IYC Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plans To Sack, Demote N’Deltans In NIMASA

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has raised the alarm over alleged continuous persecution, discriminatory treatment and threat to sack and demote staffs of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) of Niger Delta origin by the Board of the agency led by Retired General India Garba.

The group warned that such an action would pose grave danger to the relative peace and security in the Niger Delta region.

IYC’s factional President, Eric Omare, a lawyer said that since the assumption of office of President Buhari; people of Niger Delta origin who were recruited into NIMASA during the tenure of President Goodluck Jonathan with Mr. Patrick Akpobolakaemi as Director General of the agency have been under constant threat of sack and all sorts of discriminatory treatments.

In a statement, Omare said, “The threats have reached crescendo under the board of the agency under Retired General India Garba who have now resolved to massively sack and demote most NIMASA staffs of Niger Delta origin under the guise of proper placement.

“The IYC in the strongest terms condemn this unconstitutional, discriminatory and unpatriotic plan of the General India Garba’s led board of NIMASA. We state that NIMASA is not the property of a section of the country to control as indigenes of Niger Delta origin; just like other Nigerians have equal right to be recruited into the agency and therefore should not be subjected to discriminatory treatments.

“The mentality that NIMASA is the exclusive preserve of some sections of the country must stop. If there must be any proper placement of NIMASA staffs, it must apply to all staffs of the agency and not people from Niger Delta alone.

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“It is the height of arrogance and extremely provocative for some privilege persons in the Buhari government to think that NIMASA is their exclusive agency to control when substantially part of the activities and resources of NIMASA are generated from the Niger Delta region. And in any case, Niger Deltans are part and parcel of Nigerian; hence should be given equal access to be employed and work in national institutions like NIMASA.

” It is important to note that the NIMASA board is putting pressure on the DG of NIMASA to effect the sack and demotion despite directive by the Senate Committee on maritime matters to stop the action.

“Consequently, the IYC wishes to warn the General India Garba’s led NIMASA board to immediately stop the planned massive sack and demotion of staffs of Niger Delta origin so as not to breach the fragile peace in the region. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call General India Garba (Rtd) led NIMASA board to order to avoid unnecessary tension and crisis in the Niger Delta region”.

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