Crack In IYC Over Plot To Abort Protest Against Lack Of Substantive NDDC Board

An alleged plot to abort the protests against failure of President Buhari to inaugurate a substantive board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), have triggered division among executive members of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC).

BIGPENNGR gathered that the executive members of IYC led by its National President, Peter Igbifa are now divided over the protest which enters day three on Friday.

It was gathered that while the IYC’s National President, Igbifa wants the protest and mass action to continue until their agitations are met, his national Deputy President, Saviour Olali and its spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe, on Friday issued a counter statement calling for the suspension of the protest.

The development, sources said is causing fresh crisis in IYCe with the two factions springing up.

A press statement signed by the national deputy president and the spokesman, said the resolve to suspend the protest was as a result of meeting with critical stakeholders in the region.

At the expiration of this ultimatum, the planned protest was effectively carried out across the region but Ekerefe in the statement said IYC leadership was satisfied with the level of compliance of its members in all the clans and zones across the region, contrary to the call for the continuation of the protest by Igbifa, the national President.

“After thorough examination of the progress made so far and in due consultation with critical stakeholders across the entire Ijaw Nation and especially with the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (I.N.C), Council hereby directs the suspension of the 3-day long protest with effect from 5pm today, Friday 28th May, 2021.

“The leadership of Council at the Zonal chapters and Clan levels are hereby informed to act accordingly and await further directives on the way forward”, Ekerefe statement reads.

But in a swift reaction, the organizers of the Occupy Niger Delta Protest (ONDP), lambasted the Spokesperson, Ebilade Ekerefe, for attempting to call off the ongoing protest against the refusal of the Federal Government to inaugurate a substantive board for the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The lead Coordinator of ONDP, Kennedy Olorogun, said Ekerefe’s statement asking protesters to stop the ongoing action at 5pm on Friday was unfortunate, irresponsible and disappointing.

Olorogun said Ekerefe was labouring very hard to justify the selfish agreement he and a few executive members of the IYC reached with their paymaster in their recent Abuja outing against the collective interest and decision of the Niger Delta people.

He said Ekerefe lacked the powers to call off the protest adding that such mandate could only be exercised by the President of Council, Peter Timothy Igbifa.

Olorogun commended all the Niger Delta youths in Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Delta states for remaining resolute and refusing to compromise the ongoing protest.

Olorogun said: “The President of the IYC, Deacon Peter Timothy Igbifa, called for this protest and all our youths in the Niger Delta obeyed and came out to participate in it. It is only our President Igbifa that has the authority to call off. Until he does that the protest will continue

“We call on all our indefatigable youths to keep up the momentum and disregard the selfish statement emanating from the IYC Spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe that the action should be suspended.

“Ekerefe has never been part of this protest. When it started, he and his co-travellers were in Abuja hobnobbing with their paymasters and having cashed out they have come to implement the agreement they reached with their paymasters on sabotaging our protest”.

Olorogun said the IYC President had directed that in the midst of the protest, a stakeholders’ meeting would be convened at Oporoza in Delta State to decide the way forward.

“All we are asking is the inauguration of a substantive board for the NDDC. The time is now and until that board is inaugurated we will not vacate the streets and roads of the Niger Delta. The likes of Ekerefe, who prefers pittance to sustainable development cannot be a clog in our wheel of progress”.

It will be recalled that the IYC gave the Federal Government 30-days ultimatum to reconstitute the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (N.D.D.C) or face the risk of total shut down of Federal Government activities in the Niger Delta.