Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The political crisis and uncertainty in Rivers State have assumed a dangerous dimension as Niger Delta youths, Saturday, wrote to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, threatening to completely cripple oil production in the region if the face-off is not resolved.
The youths issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Tinubu to intervene in the crisis before it gets out of control.
They demanded the immediate restoration of Rivers State statutory revenue allocation, the end of every impeachment plot against the Rivers State Governor, Similaye Fubara.
The youths also demanded public retraction of anti-Ijaw remarks purportedly attributed to the former Governor of the State and Ministerof the FederalCapital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
They warned that: “Failure to comply could lead to a total shutdown of oil production across the region, a move that would have dire consequences for Nigeria’s already fragile economy.”
The open letter to Tinubu was signed by the NDYC President, Bene Youkore Mamamu.
NDYC noted with concern that Wike’s comments in which he was quoted as describing the Ijaws as a minority group of the minorities “is provocative and inflammatory, and a declaration of economic and political War.”
The open letter read in part: “We are ready to shock the world in seven days.
“We are prepared to take decisive action if our demands are not met within the seven days.
“The oil that fuels this nation flows from our land, the fourth largest and most populated ethnic group in Nigeria, and we will not allow Wike, who is suspected of being used by the Presidency, to sabotage our region and undermine Ijaw history.
“We are angry that Tinubu’s government has empowered Wike and the Judiciary to undermine Ijaws and the Niger-Delta region, with regular threats to impeach Governor Fubara, seize the States allocation, insult late Pa Edwin Clark and rewrite the history of Ijaw nation from fourth largest ethnic group to minority.”
Continuing, the NDYC urged its members to “mobilise to disrupt oil production across the Niger Delta region at the expiration of the seven days ultimatum.”
Recall that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, since after the Supreme Court judgment that acknowledged them as lawmakers, have been itching to impeach the Governor, giving him various ultimatums.
They also shut their door against the Governor when he showed up during the week to re-present the state’s 2027 budget before them as they had earlier requested.
