Niger Delta Avengers

By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

As intense pressures from the federal authorities mount on the Ijaw communities to fish out members of the Niger Delta Avengers sabotaging the oil pipelines, there is now visible crack in the leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide.

Recently some members of IYC announced the suspension of its National President, Udeng Eradiri and Spokesman, Barrister Eric Omare. The two leaders have been advocating that the FG should negotiate with the Niger Delta Avengers, while the others are claiming it has not been the general consensus.

However, in a counter reaction, IYC issued another statement saying the letter was fraudulently prepared by only the National Secretary, Mobilization Officer and National Legal Adviser, Mr. Bristol-Alagbariya Emmanuel, Ekine Egbelekro and Wisdom Ikuli respectively.

The rebuttal of the alleged suspension was contained in a press statement by the IYC Spokesman, Eric Omare and made available to journalists in Warri on Sunday.

Part of the statement reads: “The IYC is a well-structured organization with a Constitution which defines the power of the officers and organs of the organization.

“That the power to suspend or remove officers of the council is the function of the IYC Mobile parliament by Article 10 (B) and (C) of the IYC Constitution after a rigorous investigation procedure.

“On Saturday the 28th of May, 2016, the IYC parliament with power to suspend or remove officers of council at its sitting rejected the purported suspension letter and cautioned the National Secretary, Mr. Bristol Emmanuel, for being disrespectful to Parliament.

“That the said letter with the signature of the Assistant Secretary, Mr. George Deinkoru, was forged. There is a case of forgery against them already before the appropriate authorities.

“That the said officers are moles in the IYC and the Ijaw Nation who are acting the script of external forces who are not comfortable with the hard and principled stand of the President of IYC, Udengs Eradiri and the Spokesman, Eric Omare in defending and protecting the Ijaw interest. These two officers who the IYC constitution empowers to speak on behalf of the Council have consistently defended the Ijaw interest in the face of threat to their lives and intimidation.

“The sponsors of these moles have decided to resort to this approach to polarize the IYC and Ijaw nation in the light of the prevailing situation in the Niger Delta region because they have failed to compromise the President and Spokesman of IYC despite several attempts. Their sponsors are now desperately putting pressure on media houses to publish the purported suspension letter.

“We call on media houses and the general public to disregard the said publication and purported suspension as it did not emanate from appropriate authority.

“We also call on IYC members and the Ijaw nation to be vigilant and check the activities of moles in their midst especially at this trying times. The enemies of the Ijaw Nation at at work and the National Secretary, (Bristol Emmanuel), Mobilisation Officer (Wisdom Ikuli and Legal Adviser (Ekine Egbelekro) are the moles now being used by the enemies of the Ijaw Nation.

“And to nip in the bud the activities of moles in the IYC and the Ijaw nation, there would be a National Congress of the IYC involving Clans, Zonal, parliamentary structures, Ogbos, Elders and other stakeholders on Monday the 30thof May, 2016 at the National Headquarters of the Ijaw Nation, Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.”