*Says there is no dialogue taking place, Gvt. only buying time to invade our communities.
*Ijaws are like Jesus Christ, spilling their bloods for others to benefit
*Says restructuring of the Nigerian State remains the most viable option.
THE President of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide Engr. Udengs Eradiri have accused the Federal Government of having a sinister motive for the deployment of military troops to the Niger Delta region in what he described as a possible retaliation to the region.
Disclosing this to Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper during an interview, Engr. Eradiri stressed that the deployment of military personnel in the guise of operation crocodile smile best serve a sinister agenda on the part of Government to take revenge on Niger Delta region for what former President Jonathan deed to the Boko Haram sect in the North East during his reign as President.
According to him, the scale with which the military is being deployed and the heavy movement of weapons is not only irresponsible but a declaration of War on the region while also frowning at the brazen muteness on the government in addressing the Niger Delta issues through dialogue, emphasising that the government is never serious for the alleged dialogue while noting that its only Niger Deltans that are clamoring and arguing for negotiation.
On who is to lead the Niger Delta team to dialogue with the federal government, the IYC boss noted that the he speaks only for the Ijaws and not for the entire region pointing out that Niger Delta have leaders and that should the government be ready to dialogue every ethnic group will nominate its representatives.
Stressing further, Comr. Udengs maintains that it was unfair for other ethnic nationalities to be attacking Ijaws on issues bothering on the Niger Delta region instead he described the Ijaw man as one that does not condone oppression while reiterating that the Ijaws have fought so hard to bring about the tangible benefits in the region, he particularly noted that it was the continued struggle of the Ijaws that have brought about “NDDC, OMPADEC, Amnesty, States creation, Presidency, etc hence the Ijaws deserve to be respected ” he noted.
On his dream Nigeria, the IYC President stated that the restructuring of the country to allows for every region in controlling its resources remains the most viable option in stabilizing the country.
In his capacity as the leader of the Ijaw Youths Worldwide, he seriously advocated in tackling the Niger Delta issues through non violence, he however, discountenance any atom of violence in the struggle while explaining that there is no more room for criminals to hide under the umbrella of the struggle to perpetuate all sorts of evil. Eradiri warns such alleged fellows to desist as he vows not to allow such act flourish.
“Firstly you know it’s governments responsibility to maintain law and order in which ever guise or name they call it but I think the scale at which it is being done shows there is something sinister about this said operation. The issues raised by Niger Delta people , government have not taken any step towards resolution but quick and hasty to deploy troops is not only irresponsible but a grand design to humiliate Niger Delta moreso military deployment of this magnitude is a declaration of war against people you are supposed to govern
“Can’t you see that it’s we who are talking about dialogue , setting up negotiation teams and arguing over ourselves? Have you heard Buhari push for dialogue instead he is threatening fire, so Ijaw people should read body language and stop playing to gallery. You can’t be negotiating and military is mobilizing the most sophisticated weapons to the region and blocking our rivers and molesting our people . Government is not serious they want to retaliate what the military did under Goodluck Jonathon in the North East
“I am speaking for the Ijaws and not the entire region, every ethnic group should nominate their Representatives because I know Niger Delta people don’t lack leadership. There are Governors , Reps , Kings, Chiefs , Youth leaders and stakeholders just as Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo during the coastal meetings brought everyone under one roof in the villa and got results” he observed.
He added “Ijaws have leaders and we must learn to respect leadership , not because of negotiations everybody is now a leader, Ijaws are not speaking for them we are just a people who standup against oppression in fact they are disrespectful to us, Ijaws deserve to be respected because all benefits that have accrued to the region is attributed to Ijaws, they are NDDC, OMPADEC, Amnesty, States creation, Presidency, etc. Ijaws are the Jesus Christ who spill their bloods for others to chop.
“We (Niger Delta) are not united and never will be, it has always been like this but at any point in time a few people will stand up and that’s always the history ; can’t you see, Jesus had 12 disciples there was a Judas so imagine how many judas we will have in millions?
“There is no dialogue , government is only buying time and this will allow for people to sell information in order to invade communities. The solution for us is constant advocacy both home and abroad cos right now we lost power and Buhari is willing to use it and the world will look elsewhere just as they are doing in Syria.
“You see we (Ijaw Youth Council) are very active and doing the best we can legally just as some Ijaw youths have volunteered to betray our people but like I said its expected as we will overcome it.
“Nonviolence the only way, and there are criminal elements using the situation to cause danger for innocent Ijaw communities we must fish those criminals out , example those who killed innocent soldiers in Nembe , Thank God some have been caught . Kidnappers must be exposed there is no more room for our struggle for justice to be commonised by hungry petty thieves. My dream Nigeria is to restructure for us to control our God given economic resources “.
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