— Says North, not enemy of Niger Deltans

By Ebi Jones

A group known as the Delta Ijaw Youths Movement for Political Advancement (DIYMPA) has felicitated with political appointees across the country at the State and Federal levels. 

In a press statement made available to GbaramatuVoice in Abuja on June 4, 2019 and signed by Comrade John Dekawei on behalf of the group, said that the group requests office holders at all levels to make use of their respective offices for positive representation. 

“We want to specially congratulate with the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari as he assumes office for his second term,” said the report. “We urge Mr. President to ensure that his fight against corruption is fought without prejudice or sentiment, irrespective of regional or political affiliation.” 

The group further said that despite their ethnicity suffering dejection and deprivation for decades, it will fail to point finger at a particular region for their people’s woes; but looking at it from an angle, the woes their people are suffering is self inflicted.

The state added, “The pains and bitter story of the Niger Delta is sequel to the inability of our own leaders to utilize the innumerable opportunities and platforms established by the government to develop the region. 

“Several Ministries, Agencies and Commissions have been established to liberate the Niger Delta region from the shackles of underdevelopment. We as a people should be honest to ask ourselves why our leaders who have chaired and managed the various Agencies and Commissions have derailed from the primary focus of such agencies and made the looting of public fund as their regular practice.”

The group pointed out that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA), the Presidential Amnesty Programme and other agencies were fully funded to liberate the Niger Delta from the shackles of poverty but all hopes on the boards were swept under the carpet. 

According to the report, “On behalf of the foregoing, we urge the people of the Niger Delta, most especially the Ijaw people to direct our anger and provocation to our own people and not to the people of other regions. There is a dire need to extricate ourselves of the continuous mental orientation that the people of other regions most especially the Northerners are our enemies. 

“This misconception will do us no good politically and otherwise. The agencies we have on ground were all established by administrations led by these same people we misconceive to be our enemies. 

“Bayelsa State, which is our solely owned state was also created by a Fulani man. The amnesty programme from which most of our Ijaw youths have benefited was initiated and flagged off by a Northerner. All the good plans the North had for the Niger Delta were abandoned after his demise even when we had the opportunity, power and authority to execute them.

As a new order begins, the Ijaw people must understand that there is a great need for political alliance with people of other regions. Politics is all about negotiation and it is only when we crossbreed our political affinities and relations that we can find opportunities to lead and attract more development to our region. We therefore urge all sons and daughters of the Ijaw nation to form a strong political alliances with the northerners and place the collective unity of Nigeria as a nation over and above tribal prejudice and hatred.”