Ijaw youths in protest for Jonathan, vow to shutdown oil installations if his persecution continues

Ijaw youths in their hundreds on Thursday protested what they said is President Muhammadu Buhari’s continuation of persecution of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Some of them vowed there will be total shut down of all oil installations in the Niger Delta if the harassment does not stop.

Led by the President of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, the protesting youths carried different placards with some bearing inscriptions as “EFCC stop harassing Jonathan’s family”, “Leave Patience Jonathan alone, “Give us job not bombs”.

The youths blocked the Sani Abacha expressway, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State chanting war songs and calling on President Buhari and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to stop harassing former President Jonathan and his wife, Patience.

“This country has produced many presidents but the only one from the Niger Delta is constantly harassed by the mercenaries of state especially the EFCC. We want to call on the President to please respect former President Jonathan, at least for the fact that he brought peace to this country, handed over peacefully to him.

Read also: Troops uncover payroll of Niger Delta militants

“He didn’t go to court. He allowed him to run this country, President Buhari should please focus on leadership and stop vilifying the first family. We appeal to Buhari to respect Jonathan the way he respects other past presidents. They have frozen his account; they are not paying his allowances.

“Even the security agencies around him do not get what is due them. Why is the Presidency victimising Goodluck Jonathan? Patience Jonathan is not the first First Lady in this country. A wife to former deputy governor, governor, Vice-President and President, are you expecting her to be a poor woman?

“There are other First Ladies in this country. In recent time, a former First Lady was awarded a university license. So, we are using this medium to send a message, leave our first family alone. Some people are not happy about Jonathan’s rising profile and they want to destroy it,” Eradiri said during the protest.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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