Ijaw Youths Give President Buhari Condition Over Oil Theft

Ijaw youths have given President Buhari conditions concerning his plans to put an end to oil theft.

The Punch reports that the Ijaw youths who are under the aegis of Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, made it known that they are not against the president’s decision to end oil theft but their concerns are the way and manner he plans to get it done. They called on the president to do the needful before populating Niger Delta area with soldiers.

The president of the group, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, said earlier today at a news conference in Yenagoa that the president should first go after the ‘big guns stealing oil in large quantities’.

Eradiri said:“We want to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for his trip abroad. During which, he was able to articulate issues concerning Nigeria’s policies especially the Niger Delta. We must commend him for the way he addressed the world about Nigeria. Truly, he is the pride of Nigeria.

“But while addressing the world, he raised certain issues which we need to make inputs: He talked about the oil theft in the Niger Delta, which we support fully, his approach towards curbing the menace because the stealing of oil is actually degrading our environment.

“Also, the development is actually a crime against humanity when people carry out certain actions that in the long run they destroy the people’s land and their way of life. “But we must say that this oil theft did not start today. It is the attitude of successive governments that have led to our people struggling to survive. We want him to go after the big guns – those merchants who bring in big vessels to steal oil. They are the people he should go after.

“We are not against the stoppage of vandalism of oil pipelines but he must have an economic plan. Our people right now need to survive. There is no more fishing in our areas and our lands can no longer produce the kind of things they used to produce. It is our position that while Buhari is coming to fight the menace, he must come with an economic plan.

“We are saying that all those vessels in Lagos doing nothing, waiting to berth should be ordered to the ports in Warri, Port Harcourt and Calabar. By so doing, a lot of economic activities would begin to spring up in these areas and support the local economies.”

He also urged the president to give kudos to former president Jonathan for ensuring free, fair and credible electoral process during the recent elections that brought him into power.

“Buhari should give credit to Jonathan for making the process work. We fault the President by commending the US instead of giving credit to Jonathan. Jonathan swallowed pride and made sacrifice to ensure peace and unity of Nigeria,” Eradiri said.

Recently, the Bayelsa state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) raised an alarm over what the party described as ”a plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rig the upcoming election in the state.”