IYC to Buhari: Ijaws against bombing of Niger Delta communities by military

NEDU MARK, Yenagoa

The leadership of Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide has condemned the military for the random bombing of communities in the Niger Delta region under the guise of searching and rounding up sea pirates.

President, IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, said though the group condemned criminalities in the region, such random bombings were a ploy to bomb the Niger Delta people.

He made the observation on Wednesday at the Izon House, Yenagoa, when he received officials of the Niger Delta Youth Forum who honoured him with an Award of Excellence for his exemplary leadership.

Eradiri asked the military authorities to device a more workable approach to fishing out criminals in the region instead of bombing the entire communities in search of sea pirates.

“Very unfortunately the military, (I do not know if they are doing eye service), in recent times, there are a series of bombings of the region to fish out pirates.

“The Nigerian Navy is there, a lot of money is spent on the Navy. There are a lot of blockades in the waterways, yet pirates and kidnappers still have their ways, abducting people on the main routes manned by the military?

“I think there is complicity. So, this pretext of looking for pirates and begin to bomb randomly is not accepted by us. We see it as a ploy to begin to move towards bombing people in the Niger Delta region.

“We are saying that inasmuch as we condemn criminality in the region, the approach as experienced in the recent weeks is not acceptable because there are statutory organs – the Joint Military Task Force, the Navy that have been funded over the years to secure the waterways.

“But when we begin to bring in the Air Force, then there will be colossal damage and at the end of the day our innocent communities will suffer for it,” said Eradiri.

The IYC President, however, implored the youth of the region to desist from actions that would provide excuse for the military to do what they had started doing in Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

“So, if you are kidnapper, don’t use our environment to kidnap. If you are pirates, leave the Ijaw environment because we do not want a situation where your activities which are not sanctioned by our people will begin to bring calamities to the Niger Delta.

“I have been talking to many youths. We must give the current administration in the country the opportunity to express themselves and we begin to take them on their actions accordingly.

“Very unfortunately, if this bombing is one of their modus of maintaining peace in the region, it is a negative way.”

The President also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to start off the amnesty office by quickly appointing a Coordinator for the Presidential Amnesty Programme, saying it was one key area that concerned them as a people.

Eradiri urged Buhari to demarcate the Coordinator’s office from that of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, which were merged.

“The programme is dear to us. It is building the capacity of our people. There are a lot of Niger Delta people scattered around the world and they are receiving qualitative education in various countries of the world.

“So, leaving the office vacant is a problem. We know what we are doing in trying to manage our youths in order not to carry out activities that will draw the attention of government because we may not know the repercussions that will come. But the truth is that you cannot leave that office vacant.

“Our people have not been paid for close to two months now. This style may lead to breakdown of law and order in the region. Therefore, we urge Buhari to quickly appoint a Coordinator of PAP This is because the office of the Special Adviser on Niger Delta is different from the coordinator of the amnesty programme. In the past, the two offices are one, that is why it is being political.

“The office of the SA to the President on Niger Delta is political but the coordinator of the amnesty programme is not supposed to be political. So, Buhari should demarcate that office, share it and let there be PAP coordinated by someone who understands the process while they can play politics with whoever that will advise him on amnesty Programme.”

Eradiri concluded by saying: “I think if he quickly does that, it will reduce the pressure some of us are carrying in terms of trying to maintain the orderly conduct of Ijaw youths in the region.”