Arising from a botched South South stakeholders meeting by the presidency, the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide Spokesman, Comr. Ebilade Ekerefe has lambasted the Chief of Staff to the President Of Nigeria, Prof. Gambari for abruptly cancelling the south south stakeholders meeting which would have brought suggestions to the short and long term solutions to the problems bedeviling the Country and in particular, the Niger Delta region.
In a statement issued to newsmen on behalf of IYC in Portharcourt, Comr. Ebilade Ekerefe commended the efforts of the South South governors for coming together for the first time after a long-while to discuss and arrive at a common ground over the interest of the geopolitical Zone at a time of renewed agitations arising from the endsars protest.
Comr. Ebilade wondered why the Chief of Staff will successfully hold meetings with other geopolitical zones and cancel the one meant for the South South region after keeping highly respected traditional rulers, clergymen and youth leaders from the region, including the six South South governors waiting for hours before the eventual cancellation.
He considered the act as a monumental embarrassment not just to the South South governors but to the entire region at large. He said that the cancellation of an important meeting of this magnitude is a pointer that the federal government is deliberately taking actions which suggest that the peace, security and development of the region is not their priority, but proceeds of oil exploration.
Comr. Ebilade Ekerefe said that until there is an alternative means of funding the national budget, what still largely sustains the economy of the country is proceeds from the oil and gas deposits in the Niger Delta region and therefore if pushed to the wall as the signs are suggesting, appropriate steps with consequential effect to the economy will be taken to put a final stop to this disdain meted on the Niger Delta region as it was done in the past.
We demand an immediate apology to the region from Prof. Gambari while urging the presidency to reschedule the meeting as quickly as possible as a sign in good faith.
Comr. Alaibiye Yei DG New Media
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