ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, have restated their earlier stand that only a restructured Nigeria can save the nation from its multifaceted challenges.
The IYC made the call in a statement felicitating with Nigerians on the occasion of the 61st Independence anniversary and Bayelsa State at 25th.
It called on the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to rewrite history by reverting to true federalism, saying that it was the only way to guarantee sustained peace in the country.
A statement by spokesperson for IYC, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, stressed that Nigeria was currently bedeviled with division, ethnic crisis, inequality and injustice due to the perceived lopsided structure of the government at the centre.
While highlighting some of the steps that would change the narratives and calm frayed nerves, Ekerefe called on the Federal Government to direct all International Oil Companies (IOCs) to relocate their operating headquarters to their respective bases in the Niger Delta.
He said the action would resolve some of the agitations of the Southsouth geopolitical zone and positively impact the internally generated revenues (IGR) of the states.
He said: “The IYC congratulates the Bayelsa State Government and the people for witnessing the 25th anniversary of the state creation under the leadership of Senator Douye Diri.
“We note that at 25, the homogeneous Ijaw speaking state has come a long way and overcome numerous challenges in the course of achieving the dreams and aspirations of its founding fathers.”
He called on well-meaning Bayelsans at home and in the diaspora to join hands with the present administration to drive home the needed developmental programmes and policies that would place the state in the comity of economically advanced societies.
Ekerefe encouraged Governor Diri not to relent in his prosperity agenda, which he claimed was already yielding results in the area of award of contracts and most especially the commencement of commercial flight at the state-owned international airport.
“We want to add that a prosperous state is only possible where peace and harmony reign supreme. We, therefore, call on all stakeholders, irrespective of political interests and ideologies, to work together for the growth and development of the state,” he urged.