The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), the umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide has pulled out of plans to secede from Nigeria. The group in a message to Biafra and Oduduwa secessionists warned that the leave the Ijaw nation out of their plans.
POLITICS NIGERIA gathered that this announcement was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman of IYC Transition Implementation Committee, Mr Kennedy Olorogun. Olorogun disclosed the Ijaw nation will not be annexed adding that ‘they are capable of self-government’.
“Today, the Ijaw nation is confronted with the renewed quest for nationalism within the Nigerian geopolitical arrangement. This may have been compelled other tribes, groups and ethnic nationalities in the country, such as the Oduduwa and various movements championing the Biafra cause to renew their agitation for self-determination.”
“Whilst the Ijaw nation is not adverse to their cause, the forced annexation and fraudulent redrawing of the geographical boundaries of the Ijaw territories into their dream nations would no longer be tolerated.”
“We are seizing this medium to inform the promoters and sponsors of the Oduduwa and Biafra republics that they should not include Ijaw territories in their acclaimed nations. The Ijaws are domiciled in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom States and are prominently resident in all the States of the Niger Delta.”
“In this wise, the Oduduwas and the Biafra secessionists should leave Ijaw territories out of their utopian republics. Ijaws are capable of governing themselves. In this vein, the Ijaw nation is watching the unfolding events within the Nigerian polity and at the fullness of time the Ijaw nation would state their position.” he stated.
