The Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) on Thursday, advised the Federal Government what to do to end the slew of attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers who keep blowing up important pipelines in the region – consequently reducing Nigeria’s general oil production and output.
The group also warned the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to jettison the idea of arresting former President Goodluck Jonathan over the ongoing probe of massive fraud and embezzlement alleged to have taken place under his watch.
At the Wellington Hotel Effurrun, Delta State, where the IYC held the 2016 annual Major Isaac Boro anniversary celebration with the theme, “The ideals of Adaka Boro and the renewed militancy in the Niger Delta: The way forward,” the youths lambasted Buhari’s administration for restricting its anti-corruption fight to just Jonathan’s regime.
The IYC president, Udengs Eradiri, charged the government to probe the Haliburton bribery scandal under ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo before its anti-corruption war can be taken seriously.
On how to end the newly revamped militancy in the region, Eradiri said, “People have started discussing. There was a meeting in Abuja yesterday (Wednesday) but I told them that such a meeting would not work.”
“If they want us to talk, they must first open the Maritime University and start admitting students, then we would now sit and talk. The same issues for which Adaka Boro and Ken Saro-Wiwa were killed are the same issues the Avengers are raising.”
“There are no Avengers anywhere. Settle these issues and the avengers would fizzle away.”
Tony Uranta, a major activist also said at the event, “Isaac Boro and Ken Saro-Wiwa died fighting for the emancipation of the Niger Delta, later we had Asari Dokubo, Tompolo and others. But because Tompolo was taken out, new faces have come up.”
He also called on Buhari not to cancel the amnesty programme if he wants peace to reign in the region.
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