Following recent happenings around the nation, youths of Ijaw extraction through the leadership of its umbrella youth body, the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, says it has commenced a wide range consultation on the way forward for its race.
Speaking with journalists after a consultative meeting with stakeholders at the weekend in Yenagoa, the President, Ijaw Youths Council (World Wide), Mr Peter Igbifa condemned what he described as the militarisation of Ijaw land by the Federal Government.
He said while natural resources from Ijaw land were milked away by the Federal Government for the benefit of other ethnic nationalities, the people of the land were left to go cap in hand for their survival.
Igbifa warned that if after the congress was done with its ongoing consultations with stakeholders and issues concerning marginalisation, oppression and others as it affects the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta were not still addressed, the IYC may resort into calling the Ijaw nation to take its destiny into their hands.
According to the President, the Federal Government gave Zamfara State the leave to mine and trade the bulk of gold deposited by nature on its land alone.
the Ijaw people in uniformity with other stakeholders from the Niger Delta too may also be toeing same part as the northern state in dealing with its oil and other resources deposited by nature on its land.
Igbifa noted that other issues of national concern to the IYC were those of restructuring, devolution of power, amongst others.
The Consultative meeting had in attendance both serving and former leaders of the IYC and several other critical stakeholders of Ijaw nation spreading across its three zones.
Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council has hinted The Tide sources that in about a fortnight it would be issuing a communique on its resolution regarding the state of the nation as it affects the Ijaw people.
