Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has distanced itself the endorsement of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Kombowei Benson, for the Federal House of Representatives seat, ahead of the 2019 elections.
The group, which stated that it is a pressure group and not a political association, admitted that some of its members were invited for a meeting with the Bayelsa Speaker on his aspiration to represent the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency declared that the outcome of the meeting was not an endorsement of Hon. Konbowei Benson’s ambition.
The IYC Chairman, in a statement issued, in Yenagoa, stated that the IYC remains apolitical. The group maintained that the endorsement of any candidate from any of the political parties would take into cognizance the general interest of Ijaw youths.
The statement, which was signed by the Chairman (Southern Ijaw IYC), Comrade Abule Titus, the Secretary, Comrade Bestman Anki, Convener IYC Chairmen Forum, Elder Rawlings Ezetu and representative of the Stakeholder, Korubo Kockman, disclosed that Konbowei invited the youths for the meeting to solicit their support.
READ ALSO: 40 mourners, market women feared dead in Benue boat mishap
The statement read in part, “As leaders, we outlined the above obvious in the meeting, why the Yenagoa, Oporoma and Ukubie road has not been included in the yearly budget under his watch as the Hon. Speaker for the past seven years, whereas the Sagbama and Ekeremor road is near completion.
“Finally, therefore, it beats our imagination for the purported endorsement. We the IYC clan chairmen and critical stakeholders condemn in its entirety the said purported factious news.
“We humbly plead with all Ijaw youths from southern Ijaw to vote for credibility, competency and visionary leaders that will create job opportunities for our teeming youths, create empowerment programmes for women and youths, payment of scholarship for our students and operate open door policies.
“In the light of the above, the body dissociate self from such fallacious, ill intended and politically motivated endorsement as it is capable of causing mayhem and disunity amongst the youths of the LGA and the body further exhort youths not to be used as political stooges for selfish politicians that it is time for youths to be progressive in the mind”.
