The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has called on the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) to support the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promote peace in the Niger Delta region. Ogbuku made the appeal during a Dinner and Awards Night marking the 25th Silver Jubilee of the Kaiama Declaration and the foundation of the IYC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. He emphasized the need for collaboration with the government to maintain peace, curb crude oil theft, and contribute to the growth of the Nigerian economy.
The NDDC boss urged the IYC to move beyond armed struggle and violent agitation, emphasizing the importance of intellectual struggle. He highlighted the gains made over the past 25 years, including the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as President, the establishment of the NDDC, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
Jonathan Lokpobiri, the President of IYC, paid tribute to the founding fathers of the Ijaw nation and pledged to sustain the intellectual struggle. He emphasized the new leadership’s commitment to providing opportunities for youth training in various vocations for sustainable development. The occasion also witnessed the launching of the official website of the IYC by the NDDC Managing Director.
Ogbuku said: “Twenty-five years after, we all agree that the agitations were worth it. Within this period, the Ijaw nation has produced the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that is because we made the world to hear our voice.”
He said further: “Twenty-five years after, some of us have been given positions of authority in recognition of our struggle. Today, I am also a living example and one of those beneficiaries.
“I always tell people that my political history cannot be complete without mentioning IYC. I want to declare that I still remain a proud member of IYC. “We have made some mistakes. We have had loses but I believe that the successes and the gains we have made overshadow these loses. I want to encourage all of us as IYC members to continue in this intellectual struggle where we have the opportunity to compete with other parts of Nigeria.
“Today, one of your own is at the helm of affairs at the NDDC but I don’t think that is enough for us, we still need more and that is why we need to be competitive. We need to let the government know that there are other areas that need to be fixed.”
