he or she is not good enough and must be brought down by the same Ijaw people.

“One can hardly see other ethnic groups in Nigeria come out on a daily basis to attack their political appointees and leaders.”

So, we must not make people think that the Ijaw people are not good people. These selfish and careless remarks against our people must be stopped as they de-marketing our ethnic group.

“Apart from the Ijaw political appointees who have been practically visible in the discharge of their duties across the Niger Delta region and Nigeria at large, we are yet to really feel the positive impact of others in the country.”

The body, however, used the opportunity to commend President Bola Tinubu for renewing the pipeline surveillance security contract with the Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, noting that the move is crucial in safeguarding oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta region.

“We are also commending the appointment of Senator Heineken Lokpobiri as Minister for Petroleum Resources (Oil) State; Dennis Otuaro, the Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, MD/CEO of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), and other worthy sons and daughters of the Ijaw nation who have been appointed into the Tinubu administration.

“The IYC is excited because these leaders are all competent, capable, and well-grounded in the discharge of their duties from their various offices. They are indeed critical assets in the Tinubu administration as they continue to deliver in their various offices,” Princewill added.

While applauding the president for these appointments, IYC called for more political inclusion of the Ijaw people in his government, saying that the Ijaw nation is full of capable hands that can deliver on their assignments.