BEVERLY HILLS, CA, July 12, (THEWILL) – Foremost Ijaw youth organisation, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, has described the proposed five percent revenue to the North as a result of Boko Haram insurgency and additional five percent increase of the derivation fund as an invitation to war.
The National conference consensus group had proposed a five percent increase in the derivation fund to make it 18 percent and also allocate five percent to the North as a result of Boko Haram insurgency.
But reacting to the proposal, IYC in a statement by its spokesman, Eric Omare, described the proposal as provocative, disgusting and insulting to the Niger-Delta people . He also described the proposal as an attempt to use resources produced in the Niger Delta to ‘fund’ and ‘encourage’ Boko Haram activities.
“If we may ask, where would the Boko Haram five percent revenue come from? Is it from the oil and gas revenue of the Niger-Delta region and taxes mainly collected from southern parts of Nigeria or five percent of revenue generated from the Boko Haram sponsored states,” IYC queried.
The group said that it has become obvious that Ijaw and Niger-Delta delegates to the National Confab “have run out of steam to resist the arrogance of their Northern counterparts and the IYC call on them to return home honorably”.
According to the Ijaw youth group, the delegates representing the region have failed woefully in the conference saying; “To increase derivation by five percent and allocate five percent to fund Boko Haram to kill more innocent children, women and Nigerians is the worst decision that any person on earth would be party to.”
The group said : “They have failed to achieve anything for the Niger-Delta and have further endangered the people of the region.
“The Niger-Delta delegates had a mandate to demand for 100 percent derivation and if there must be any concession, concede to nothing less than 50 percent derivation and if this is not accepted by other parts of Nigeria, then return home with honour and not to sell their birth right to Northerners.
“The youths and people of the Niger-Delta reject and would continue to resist the second class mentality being displayed by most Niger-Delta delegates at the Confab.
“The Niger-Delta has given up everything to sustain the unity of Nigeria and we are not ready to sacrifice anymore.
“The proposal to increase derivation by only five percent and allocate five percent to ‘fund’ and ‘encourage’ Boko Haram activities is an invitation to war and the IYC wish to state clearly that the Niger-Delta people would not under any circumstance accept this provocative proposal by the National Conference.
“The National Conference is strongly advised to jettison this devilish proposal and if the oppressors decide to use their fraudulent majority to force this proposal through our throats, then they would hear from the Niger-Delta people. Enough is Enough!”
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