Elders move to resolve IYC crisis, hold emergency meeting in Yenagoa

The Elders Council of the ljaw Youths Council (IYC) worldwide has resolved to wade into the leadership crisis rocking the pan Ijaw Youth Council.

The Elders Council is an advisory body to the IYC whose members cut across the three zones of the ljaw youth body namely: Central, Western and Eastern Zones in all Niger Delta states where the ljaws reside.

Rising from a well attended meeting held in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on Thursday, the IYC Elders Council identified disunity, power tussle and lack of respect for constituted authorities of the Nigeria’s fourth largest ethnic nationality as causes of the leadership crisis in the IYC.

In his welcome address, Chairman of the Central Zone of the IYC Elders Council and convener of the meeting, Comrade Mike Wenibowei, who commended members from Western and Central zones for attending, however, expressed disappointment over failure of Eastern Zone to send representatives.

He said he summoned the meeting so that the elders in council would put heads together and proffer solutions to the internal leadership crisis bedeviling the IYC, adding that a situation where national and zonal executive committee members of IYC would be singing discordant tunes was a shame to the ljaw nation.

Speaker after speaker in their contributions condemned the scenario in the Eastern Zone where one Israel Fubara is said to be parading as President of the IYC worldwide other than Comrade Peter Igbifa who was elected by the council during its national election held at Oporoza, Delta state.

They recalled that the situation was reminiscent of what earlier played out in the youth body where two persons in the likes of Oweilaemi and Omare concurrently paraded as national president of council, stating that such embarrassing situations to the ljaw nation have to be nipped in the bud.

Others, in their submissions, also blamed Igbifa for his inability to unite his executive committee members, just as some reprimanded the Speaker of the IYC worldwide, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe for lack of proper consultations with the leadership of council before making public statements on behalf of council.

At the end of the deliberations, the elders council unanimously agreed to set up a 9-man facts finding committee made up of three members from each zone.

The committee, which has its terms of reference to include visiting all the zones and identifying their grievances, has Chief Jephther Kalaiti from the Central Zone as Chairman while Engr. Steven Adama from Western Zone is to serve as Secretary.

Other members of the facts finding committee include: Madam Primerose Kpokposei (Central), Welman Warri (Central), Andrew Igere (Western) and Chief Frank Akiefa (Western).

Others are: Athanasius Eneyo, Soye B. Ngiangia and Amakiri all of Eastern Zone.
The facts finding committee was given three weeks to submit its report to the House.

By Ebi Perekeme