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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Ijaw National Congress (INC) has visited Internally Displaced (IDPs) camps in Bayelsa and Patani, Delta State, re-echoing calls for resource control and a Republic of the Ijaw people.
The group lead by its National President, Prof Benjamin Okaba decried the poor response of the Federal Government agencies to the humanitarian crisis in Bayelsa and other Ijaw territories after being raved by flooding.
Okaba who disclosed that the INC would also visit Ijaw territories affected by the flood in Rivers, Edo, Ondo and Akwa-Ibom called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the people in these trying times.
According to him if the money realised from oil had been properly utilised, Niger Delta region would not be where it is today being destroyed by flood.
“The INC will continue to advocate for resource ownership, Give us our oil. We have countries like this overseas, with more serious disasters but they know how to manage themselves. The government only takes away from us and gives us nothing. Is it not surprising that after two or three weeks of this suffering, we have not seen any federal government presence here. But as we speak, our oil is being drilled on a daily basis. Billions of naira from the bowel of the Niger Delta is moving on.
“It is not too difficult to take the oil, but it is difficult to bring relief materials to people. It is very shameful and unfortunate. We will continue to cry until the day God will listen to our cry and give us our own Republic. We will know that’s the day all these problems will come to an end.”
The IDP camp Commandants at Ox- Bow Lake in Yenagoa and Patani, Hon Ebiuwou Koku- Obiyai and Mr Ladein Omiebi in seperate remarks commended the INC for the king gesture and appealed to other public spirited organisations to come to the aid of the people.
