IJAW YOUTH COUNCIL DISTANCE ITSELF ON THE PURPORTED PROTEST

IYC distance self from purported protest against EFCC

We, the Executives and members of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide write to distance ourselves and to unequivocally condemn the shameless and most disgraceful protests staged yesterday (Thursday) in Yenagoa,  the Bayelsa State capital by some paid political jobbers led by the embattled former Interim President of the IYC,  Udengs Eradiri against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

While we would not in any way countenance the use of our anti-graft agencies or any other institutions of the State to unjustly persecute anyone, we, the IYC under the able leadership of Elvis Donkemezuo find it quite appalling that any reasonable Nigerian or Ijaw person would match the streets of any city to pressure the EFCC to abandon any of its ongoing investigations against anyone, no matter how highly placed.

For the record, our mother, the former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is not the only Nigerian or Ijaw person under EFCC investigation.  So we find it quite curious and to say the least disturbing that these profiteers are trying to surreptitiously drag the good name of the IYC that has been built and earned over many years with the sacrifice of many Ijaw Patriots, into this ignominious affair.

We still have pertinent issues facing the region that requires our protest like underdevelopment, abuse of our land by oil exploration activities, lack of welfare etc not to drag our genuine struggle to any one family or individual is unacceptable.

We therefore call on all Nigeria and most especially the Media to totally disregard this latest shenanigans of desperate Udengs Eradiri and his co-travellers who have only helped in vindicating our position that they are only influenced and driven by pecuniary gains. What else would explain this wholesale displace of brazen shamelessness by people, especially youths who claim to be championing the development of the region, but are now the very same persons protesting against an Agency trying to investigate a possible source of that underdevelopment?

Ijaw means truth. We are Ijaw Youths. We stand for truth. We are totally against the paid protest against the EFCC. Let the truth prevail.

Yours in the struggle

Signed

Elvis Donkemezuo
President Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide