No going back on planned shutdown of NDDC headquarters”—Ijaw Youths 

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

 There appears a major crack in the rank of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) as a cross-section of Ijaw youth leaders have vowed that there is no going back on the planned protest and shut-down of the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over the appointment of a sole administrator by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The decision of the youth leaders from the nine states of the Niger Delta region is at variance with the directive of the national president of IYC, Peter Igbifa who on behalf of Ijaw youths suspended the protest and opted for a stakeholders meeting.

The Ijaw Youth leaders represented by Mr Tobin James (Chairman, Eastern Zone), Chief Frank Akiefa, (Chairman Western zone),  Mr Clever Osuma Inodu, (Chairman Central zone) and Chief Diplomat Adam Ogomugo Marbo (Chairman Abuja Chapter) in a joint statement in Yenagoa, declared that the planned protest and shut down of the NDDC headquarters is an action against the actions of President Muhammadu Buhari for refusing to set up a board for the commission as provided for in the act establishing the NDDC board and targeted at under-developing the region.

They advised the public to disregard the statement credited to Igbifa, stressing that the plan to shutdown NDDC headquarters is in top gear by all structures of the Ijaw Youth council.

”Peter Timothy Igbifa never supported the agitations of a substantive board for NDDC and so doesn’t have any right to halt or call for the stoppage of the protest.

“The only reason that will stop the protest is for President Muahammadu Buhari to do the right thing by appointing the substantive board in NDDC that will carry out it functions properly. We are calling on every well-meaning Ijaw youths not to be distracted by the statement of Peter Timothy Igbifa which does not reflect the decision of Council,” they noted in the statement.

Contacted on the development, the National Spokesman of the IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe confirmed the development, insisting that the decision of the Ijaw Youths Zonal leaders to embark on a protest and shut down the NDDC headquarters is legitimate and those calling for the cancellation of the protest are enemies of the region.

Ebilade reiterated that the protest is born out of genuine desires of the Ijaw youths to demand for a substantive board that will facilitate development in the Niger Delta region.

”It is people driven and oriented protest that cannot be cancelled by anybody who has never been a part of the ongoing protests in the region. The protest will go on according to plans as all structures of Council have been fully notified for the show down and they are all ready and waiting for the signal”.