Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, has called on the Federal Government to implement the original master plan for the development of the Niger Delta region.
The group made the call on Monday after a maiden meeting of the 8th Executive Council presided over by the IYC National President, Mr Peter Igbifa, at Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.
Secretary General, IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, who briefed journalists on the resolutions taken at the meeting, frowned seriously on the unnecessary accusations and counter-accusations currently going on between the National Assembly and the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission.
He said the council had decided to embark on a fact-finding mission to the National Assembly and the IMC independently to ascertain the root causes of the crisis rocking the NDDC and make recommendations after due consultations with stakeholders from the region.
Ekerefe said, “Council calls on President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency appoint a substantive Special Adviser/Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty programme and as well begin the implementation of the remaining legs of the programme.”
He added that the council had set up a seven-man post-election committee headed by the deputy president of IYC, Saviour Olali, to reconcile aggrieved members of the council.
He said the IYC would carry every Ijaw youth along to move the Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta region forward.