THE Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) on Tuesday took a hard look at the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari and came out with a harsh conclusion that the administration has been waging political war against the Niger Delta region.
Barr. Roland Pereotubo Oweilaemi, IYC President worldwide, in a statement made available to The NEXT EDITION on Tuesday in Lagos, lamented that President Buhari despite spending four years in government had been treating some parts of the country, especially the Niger Delta, as if they were not part of the country.
According to him, Buhari’s policies and programmes had not been for the benefit of the South-South and the South-Eastern parts of the country, adding that it seemed the president was still ruling the country along voters dichotomy.
He stressed: “Just recently on Wednesday November 27, 2019, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the sum of N19 billion to construct roads in northern and western parts of the country. Despite the deplorable states of the federal roads in the Niger Delta region, none was considered by FEC.
“East-West road, Warri-Benin road, Benin-Asaba road, among many others, are now death traps to road users. In fact, movement from Warri to Benin federal highway has been cut off as the road is completely damaged. Similarly, the East-West road is no longer motorable as some portions of the road, especially from Bayelsa to Rivers State axis has been damaged.
“Regrettably, these are the only roads that connect the Niger Delta to other regions. Even the Minister of Works is paying lip service to our plight as commuters are undergoing excruciating pains and agonies in plying these roads. Babatunde Fashola’s reference to the deplorable state of the Warri-Benin road as mere media hype, is an insult to the Niger Delta people.
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“If the South-South or the Niger Delta region is part of Nigeria, then President Buhari, his Minister of Works, Raji Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and other top government functionaries should take a visit to the roads in the region from Cross River State down to Edo State and see things for themselves.
“From the way and manner the present government implements its policies and programmes, it appears that Buhari did not see Niger Delta region as part of Nigeria.”
Oweilaemi maintained that the East West road project, which was awarded since 2006 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, had been completely abandoned by the current administration, which he added, had displayed an unmitigated hatred for the Niger Delta people, perhaps due to the people’s political leaning in the past elections.
He said the Delta people could not fold their arms and allow the government to use the resources from their land to develop other regions, while they watch with grim faces, stressing that “the present government should not by act or omission incite Nigerians against one another.
“You can’t claim to be propagating One Nigeria dream when some parts of the country are not feeling the dividends of democracy under your watch.”
He said the Federal Government should have a rethink on its policies and programmes, even as he maintained that Buhari’s actions and body language had been polarising the country along political-cum ethno-religious lines.
Oweilaemi said the president should be a uniting factor and not one that should keep Nigerians further divided, warning that “If Buhari keeps on allowing these political apathy and alienations against Niger Delta people to fester, then we are afraid that the existing peace in the oil sector may not be sustained in the long run.
“The signs are just there staring us in the face. Mr. President should save this country from another economic crisis in the oil sector. Nigeria belongs to all of us. We all have equal right to development if we must continue to live as united partners.”