IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL, IYC Worldwide

                                                                                                 June 2, 2016

The attention of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide has been drawn to a Press Statement issued yesterday being Wednesday 1st June, 2016 by the suspended Spokesman of Council, Mr Eric Omare.

In the said Press Statement Mr. Eric Omare accused Ayirimi Emami for interfering and also sponsoring some members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the IYC to cause disunity among Ijaw people. He said he his hasty conclusion was based on phone calls himself and the suspended President, Udengs Eradiri received from some journalists who called to inform them that Ayirimi Emami is pressurizing them to publish the suspension letter of Udengs Eradiri and himself Eric Omare. He went further to say that Ayirimi Emami's gesture was due to the inability of the National Officers to pay for the said publications.

Based on the above, we wish to state categorically that there is no iota of truth in the said Press Statement which is a calculated attempt to rubbish and also bring the name of the innocent man to disrepute and to further worsen the frosty relationship between Ijaw people and our Itsekiri brothers. We also wish to state that the divisive and deceptive Press Statement is a ploy to attract unmerited sympathy from unsuspecting members of the public haven lost confidence and support of Ijaw people who have long discovered the ulterior motive and anti-people agenda of the duo.

For record purposes, no member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of IYC has any link or connection with the said Ayirimi Emami. As a matter of fact some of us only had opportunity to meet Ayirimi Emami informally at his Night Club at Warri, sometime in 2014 when we had IYC National Expanded Executive Council meeting.

It was the same Udengs Eradiri that asked us to accompany him to meet his then bosom friend and highest benefactor, Ayirimi Emami. A close associate and confidant of Udengs Eradiri disclosed that his feud and grouse with Ayirimi Emami was as a result of job in Chevron Nig Ltd he wanted desperately, but he lost because the people he fronted for never met the conditions and criteria.

He went further to say that Udengs Eradiri's desperation to get pipeline surveillance job and his quest to act as Chief Negotiator between the people of the Niger Delta and the federal government has turned everybody Niger Delta leader to his enemies.

Now, it is imperative to ask Udengs Eradiri these pertinent questions: first, does Udengs Eradiri and Eric Omare alone have the capacity to bring about peace in Niger Delta region?

Secondly, why did Udengs Eradiri and Eric Omare not inform and also invite the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) which is our parent body and other founding fathers of the IYC who made immeasurable and invaluable sacrifices to build the IYC to her enviable position?

Finally, why did he excluded other National Executive Council (NEC) members from the planning and implementation of the above programme and why did he deliberately refused to acknowledge, introduce or invite the only two national officers of Council, Comrade Razak William, the National Deputy President and Comrade George Deinkoru, the National Assistant Secretary General who were present at the programme to the hightable while he flooded the high table with his aides, friends and associates?

All well meaning Ijaw people know the antics of Udengs Eradiri whose emergence as IYC President has inflicted untold pains on Ijaw people. This is somebody who met a united Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) but has succeeded in dividing Ijaw youths against themselves in furthrance of the promotion of his selfish ambition of becoming the Governor of Bayelsa State in 2020 by all means.

How can somebody who claim to be fighting Ijaw cause describe a section of Ijaw people as core-Ijaw and others as non - core Ijaw people?

How can somebody who claims to be fighting Ijaw cause hate and also see some of his fellow Ijaw brothers as enemies of the Ijaw Nation simply because of their political affiliation, alliance or ideology?

How can somebody who claim to be fighting Ijaw cause bar pure water, bread, fish and other essential food items that are supplied by his fellow Ijaw people from entering Bayelsa State from neighbouring States because of his greed and in the process caused untold hardship on Bayelsans and other residents?

WHICH IJAW YOUTH IS MORE GREEDY THAN UDENGS ERADIRI?

Udengs Eradiri was an average Ijaw youth who was struggling to survive when he became President of IYC but today, he owns duplexes in America and South Africa in choice areas at the expense of Ijaw youths. Today Udengs Eradiri travels with private jets and in other cases business class all over the world while Ijaw youths are dying of hunger.

While Udengs Eradiri gives recommendation letters to non - Ijaw people for big contracts in various ministries and companies, the same Udengs Eradiri denies Ijaw youths whenever companies and other corporate bodies call him to ask confirm whether he knows such youths. Countless Ijaw youths have recounted such ordeals in businesses that would have changed their fortunes and those of their loved ones.

There are a lot of instances where Udengs Eradiri went with Eric Omare and other non-Ijaw people in the name of IYC to ministries, parastatals, companies and other notable places to get contracts and other great favours.

Beside our courtesy visit to the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Udengs Eradiri have never taken members of the National Executive Council (NEC) to any other office since we came into office in 2013, while he is busy moving round everywhere collecting hundreds of millions in the name of IYC. Can Udengs Eradiri account for the hundreds of millions of Naira he collected in the name of IYC before, during and after the 2015 general elections? Can he also account for the Three Thousand (#3,000.00) membership dues he collected from over ten thousand Ijaw youths? We want Udengs Eradiri to tell Ijaw youths how he spent their hard earned money.

We are not surprised at the current blackmail and campaign of calumny against his estranged friend, Ayirimi Emami. Who is Ayirimi Emami that Udengs Eradiri will not antagonize, if he can turn around to abuse, rubbish and insult Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, the Governor of Bayelsa State who almost sacrificed everything he had and in the process received all sorts of insults just to make Udengs Eradiri the President of IYC? 

Who is Ayirimi Emami, if Udengs Eradiri can see Chief Timipre Sylva who made him to build his mansion in Yenagoa as devil?

Who is Ayirimi Emami, if Udengs Eradiri can abuse late Chief D.S.P Alamieyeseigha, former President Goodluck Jonathan who has suddenly become his adopted father and other great Ijaw leaders?

Why will the false ambition and dream of becoming the contemporary hero of the Ijaw Nation and the Niger Delta make Udengs Eradiri to forget where he is coming from?

Late Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro, the symbol of the contemporary Niger Delta struggle sold the few properties he had to travel round the country and to some West African countries to call the attention of the world to the plights and sufferings of the Ijaw people. Boro promoted love, peace, oneness and unity among Ijaw people.

Boro sacrificed his comfort and went to live with his lieutenants in the bush. Boro sacrificed his life so that Ijaw people and the entire Niger Delta can breathe air of freedom. Boro never traded with the Ijaw struggle.

Is there any Ijaw man who is not aware that Udengs Eradiri is only shouting because of the settlement he expects from the federal government?

Which real leader will buy houses in America, South Africa and other cities with fleet of cars and long convoy he acquired within these two years of his IYC Presidency, while his other National Executive Council (NEC) members and followers cannot afford even second class cars. Who is Udengs Eradiri trying to deceive?

UDENGS ERADIRI'S PDP AND APC CRY

To the best of our ability his cry and accusation of APC sponsorship of his suspension alongside Eric Omare is a calculated attempt to cause more sentiments and divisions among Ijaw people, otherwise we are first born as Ijaw people before our membership of any political party according to our various interests.

To set the record straight, the current crisis is a pure internal affair. It has nothing to do with any political party.

Four among the five (5) National Executive members with exception of Comrade George Deinkoru, the National Assistant Secretary General who later chickened out and went around claiming that his signature was forged, rest are people with Pro-PDP stance.

For instance, Felicia Reginald Ngeri, the National Women Leader was a member of the Rivers State PDP Transition Committee that took care of Governor Nyesom Wike's swearing-In. Comrade Alfred Kemepado Nimizigha, the National Financial Secretary is the current Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Bayelsa State on Public Affairs. Barr. Ekine Egbelekro, the National Legal Adviser contested the Rivers State House of Assembly under PDP.

While Comrade (Engr.) Bristol Emmanuel Alagbariya, the National Secretary General was a strong member of the Wike Campaign Team. He was seen everywhere with Chief Wike throughout the campaign. So, let Udengs Eradiri and Eric Omare tell Ijaw Nation how these national officers suddenly became APC members.

Whereas in actual sense it was Udengs Eradiri who was fraternizing with same people he wants to incite the Ijaw Nation against. His anger against APC is because he was not given the attention he wanted when he was scheming seriously to occupy strategic position in the current government.

As members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of IYC and true sons and daughter of the Ijaw Nation, we swore to an oath to put the interest of the Ijaw Nation above our personal interests and this has remained our unwavering and uncompromising stance in our day to day service to the Ijaw Nation.

As enlightened and educated youth leaders we can never support the relocation of the Nigerian Maritime University at Okerenkoko or any federal government institution or agency sited in Ijaw land because we know the overwhelming positive impacts of such projects on the economy and lives of our people who are in dire need of development.

Finally, we wish to appeal to our youths to remain calm, peaceful and law abiding even in the midst of the prevalent unwarranted and provocative invasion of Ijaw communities by the Nigerian Military, while using same medium to appeal to the Federal Government to implore dialogue through engagement of all critical stakeholders on the way forward to ensuring peace and rapid development of the neglected and very underdeveloped Niger Delta region.

This is very important for both the government and the people of the Niger Delta region. Late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua tried it and it worked very well and former President Goodluck Jonathan further strengthened it and we believe that dialogue remains the best option in the present circumstances.

In the main time, the President, Udengs Eradiri, Spokesman as well as Eric Omare remain suspended. We shall inform members of the public in due course.

Haa Izon! 

Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli
National Director of Mobilization & Chairman, Action Committee
IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL (IYC) WORLDWIDE

×