From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has given the Federal Government a one-month ultimatum to constitute the substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
The IYC national president, Timothy Igbifa, who disclosed this after an expanded meeting of stakeholders and leaders said the ultimatum is among five other demands presented to the Federal Government.
He noted that failure of the government to listen to Ijaw youths would leave IYC with no other choice than shut down oil activities in the Niger Delta region.
“The Ijaw youth council in its executive and stakeholder meeting today at the Presidential Hotel have given the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari one month notice. Within this one month, it is expected that Mr President, will do the needful to inaugurate the board and let us see how the board in our region will not function properly anymore. If there is no positive response, we shall take action. We will shut down the entire region if there is no action from Mr President within the time frame we have given him there is no compromise,” he said Igbifa attributed increased cases of armed attacks and killings in some parts of the country to the refusal of the Federal Government to do the needful by addressing causes of agitations of needs of the regions.
According to him cases of insecurity will drop to the lowest ebb if the Federal Government does not allow the regions to agitate before being provided basic amenities and equity infrastructural development.
He advised President Muhammadu Buhari is to address those agitations presented by the troubled region to quell tension in the country.
” To solve these cases of rising insecurity in some parts of the country is very simple. Mr. President should not allow region to agitate for everything they ought to have.
“Anything that is due them don’t allow them agitate for it those are the things that bring in insecurity. If they do not agitate and you duly give them there will be no insecurity now that the region is very peaceful the president must do the needful on NDDC, on Amnesty and every federal sector in the region. The president must be very proactive and timely then there will be no issues.”