Port Harcourt, July 10, 2024 – The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has called for the immediate arrest of individuals impersonating its leadership and undermining the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). This comes in response to a viral video in which Bedford Berefa falsely claimed to represent the IYC while criticizing the NDDC’s management under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.
During a press briefing after an emergency meeting held in Port Harcourt on Tuesday morning, the IYC’s 9th leadership, along with zonal, chapter, parliamentary, and critical council stakeholders, made several decisions. Reading the statement to the press, Amb. Binebai Yerin Princewill, Spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, said:
“The attention of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has been drawn to a video circulating on social media credited to one Bedford Berefa who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the Ijaw Youth Council wherein he was seen expressing concerns about the management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) led by Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.
“The 9th leadership of the IYC met in Port Harcourt yesterday on the 9th of July 2024 with Zonal, Chapter, parliament and critical stakeholders of council where the following decisions were reached.
“While the Ijaw Youth Council has been peaceful, we are using this medium to call on security agencies to arrest this frustrated dissident elements that are impersonating the 9th NEC of Council. For the records, there is only one leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide which is under the firm and purposeful leadership of Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr.
“The IYC is aware that these group of Impersonators tries to secure invitation to be part of the Niger Delta Stakeholders summit proposed by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku as the 9th leadership of the IYC Worldwide but the commission did the right thing by turning them down by letting them know that there is only one IYC under the leadership of Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr. Obviously angered by such development, they took to the social media to get attention by trying to blackmail the NDDC under Ogbuku.
“With the dismissal of the Interlocutory injunction on July 2nd 2024 by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt against Theophilous Alaye, Bedford Berefa, Chief Frank Akiefa and others in favour of the Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr led Exco, one would have expected these dissident elements to give up with their retrogressive activities but instead they have continued with their stomach and selfish arrangements of blackmailing our highly respected leader Dr. Sam Ogbuku who is passionate about the development of the Niger Delta region.
“However, we are reporting these group of impersonators to security agencies because as a responsible organisation, we don’t want to take the laws into our hands hence we are calling on security agencies to get these group of persons arrested.
“As a council, we are running out of patience already on how long we will continue to tolerate these group of persons. If you want to speak as an individual you have the right to speak for yourself and not using the name of IYC because there is a leadership in Ijaw Youth Council, you are not holding any position in Council both from Clan, Parliament, Zone, Chapter and the National hence you people are not known in Council as members nor leaders.
“Therefore, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has agreed to set up a disciplinary committee to deal decisively with such frustrated dissident elements. The policy of containment will be fully implemented against those who tries to toil with Ijaw nation henceforth. We are reemphasing that the IYC will no longer accept any form of impersonation from any quarter as there is going to be consequences for such actions going forward. To be forearmed is to be forewarned. Relatives of these group of impersonators should call their children to order.
“That Dr. Samuel Ogbuku is one of the finest MD we have had since the existence of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and as a proud product of Council, Ogbuku is doing well and we are very proud of him. We are also calling on our erudite MD of NDDC not to be distracted by the gimmicks of these frustrated elements but rather continue with his good works.
“The Niger Delta Stakeholders Summit championed by the NDDC is long overdue and a welcome development that should be supported by all right thinking Niger Deltans.
“Finally, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide haven critically followed the activities of the NDDC under Ogbuku, we are passing a vote of confidence on Dr. Samuel Ogbuku led NDDC, he concluded.
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