IIA Knocks Itsekiri Nation Hard Over Comment On Niger Delta Amnesty Office – The Liberator 

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By Binebai Princewill
The national leadership of a pro Ijaw group in the Niger Delta region, operating under the auspices of Ijaw Interest Advocates (IIA), popularly known as the Izanzan Intellectual Camp has knocked the Itsekiri nation hard, particularly its apex youth body, the National Itsekiri Youth Council (NIYC) over comment on the Niger Delta Amnesty office.
The Izanzan Intellectual Camp particularly warned NIYC not to ever make any attempt to whatever authorities with a view of making case produce the next Presidential Amnesty Programme coordinator.
The group did not only described the letter authored by the said Itsekiri youths as provocative but also an insult to the Ijaw nation, wondering by saying “where were the Itsekiris when the battle was on.”
IIA made their position known to Nigerians via a statement issued to newsmen in Warri recently, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspaper, signed by its national coordinator, Amb. Salaco Yerinmene Snr.
Amb. Salaco maintained that the simplicity and consideration of the Ijaws towards the Itsekiris by giving giving them some slots to benefit from the programme should not be taken for granted.
He further explained that the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme is a product of the Ijaw struggle, adding that it should not be disputed that any other tribe should not begin to argue with them on what ethnic group should produce the next amnesty boss, stressing that it will continue to be the rights of Ijaws to produce the coordinator for as long as the programme exists.
The statement reads in full below:

PAP COORDINATOR: WHERE WERE THE ITSEKIRI’S WHEN THE STRUGGLE WAS ON, ARE THEY NOT SAME PEOPLE THAT SAID THEY ARE NOT CRIMINALS LIKE IJAW PEOPLE? – IzanzanCamp

We had repeatedly read through an open letter send to President Buhari published in national dailies signed by the leadership of the National Itsekiri Youth Council (NIYC) and understood the visible styles and intentions of the Itsekiri youth body of “bamboos dey work monkey de shop”.

Ordinarily we ought not to respond to the backyard cries of the Itsekiri youth body but for the sake of emphasis, we deem it fit to respond considering the fact that Ijaw people had be severely deprived from their right persistently since the existence of President Buhari lead Nigeria federal government.

It wonders us to see and know that the Itsekiri youths are coming out to bid for position and office they never worked for and how soon they forget the betrayal measures they took against the Ijaw people when the struggle was on. We are also amazed how soon they forget that it was as a sequel of the struggle the programme was initiated by the late former President, Ahlaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

If we may ask “Where Were the Nationa Itsekiri Youth Council When the Struggle Was On”, are they not same people that said they are not criminals like Ijaw people so they refused to partake in the amnesty programs? So how how come they suddenly wants to be criminals?

It is the best Interest for our sister tribe; Itsekiri youth body and her leadership and members to know that Ijaw people are not fouls that will work and sacrifice their lives and properties for them to come an benefit. The peaceful and considerate nature of Ijaw people should not be taken for granted.

It is an establish fact that the inclusion of the Itsekiri youth council in the presidential amnesty program was as a result of the consideration of the Ijaw people and intervention of the former coordinator of the program, Hon. Kingsley Kuku therefore that kind gesture shall not give the Itsekiri youth body the prerogative right to bid to man the program.

We are by this press statement calling on the leadership of the NIYC to render an unreserve apology to the Ijaw Nation for outrightly using derogatory wordings on our most respected national leader, Major Mujahid Asari Dokubor and trying to push Ijaw people to the wall despite being knowledgeable of the fact that “Amnesty” simply means pardon given to large group of people that were against the state of which only the Ijaw’s were involved in the Niger Delta. So how come it now becomes a Niger delta or oil production quota issue. The tsekiris, and every other ethnic group were against ijaw people so they cannot benefit for it.

On the part of the analysis given in their open letter how the Ijaw people are barkanized to different state in the contemporary Nigeria State and oil production by quantum, we implore the the NIYC leadership to go back to history and the record books of oil production quantum in NNPC as the informations stated in their so called letter are all false therefore presidency should never for any reason take them serous as they don’t mean well for Ijaw Nation.

To us as Ijaw people and as an intellectual we see the Itsekiri as our blood sister tribe therefore we will never embrace anything that will Instigate ethnicity crises so we also expect from the National Itsekiri youth council.

On a final note, to maintain the already establish peace in the Niger Delta region and increase in oil production per day, president Buhari should utterly ignore the backyard cries of the Itsekiri youth council and do the proper thing by appointing Delta Ijaw man as the next coordinator of the presidential amnesty program.

Signed for IIA; Izanzan Intellectual Camp

Amb. Arerebo Salaco Yerinmene Snr

(National Coordinator)

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