By Aherhoke Okioma
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, has commended the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) for declaring ceasefire and giving the federal government through the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, the opportunity to resolve all outstanding issues relating to the Niger Delta agitation.
It called on other insurgent groups in the country, including the Boko Haram sect, to borrow a leaf and embrace the opportunity for dialogue offered by President Jonathan.
This was contained in a statement issued by IYC spokesperson, Eric Omare.
He said the IYC was glad that MEND appreciated the fact that the natural instinct of human beings all over the world was to support one’s own to succeed, hence most Niger Deltans strongly believed that President Jonathan, a Niger Deltan, “appreciates the problems of the region and if given the necessary support he would resolve the outstanding issues in the region.”
“In supporting President Jonathan, the IYC is not oblivious of the fact that there are unresolved issues in the Niger Delta region.”
“Our conviction in the ability of President Jonathan to find a lasting solution to the Niger-Delta agitation is strengthen by the fact that he is being advised on the issues of the region by a product of the Niger Delta agitation and someone who has a firsthand knowledge of the problems in the person of Hon. Kingsley Kuku who MEND acknowledges has the capacity to drive the peace process.”
IYC, therefore, called on the federal government to take advantage of the ceasefire declared by MEND to take appropriate steps to constructively resolve the outstanding issues, while the IYC, as the foremost youth organisation in the Niger-Delta region, would play its part towards the resolution of the outstanding issues in the region.
