Youths of Ijaw descent said yesterday that they were willing to work with their counterparts from the middle belt to ensure that Nigeria was truly restructured. 

While lauding the reaction of the Middle Belt Youth Council (MBYC) to the threat by some northern youths to evict Igbo people from their land, the IYC said no amount of intimidation would dim the struggle to ensure equity in the country.

“The Ijaw nation and the Niger Delta people express solidarity and extend hands of friendship to the Middle Belt Youth Council and the people of the Middle Belt for being their brothers keepers and for their support for self-determination”, a statement by Eric Omare , factional President of IYC said.

Omare, a lawyer, maintained that many of the problems besetting the nation were a direct consequence of the bad structure of the Nigerian Federation, insisting that the current system was not sustainable.

 “In the days ahead, there shall be robust engagement in coordinating our respective independent struggles towards achieving peaceful self-determination for the people of the Niger Delta, Middle Belt, South East and any other part of Nigeria desirous of self-determination.  

“The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide commends the Middle Belt Youth Council for disassociating themselves from the quit notice issued to Igbo to quit the northern part of the country by some northern youth organisations. 

  “The position of the Middle Belt Youth Council as contained in the statement issued by Emma Zopmal demonstrates maturity and respect for Nigerians from different parts of the country to express their opinion as to the structure of Nigeria”, the IYC added.

The youth group noted that it was gladdened by the show of support given the Igbo people by the people of the middle belt, stressing that Nigeria needed to be renegotiated.

“We state for the umpteenth time that Nigeria as presently structured is suffocating and is in dire need of urgent surgery to reconstruct it so as to achieve unity, peace and progress. 

“It is in this light that we are gladdened by the expression of support for self-determination by the Middle Belt Youth Council.  “This is a clear message to the caliphate north and the Hausa/Fulani oligarchy that no amount of intimidation and threat would stop the movement for the reconstruction of Nigeria for it to work”, the statement said.

count | 287

Ijaw Youths Seek Coalition with Middlebelt on re-structuring of Nigeria