Stop delay empty promises; we need implementation of dialogue, IYC Tells FG

WARRI- The Ijaw youths council (IYC) world-wide has berated federal government of endless promises. But said Ijaw youths want implementation of dialogue between federal Government and people of Niger Delta region.

National factional leader of the Ijaw youths council under Mr. Eric Omare made this disclosure today (Monday) in an electronic message sent to Daily Watch, said ‘‘The attention of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has been drawn to a statement issued by the presidential amnesty office arising from a meeting between General Paul Boroh, Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty programme and Chief Edwin Clark on Sunday November 5, 2017 in Abuja wherein General Boroh promised that the federal government would immediately start dialogue with the Niger Delta people. However, the IYC wishes to react as follows:

‘‘That what the people of the Niger Delta want is not endless dialogues on how to resolve the Niger Delta question but implementation of the promises made to the region by the federal government.

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‘‘The federal government does not need dialogue to release fund for the Maritime University, Okerenkoko to take-off, clean-up Ogoni and other parts of the Niger Delta region that have been massively polluted, relocate headquarters of multinational oil companies to the Niger Delta region as promised, complete the east west road and other key developmental projects, give stake to Niger Deltans in the oil and gas industry and above all restructure Nigeria along the line of federalism to guarantee resource control.

‘‘The demands of the Niger Delta people are well documented and do not require further dialogue. The IYC is of the strong view that the only issue that requires dialogue with government is that of restructuring of the country and the issue of restructuring is not peculiar to the Niger Delta region, but affects the whole of Nigeria.

IYC National factional leader noted that it vehemently opposed endless dialogue with Niger Delta people which are a tactics by the federal government to divert attention from the issues that needed to be addressed. What the Niger Delta people want is implementation of previous promises made by government and not further dialogue to divert attention and deceive Niger Deltans.

‘‘We strongly advise Niger Delta leaders not to be deceived by the antics of federal government to dialogue without implementation of promises. What we need now is action and not talks’’ he said.