Why Niger Delta Peace pact with FG is threatened”, Ijaw Youths Council (IYC)
By Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa, Trek Africa Newspaper
The leadership of the umbrella body of Ijaw Youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has offered reasons for the renewed agitations and threats to the peace pact existing between the Federal Government and the people of the region, saying the threats of renewed violence by militant groups and attacks against oil facilities are caused by the failures of the Federal Government to address contentious issues of development and empowerment of the region.
According to the IYC, the threats of renewed agitations may snow ball into violence and attacks if the issues of the proposed 2.5 per cent to host communities in the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is not changed to provide 10 per cent equity share to host communities in the region, the amendment to the new policy by the Presidential Amnesty Programme which provide that Ex-Militant youths will undergo a mandatory participation in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination before becoming a beneficiary to study in Nigerian University and the refusal of the Federal Government to allow capable professionals from the region to participate in the bidding for licenses to own oil blocs in the region.
The IYC , in a statement issued on Wednesday by its National Spokesman, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, the refusal of the Federal Government to allow the host communities and people of the region to equitably participate in the ownership and exploration activities of crude oil domicile in the region is igniting rising serious anger in the region.
Ekerefe, while calling on the attention of the National Assembly to expedite action on the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill without any further delay, the IYC stated that the Youths from the Nine States of the region commended the National Assembly for their frantic efforts to douse the rising anger ignited by the President Muhammdu Buhari led executive by having the Petroleum Industry Law come on stream.
He stated that “ the 8th National Assembly had done well, if not for President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to sign the Bill into law on inexplicable grounds. We believe strongly that if it was a bill that would benefit the north, it would’ve been attended to with the speed of light. However, now that the 9th National Assembly is pursuing this proposed PIB with renewed vigor, we wish to urge them to expeditiously pass it in recognition of the wishes of the Niger Delta states and the host communities in particular”
“For clarity, Ijaw youths will not accept any equity shareholding less than 10 percent to the host communities as demanded by our people. If this is done, it will bring lasting peace to the region”.
On the issue of the new policy of the Presidential Amnesty Programme on Education, the IYC declared that though the efforts of the Interim Administrator of the Program, Col. Milland Dikio is commendable. “We commend him in trying to reposition the program in-line with current realities. But however, while doing so, critical stakeholders should be carried along in the decision making process”
“This is because, no matter how good a policy could be, it’ll be resented if there’s no people’s buy-in. The controversy surrounding the Jamb intake as a precondition for admission into various universities is a pointer to the aforementioned.
Comrade Ekerefe also called on the Judiciary to play its part in the efforts to calm frayed nerves in the region by presiding fairly over the suit filed by some professionals and businessmen from the region against Federal Government over their exclusion from participating in the bidding for oil licenses in the region.
According to Ekerefe,” though the suit against the Federal Government is before a competent court and we are aware of moves to frustrate the case before the federal high court in Yenagoa, we’ve confidence in courts and we urge the Judiciary to take a careful look at the case and give a landmark verdict that will assist in furthering peace in the region. A situation where non Niger Delta people are giving exclusively favored to own oil licenses and oil blocks in the Niger Delta is totally unacceptable and this contributes significantly to renewed agitations.
