NEWS
IYC Says No Celebration Until Maritime Varsity Takeoff Grant Is Release, Calls On Amaechi To Revitalise Niger Delta Port
Foremost Ijaw Youth Council under the leadership of Mr. Eric Omare has said it would not celebrate over the report that the federal government has approved additional fund for the take off of Nigerian Maritime University, Okenrenkoko, Delta State.
BigPen Online recalls that the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru had on Saturday, November 11, 2017 stated in Benin that President Buhari has ordered immediate release of three billion naira for recruitment and provisions of infrastructures for the take-off of the maritime university.
But reacting, Omare said that there is nothing to celebrate yet with respect to the promise to release funds for the take-off of the university.
He spoke over the weekend after a visit to the take-off campus of the Nigerian Maritime University,Kurutie,Gbaramatu and Benneth Island, Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State to address youths and community leaders in the wake of deployment of gun boats and fighters jets to the communities arising from the threat by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to attack oil facilities.
Omare said that as far as the IYC is concerned, there is nothing to celebrate because this is just like previous failed promises on the subject matter.
“The IYC would not celebrate until the money is actually released to the university management, he said.
The group in a statement recalled that Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo at the National Council of Niger Delta meeting at Akure, Ondo State clearly told Niger Deltans and Nigerians that two billion naira has been ‘released’ towards the take-off of the maritime university.
However, up till this moment, not even a dime of that money has been released, IYC lamented.
“The IYC dare to ask whether the one billion naira President Buhari has ordered to be released is part of the two billion Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo said has been released or separate money.
“And if the approved one billion naira is separate, what happened to the earlier two billion naira that was allegedly released.
“The IYC and Niger Deltans deserve a response to these questions, Omare said while addressing Gbaramatu youths at Kurutie.
The statement signed by IYC’s spokesman, Henry Iyala, however, said that despite the federal government poor and unsatisfactorily handling of the take-off of the maritime university, the IYC President called on Niger Delta youths to maintain the peace and give Niger Delta leaders the opportunity to interface with government towards addressing the demands of the Niger Delta people.
Omare said dialogue is the best solution to the resolution of grievances and not attack on oil facilities since the Niger Delta environment and economy are usually the greatest victims of any attack on oil facilities.
The IYC President however condemned the unnecessary harassment of communities in the name of fighting militancy, particularly the recent deployment of gun boats and fighter jets to Benneth Island/Salvation City, Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State, which residents had complained about.
According to him, the deployment of gun boats and fighter jets is not the solution to militancy but to address the economic and environmental problems affecting the people.
Omare recalled with nostalgia that the Benneth Island area used to be a beehive of economic activities when the Warri port was functional as it served as anchor point for vessels waiting to discharge goods and sea going vessels.
The IYC President therefore called on Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi who is from the Niger Delta region to take up the revival of the moribund seaports in the Niger Delta region as a priority.
“The Onne, Calabar, Warri, Koko, Sapele, Burutu and other ports in the Niger Delta, all under the ministry of transportation are just lying fallow while the Apapa port in Lagos is congested especially with the ongoing repairs of the Apapa road.
The IYC leader further stated that it makes no economic sense for multinational oil companies, the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, other companies and individuals in Warri and environs to import their goods and materials through the Apapa port, Lagos and used millions of naira to transport such materials to Warri when it can be easily done through the Warri port and create thousands of jobs for youths towards addressing the problem of militancy.
Omare reminded Amaechi that if as Minister of Transportation, he fails to revived the ports in the Niger Delta; he would go down in history like other Niger Delta leaders that he has been consistently accusing of failing the region.
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