Ijaw youths, under the auspices of Ijaw Youth Council
Worldwide, have tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on economic plan for
the people of the Niger Delta.
They said they were not against the President’s moves to
curb oil-related theft in the region, but advised Buhari to do the
needful before deploying soldiers in the region.
President, IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, who spoke at a news
conference in Yenagoa on Thursday after an expanded meeting of
executives of the body, urged Buhari to go after the big guns stealing
oil in large quantities.
He also said as part of the measures to empower the people
of the Niger Delta, the President should order redundant vessels and
those yet to berth in Lagos to ports in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar
to spring up business activities in the region.
He commended the President for his well articulated speech
on the Niger Delta during his visit to the United States, but said such a
speech would not achieve the desired result if the people were not
empowered.
Eradiri
said, “We want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for his trip
abroad. During which, he was able to articulate issues concerning
Nigeria’s policies especially the Niger Delta.
We must commend him for the way he addressed the world about Nigeria. Truly, he is the pride of Nigeria.
“But while addressing the world, he raised certain issues
which we need to make inputs: He talked about the oil theft in the Niger
Delta, which we support fully, his approach towards curbing the menace
because the stealing of oil is actually degrading our environment.
“Also, the development is actually a crime against humanity
when people carry out certain actions that in the long run they destroy
the people’s land and their way of life.
“But we must say that this oil theft did not start today.
It is the attitude of successive governments that have led to our people
struggling to survive. We want him to go after the big guns – those
merchants who bring in big vessels to steal oil. They are the people he
should go after.
“We are not against the stoppage of vandalism of oil pipelines but he must have an economic plan.
Our people right now need to survive. There is no more
fishing in our areas and our lands can no longer produce the kind of
things they used to produce. It is our position that while Buhari is
coming to fight the menace, he must come with an economic plan.
“We are saying that all those vessels in Lagos doing
nothing, waiting to berth should be ordered to the ports in Warri, Port
Harcourt and Calabar. By so doing, a lot of economic activities would
begin to spring up in these areas and support the local economies.”
He also lamented that many oil-related projects in the
region had been abandoned by the Federal Government, insisting that
there should be a clear-cut programme by the government in expanding the
ports.
He contended that such programmes were fantastic baits and
alternatives to engage the people while the government went ahead to
clear out oil thieves in the region.
“We will support the government only when there is a clear
cut economic plan that will serve as an alternative for the people,” he
stated.
He, however, said he was disappointed in the President for
commending the US government for the successful general elections in the
country instead of giving the credit to former President Goodluck
Jonathan who made the process to work.
He said Jonathan ensured that the political process in the
country worked by instituting free, fair and credible electoral process.
“Buhari should give credit to Jonathan for making the
process work. We fault the President by commending the US instead of
giving credit to Jonathan. Jonathan swallowed pride and made sacrifice
to ensure peace and unity of Nigeria,” Eradiri said.
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