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Tag: Ijaw National Congress

  • Group condemns Wike for anti-Ijaw comments

    Group condemns Wike for anti-Ijaw comments

    Angered by a comment attributed to Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike attacking the Ijaw ethinic group, the Ijaw Youth Council has condemned the development.

    This follows the Governor’s controversial directive for the arrest and arraignment of the member representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Farah Dagogo.

    The council in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe, described Wike’s outburst as insulting and totally unacceptable to the Ijaw nation.

    Thenewsguru.com learnt that the Rivers Governor had during a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt for the state’s legal victory over Imo State concerning 17 oil wells, declared “thunder fire you, Ijaw National Congress and the Ijaw Youth Council” for demanding the unconditional release of Dagogo.

     

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    The IYC, in the statement, titled, ‘Dagogo: Ijaw youths condemn Wike’s outburst’, said that the governor’s comments were not only disturbing and inciting but also a denigration of the exalted office of governor that he occupies.

    It pointed out that such tactless and disrespectful comments by Governor Wike was the height of his prolonged disdain for the Ijaw nation as a whole and Rivers Ijaw people in particular since he became the governor of the state.

    “It is even more shocking that the Rivers governor took his unrestrained verbiage to the hallowed pulpit of a church and desecrated the altar of God,” the statement stressed.

     

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    The apex Ijaw youth body expressed surprise that a call for the release of Dagogo could be a ‘sin’ in the eyes of Wike to warrant his attack on the Ijaw nation in the manner he did it.

    The body reminded Wike that power is transient and that by May 29, 2023, he will vacate the exalted governorship seat that he has equally ridiculed, to become an ordinary citizen like others in Rivers State and Nigeria.

    The IYC further said that despite being the fourth largest ethnic nationality in Nigeria and the largest in the Niger Delta, the Ijaws have consistently promoted peaceful and harmonious relationships with other ethnic groups, including Wike’s Ikwerre nationality in Rivers State.

    It stated, “However, Wike should be reminded that such unguarded and incendiary comments are capable of rupturing the existing good relationship with the Ikwerres, and his kinsmen are advised to call him to order. Wike has forgotten that by calling fire and thunder on the Ijaw nation, his benefactor and our revered leader, former President Goodluck Jonathan, is an illustrious Ijaw son.

    “This “thunder” did not fire the former president when, despite all odds, he made him (Wike) the choice of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State against the wishes of other competent Ijaw aspirants in the state.

    “Now, Jonathan as an Ijaw man, is also under fire from Governor Wike. For him, all those that made him, including the people of Rivers State, are in his pocket and can be insulted at will.”

    The body therefore, advised Ijaw people to see Governor Wike as an enemy of the Ijaw nation and they should speak up against his tyrannical behaviour, thenewsguru.ng further reports.

    The Ijaw body then cautioned that if Wike, as a sitting governor could cast aspersions on an entire ethnic nationality, he might do worse things if he becomes the President of Nigeria in the 2023 National Election in Nigeria.

  • NDDC Board inauguration: Any further delay is clear betrayal of trust, Ijaw National Congress tells FG

    NDDC Board inauguration: Any further delay is clear betrayal of trust, Ijaw National Congress tells FG

    The umbrella body of the Ijaw nation, worldwide, Ijaw National Congress (INC) has demanded for the urgent inauguration of the NDDC Board, noting that “any further delay in the inauguration of the NDDC board is a clear betrayal of trust and display of State insensitivity on ljaw nation and Niger Delta region.”

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that while receiving the leadership of the INC at the State House in Abuja on June 24, President Buhari had said that the NDDC Board would be inaugurated as soon as the forensic audit report was submitted and accepted.

    The president said: ‘‘Based on the mismanagement that had previously bedeviled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021. I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board will be inaugurated.”

    The INC President, Professor Benjamin Okaba, in a statement in Yenagoa on Friday, wondered why President Buhari “till date has not said anything about the report and the inauguration of the substantive board.”

    The INC frowned on what it described as the “complexities and superfluousity that trailed the said audit process, in addition to the diversionary comments of Mr Malami” which it stated “have left us with more worries and suspicion of the true intentions of the exercise.”

    Professor Okaba also expressed concern that President Buhari “till date has not said anything about the report and the inauguration of the substantive board, over two years into the life of his 2nd term despite public concerns and condemnation on the implications of managing the NDDC as a private estate for this long.”

    On the forensic audit report, he insisted that there should be transparency in the implementation of the audit report because, “The INC considers it as a huge integrity test and task on Mr President to immediately submit the Forensic report, undiluted to the corridors of public domain with the guarantee of free and easy access by anyone that cares, in line with the Freedom of Information Act.”

    The Congress also drew attention to the gaps and seeming inconsistencies noticed in the audit report which was submitted by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio to President Buhari. It stated unequivocally that “The ljaw nation is dissatisfied and displeased with the mere mention of figures such as N6trn spent on the NDDC and many others that when weighed and compared with figures from other available benchmarks published earlier by the External auditors and the office of the auditor general, exhibit clear discrepancies and confusion of data. Why de-emphasise the over N1.3trn owed the NDDC by the FGN? Why no mention of the hundreds of billions of naira paid to emergency contractors between Jan 2020 and August 2021 while genuine contractors are still owed several billions of naira? Why the passage of the NDDC budget with a provision of N452.2BN in December 2020 when the NDDC had received only 194bn as at that date?”

    The INC also demanded for fairness in the implementation of the report “to allay the fears that The Akpabio orchestrated NDDC Forensic Audit will not turn-out to be another scam or instrument of witch hunting, intimidating and blackmailing perceived enemies and to further short-change the ljaw nation,” and consequently demanded “the immediate publication of the Audit report with highlights on the achievements, strength and weaknesses of the NDDC and recommendations going forward.”

    Professor Okaba noted that “the INC frowns at the secrecy with which the outcome of the forensic audit is being handled.”

    According to him, the people of the Niger Delta region deserve to know every detail relating to the report of the forensic audit, insisting that there should be no cover up or sacred cows in the implementation of the outcome of the forensic audit.

  • Buhari replies Niger Delta Avengers

    Buhari replies Niger Delta Avengers

    President Muhammadu Buhari has responded to Niger Delta Avengers, who resurfaced recently and threatened to bomb critical oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region unless certain demands were met.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Buhari’s response to the Niger Delta Avengers was contained in a statement released on Sunday by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

    In the statement, Adesina opined that prior to Niger Delta Avengers issuing the threats, Buhari had already addressed the issues raised when he recently met with the leadership of the Niger Delta and Ijaw National Congress (INC) at the Presidential Villa.

    The statement reads: “The media was Sunday awash with threats and demands by a group, Niger Delta Avengers, to embark on economic sabotage through bombing of critical oil and gas installations unless certain demands, including development of the Niger Delta, and restructuring of the Federation, were met.

    “It is, however, curious that the threat was coming less than 48 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the leadership of the Niger Delta and Ijaw National Congress (INC), at the Presidential Villa, and the germane issues had been responded to, especially call for restructuring of the Federation, and the inauguration of a Board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    “For clarity and record purposes, below is full text of the speech by President Buhari on Friday, June 25, 2021, which renders any sabre-rattling rather unnecessary:

    “I warmly welcome all the Elders of the Niger Delta and particularly the National Executive of the Ijaw National Congress, under the leadership of Professor Benjamin Okaba. I thank you for paying this courtesy visit not too long after your election in April, and swearing-in last May.

    “I also want to congratulate you all for your election and to add that a lot of responsibility is placed on your shoulders, especially coming from the fact that the Ijaw National Congress was almost without leadership for some time.

    “As the symbol of the collective voice of the Ijaw people, which is one of Nigeria’s main ethnic groups, the existence of a focused and people oriented leadership would go a long way in articulating the demands of the Ijaw people and making sure these demands are made part of the national discourse.

    “I particularly note your ten point demand to the Federal Government in your inaugural speech and assure you that this administration is frontally addressing them.

    “I am equally concerned about the rate of environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and as you are aware the HydroCarbon Pollution Remediation Project has started work with remediation efforts in Ogoni land and I have directed the Minister of Environment to ensure that the projects are implemented with a high percentage of local content and inclusion of the surrounding communities.

    “Similarly, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency, under the same ministry of Environment is working to make sure that oil spills are reduced and new ones prevented. As you are also aware, all the responsible agencies of government have been directed to ensure that they enforce compliance by the International Oil Companies to international best practices.

    “In addressing your call for immediate restructuring, the National Assembly whose responsibility it is to ensure that our constitution responds to the call for a restructured Nigeria, has already concluded regional consultations and as soon as they finalise the process, necessary action would not be delayed on my part.

    “In the same vein, your call for creation of two additional states and more local government areas for the Ijaw people is a legislative matter, which should naturally be handled by the National Assembly and seeking concurrence at the state levels.

    “I completely agree with your call to allocate operational licenses for marginal fields to Ijaw people. However, like you know, the process of granting licenses is guided by laid down rules and regulations, most of which even favour local content and local contractors. I see no reason why they should not be granted such licenses if they qualify.

    “On the issue of fair and balanced appointments to reflect federal character principles, I re-affirm that this has always been my focus and would continue to be because I have always seen Nigeria as a country where everyone should be given equal opportunities.

    “A contentious issue that has been a subject of discourse amongst the Ijaw people of recent has been the need for the Niger Delta Development Commission to live up to its billing by delivering the required succour to the people of the region. Based on the mismanagement that had previously be-devilled the NDDC, a forensic audit was set up and the result is expected by the end of July, 2021.

    “I want to assure you that as soon as the forensic audit report is submitted and accepted, the NDDC Board would be inaugurated. However, I would like to implore you that the Ijaw National Congress should play a more active role in making sure that the mismanagement that occurred in the past is not repeated.

    “I am particularly happy to note your call for promoting ownership of modular refineries by the Ijaw people and I will urge you to interphase with your sons who are involved in the processes of establishing these refineries, especially the Honourable Minister of State Petroleum Resources to actualize this quest.

    “Like you well know, completion of the East-West Road is top on my infrastructure agenda and I will look to its speedy conclusion. Again, the occasional disturbance by youths in some communities along the route to construction work would require your close attention and guidance.

    “Furthermore, we have made considerable progress with the construction of the Bonny to Port Harcourt Bridge.

    “I am very happy with the recent affirmation of your belief in a United Nigeria and while I thank you for standing with me, I will also implore you to use your leverage in making sure that we keep working together to keep this country a united, indivisible entity, so that we can tackle our problems together and overcome our challenges together.

    “I would like now to commend Professor Okaba for your emphasis on supporting the fight against insecurity by developing internal control mechanisms as well as working with other institutions in the country to address our current security challenges.

    “While I thank you once more for this visit and I will continue to count on your support as we work towards resolving our current challenges.

    “God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”