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By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa
Umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council, has said it is compelled as leaders of the Ijaw nation to issue a press release “due to certain actions deliberately taken against the Ijaws in the Nigerian State by the President Bola Tinubu led Federal Government of Nigeria.”
A statement signed by Amb Binebai Yerin Princewill, spokesman of the organisation and made available to journalists, said the “Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, an umbrella body covering all Ijaw Youths in Nigeria and across the world have read on the pages of newspapers and other broadcast outlets in Nigeria weeks ago the purported sack of Ijaw sons and daughters in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited over alleged cooked and manipulated story of retirement.
“This forceful retirement of Ijaws in NNPCL is something that we will resist with the last drop of our blood. We see this as an attempt to exclude the Ijaws from the scheme of things and a well hatched plot to only employ Northerners and Yorubas in NNPCL.
“To us as a people, while we love Nigeria as a country and will be ready to do all within our powers for a united one Nigeria, we will not accept any attempt to unjustly undo sons and daughters of Ijaws occupying such sensitive offices in the Nigerian State, it is the promise of IYC that we will not allow this injustice to fester.
“The Ijaws cannot continue to suffer the brunt of oil and gas exploration activities in Niger Delta that could be reduced and prevented by the Federal Government of Nigeria, by not allowing their sons to have a say in the oil sector. We cannot be punished as a people for feeding the country.
“However, it is in the best interest of the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Bola Tinubu to direct whoever that is in charge to urgently reinstate Ijaws that were sacked recently in the NNPCL without any offence. This country belongs to all of us.
“Their urgent reinstatement is in the best interest of Nigeria as anything other than this within few days from now will lead to total shutdown of NNPCL activities across the country. We cannot continue to be feeding Nigeria but will be begging for crumbs.
“Nigeria is a multi ethnic nation hence whatever the Federal Government is doing must be a true reflection of Federal character. For obvious reasons, the NNPCL is gradually becoming a northern empire.
“The Ijaw Youth Council will also resist the purported buying of AGIP oil compay by OANDO without making it public for qualified Ijaws and Niger Deltans to bid for its take over.
“Before now, the Italian company (AGIP) has contributed a lot for the Ijaw people and her communities via its cooperate social responsibility policy. AGIP is like the life wire of our people. The Ijaws and Niger Deltans must be given the opportunity to participate fully in the oil industry.
“The assurance is that, if these issues are not reversed quickly as soon as possible, the entire Niger Delta community will be left with no other choice but to shutdown NNPCL and other oil activities in the country.
“It is important to note that this warning is to NNPCL and its subsidiary companies operating in the Niger Delta region. It is our call that the issues raised be addressed urgently beginning from the day of this publication,” they said.