NDYC Spit fire, Rubbishes Arewa Group, Warns Them To Steer Clear of N'Delta, Rivers Issues
By Ezekiel Kagbala
A sociopolitical organization in the South South, Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) has warned a Northern group which tagged itself as Arewa Youth for Peaceful Coexistence to steer clear from issues concerning the Niger Delta region, with particular emphasis on Rivers State.
NDYC gave the warning on Thursday while reacting to a recent press conference held by the Arewa group calling on the Federal Government to withhold funds meant for local government areas in Rivers State.
In a press statement jointly signed by Chief Bene Mamamu and Comrade Onitsha Shedrack, the President and Secretary respectively of NDYC, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri on Thursday, the Council "sternly warned all Northern groups including their youths to steer clear of the political face-off in Rivers State forthwith".
"Arewa youths or groups should be concerned with the uncontrollable rate of banditry, farmer-herder clashes, kidnapping, killing and terrorism that is bedeviling the North", the NDYC stated
The South South organization noted with concern that "the Arewa group, rather than focusing on the avalanche of self-inflicted crisis stunting the socioeconomic emancipation of the North, is unduly pokenosing into Rivers State issues, albeit with hidden agenda, to further aggravate insecurity in the Niger Delta region".
The statement partly reads, "As long as Rivers State is concerned, the people of the Niger Delta remain one big family that should be united, Our differences remain our in-house issues, and strangers should not speak for us.
"We appeal to the former Governor of Rivers State, who is now the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the incumbent Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, to come together in reconciliation".
Niger Delta Youth Council
The statement reads further, "NDYC is in talks with some critical stakeholders on how to initiate a reconciliatory forum between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and the immediate past Governor, Nyesom Wike.
Also, the NDYC is taking multifaceted steps to de-escalate the political differences in the State.
"As for the recently concluded local government elections in Rivers State, though not perfect, the people voted and exercised their democratic rights. Winners emerged and the election was successful. However, there are provisions for anyone who is aggrieved from the outcome of the Rivers State local council polls to seek redress legally.
"There is no connection, whatsoever, between the election and the call to withhold the allocation that accrues to the LGAs in Rivers State.
"Arewa Youth should avoid Niger Delta issues and focus on their politicians in the Northern part of the country who are playing politics with the issues of insecurity in their region.”
