Home Local News Militants’ threat: IYC President visits Gbaramatu Communities, blinks eye over FG ...

Militants’ threat: IYC President visits Gbaramatu Communities, blinks eye over FG promised N1billion NMU take-off fund

766
0

 

 

*Sues for peace in Niger Delta

Ads

 

 

WARRI- Factional President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, Eric Omare at the weekend visited the take-off campus of the Nigerian Maritime University, Kurutie, Gbaramatu and Benneth Island, Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State to address youths and community leaders in the wake of deployment of gun boats and fighters to the communities arising from the threat by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to attack oil facilities.

Daily Watch in the area reports that deployment of Naval Ship and military war boats has created a very tense security situation among the communities in Gbaramatu kingdom over the recent threat of Niger Delta Avengers threat of fresh bombing of pipelines.

In the Kurutie take-off campus of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, the communities in their hundreds welcomed the IYC President led by Mr. Eric Omare and his entourage.

The IYC leader in his response to the statement by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru on Saturday, November 11, 2017 that President Buhari has ordered immediate release of one billion naira for recruitment and provisions of infrastructures for the take-off of the maritime university. Omare told Kurutie community that ‘‘there is nothing to celebrate yet with respect to the promise to release funds for the take-off of the maritime university.

Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko administrative block

According to him, ‘‘As far as the IYC is concerned, there is nothing to celebrate because this is just like previous failed promises on the subject matter. The IYC would not celebrate until the money is actually released to the university management

‘‘It would be recalled that Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo at the National Council of Niger Delta meeting at Akure, Ondo State clearly told Niger Deltans and Nigerians that two billion naira has been ‘released’ towards the take-off of the maritime university. However, up till this moment, not even a dime of that money has been released. The IYC dare to ask whether the one billion naira President Buhari has ordered to be released is part of the two billion Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo said has been released or separate money. And if the approved one billion naira is separate, what happened to the earlier two billion naira that was allegedly released. The IYC and Niger Deltans deserve a response to these questions’’ Omare said while addressing Gbaramatu youths at Kurutie.

However, despite the federal government poor and unsatisfactorily handling of the take-off of the maritime university, the IYC President called on Niger Delta youths to maintain the peace and give Niger Delta leaders the opportunity to interface with government towards addressing the demands of the Niger Delta people.

Omare said dialogue is the best solution to the resolution of grievances and not attack on oil facilities since the Niger Delta environment and economy are usually the greatest victims of any attack on oil facilities.

 

At Benneth Island/Salvation City, Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, residents of the community complained of incessant military harassment especially the recent deployment of gun boats and fighter jets to their community.

They called on Ijaw leaders to come to their rescue. While responding, the IYC President condemned the unnecessary harassment of communities in the name of fighting militancy saying that deployment of gun boats and fighter jets is not the solution to militancy but to address the economic and environmental problems affecting the people.

Omare recalled with nostalgia that the Benneth Island area used to be a beehive of economic activities when the Warri port was functional as it served as anchor point for vessels waiting to discharge goods and sea going vessels.

The IYC President therefore called on Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi who is from the Niger Delta region to take up the revival of the moribund seaports in the Niger Delta region as a priority. The Onne, Calabar, Warri, Koko, Sapele, Burutu and other ports in the Niger Delta, all under the ministry of transportation are just lying fallow while the Apapa port in Lagos is congested especially with the ongoing repairs of the Apapa road.

The IYC leader further stated that it makes no economic sense for multinational oil companies, the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, other companies and individuals in Warri and environs to import their goods and materials through the Apapa port, Lagos and used millions of naira to transport such materials to Warri when it came be easily done through the Warri port and create thousands of jobs for youths towards addressing the problem of militancy.

The IYC boss reminded Amaechi that if as Minister of Transportation, he fails to revived the ports in the Niger Delta; he would go down in history like other Niger Delta leaders that he has been consistently accusing of failing the region.

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here