Ijaw youths reiterate demand for restructuring, resource control

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, have reminded the federal government of their demand for restructuring, true federalism, and resource control.

IYC leader, Pereotubo Oweilaemi, made the appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari during the Boro Day celebration in Kaiama, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Bayelsa State.

Oweilaemi, expressing satisfaction with Nelson Brambaifa performance as acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), also appealed to the president to make him the substantive MD.

He cited how the acting MD brought stability to the commission and the Niger Delta region.

“The region is benefiting immensely from his qualitative leadership. No doubt, making him the substantive MD will bring the desired peace to the region,” he said.

Speaking on the call for restructuring, he said: “51 years after Isaac Boro laid down his life for the unity of this country, the issues that caused its near collapse have not been addressed thereby threatening the country’s continuous corporate existence.

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“Successive governments for the past 51 years have refused to heed the popular demands of restructuring, true federalism and resource control which are a panacea to addressing the wounds of the civil war.

“For us in the Niger Delta, our grievances can only be addressed if the country is restructured. We will never back down on our collective struggle for the liberation of the region until we attain our political independent.

“All we ask for is resource control, true federalism and equal political participation among the various ethnic groups that formed this federation.”

He insisted that the panacea for the growing insecurity in the country was resource control and true federalism.

“Let us go back to the 1960 constitution where the regions had greater economic powers than the central government. We need regional autonomy for a proper policing of the country.

“On the growing insecurity in the country, IYC is calling on the FG to immediately initiate amendment of the Constitution by devolving more powers to the states. We need state and community police to effectively tackle the menace.”

Oweilaemi called on the Federal Government to immediately relocate the offices of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and the Presidential Amnesty Programme to the Niger Delta region.

“Just like NDDC is sited in the region, the Ministry and the Amnesty office can only effectively function once they are relocated to the region. Those offices have no business stationed in Abuja,” he said”

He said: “For the sake of peace in the region, FG should establish coastal areas development agency for the inaccessible coastal dwellers in the Niger Delta. Our demands herein are in addition to the timely completion of the East-West Road, as well as beefing up security in the East-West Road, especially in the Bayelsa and Rivers axis”.

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