Posted by By Emmanuel Aziken on
THE Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) is to spearhead a series of mass rallies in Abuja and the Niger Delta region from next month to articulate the imperative of resource control in alleviating the deprivations of the people of the oil rich region.
ABUJA - THE Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) is to spearhead a series of mass rallies in Abuja and the Niger Delta region from next month to articulate the imperative of resource control in alleviating the deprivations of the people of the oil rich region.
In a statement, Mr. Peter Ajube, spokesman of the IYC, said the rallies were to consolidate the gains arising from the seven-day fasting and prayer sessions of last July, and were to remind the federal government of the continuing deprivation of the oil rich region.
While appealing for the cooperation of the governors of the states in the zone, the group said it envisaged a peaceful conduct during the mass rallies that will commence in mid September.
"The proposed mass rally by the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide is to further demonstrate to the entire world the impeccable desire of Ijaw people and the other Niger Delta ethnic nationalities to own and control their God-given natural resources for the rapid socio-economic and infrastructural development as well as environmental protection, shall commence mid September 2005."
"This is in view of strategic steps to avoid break down of law and other during the non-violent rally," the group announced.
"The strategically planned non-violent rally through the Niger Delta region might first commence from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in a very civilized manner, to also justify that the Niger Delta people are not violent,but peace loving and civilized despite the long neglect by federal government for close to fifty years."
"The fundamental objective of the mass rally is to continually inform or remind the Federal Government of Nigeria that the people of Niger Delta are dying as a result of socio and environmental injustice. The agitation for true federalism, resource control and other areas of human development by the Ijaw people and rest other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta region are not selfish but are for the betterment of the people of the region whose God- given natural resources have been sustaining both the economy and unity of the Nigerian state for over 45 years.
"The council is calling on well meaning Niger Deltans to support the proposed non-violent mass rally. We also call on all Niger Delta state governors who have genuine interest towards the agitation for resource control to support the rally."