The Acting President of the Ijaw Youth Council worldwide, Mr. Emmanuel Bristol Alagbariya has warned trouble makers determined to use the instrumentality of the media to incite problems in the organization to desist forthwith, or be ready to face the wrath of millions of Ijaw youths who constitute the organization.
Mr. Bristol-Alagbariya gave this warning during an eastern zonal congress meeting at the headquarters of the organization inPort Harcourt, in the wake of alleged claims that sacked former president of the organization; Miabiye Kuromiema may have resorted to using the media to mislead the unsuspecting public about the true state of affairs in the council.
Consequent upon expiration of the tenure of the last parliament in December, including accusations of misappropriation of fund, high handedness and refusal to mobilize congress for parliamentary sitting for the inauguration of new parliamentarians elected from the various clans, the former president, Miabiye Kuromiema was reportedly sacked and asked to submit himself to a five man investigative committee constituted on February 22nd at the Bayelsa IYC headquarters, to investigate his alleged shady activities.
Much of this was essentially revealed by the official spokesman and public relations Officer incharge of council and executives of the Ijaw Youth Congress worldwide, Mr Jeremaiah Owupele. Speaking with newsmen Owupele affirmed that the decision was reached consequent upon an enlarged exco meeting held on Februaury 22nd at the Bayelsa IYC headquarters where executives from the three zones that make up the council converged to take the decision in the interest of the organization.
He however said in a week time the congress will meet to further cement the position of the expanded exco. The IYC spokesperson also used the opportunity to urge the public to disregard any announcement made by Kuromiema or any of his cohorts in the name of IYC parliament, disclosed that such parliament does not in exist. According to him, the IYC wouldn’t have any cause for an expanded exco if there was an effective parliament in place, even as he stressed that that council is going through a process. He also affirmed that Mr Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya has been mandated by NEC to assume the role of the Acting president until further notice.
The Chairman of IYC worldwide Eastern Zone, Hamilton Opuende while addressing his members in Port Harcourt, during the visit of the Acting President to the zone, also revealed that the National Executive Committee of the organization had voted the Director of Mobilization and chief security officer of the organization, Mr Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya to assume leadership of the organization pending the conclusion of investigation of Mr. Miabiye Kuromiema to fill the void.
Recent developments indicate that the former President, Miabiye Kuromiema is reportedly using some of his lieutenants to spread rumors in the media that the acting president, secretary, vice president, financial secretary and a few others have been suspended.
However, reacting to the statement, Acting President of IYC, Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya had swiftly debunked the claims as fictitious, baseless and with no iota of truth. He said the ousted president has no authority to suspend anyone knowing he has since been suspended and ask to step aside by the highest decision body of the organization. “There are ten of us in the executives and nine of us are still intact, except for the former president who is hiding under some trouble makers to heat up the organization. He has been stripped of legislative powers by the National Executive Committee, he can’t act in ignorance” saysBristol. Similarly, Bristol said by the constitution of the organization the parliament was suppose to have one more sitting last December to hand over at the end of its tenure, but regretted that the former president failed to mobilize the house for that purpose. Consequently, the expanded exco has to weild the big stick in line with the constitution to suspend him. He also revealed that Kuromiema and his cohorts have no right to take any legislative decision that has to do with council and the new executives. According to him, the newly constituted executives must be seen doing the right thing, thus the decision that the old parliament must give way for the new ones awaiting inauguration to be constituted.
Calling for caution,Bristolnoted that the Ijaw youth council is an advocacy group that has built its reputation over the years, he advised Kuromiema to submit himself for investigation, instead of using the deputy speaker who is suspected to be the mastermind of the baseless news to foment trouble. “I wish to state clearly, that Mr. Kuromiema was asked by the highest decision making body of Ijaw youths to “step aside” and submit himself to investigation, while I was mandated to fill the leadership vacuum pending the submission of the five-man investigation panel to the national executive council. The NEC on reception of the investigative report is also expected to convene a congress to address the Ijaw nation on its findings, to either exonerate or indict the former president. I wouldn’t want to join issues with the former president or anyone knowing it would not be in the best interest of the Ijaws”, says the acting president. He called for calm urging the IYC members to remain peaceful and promised to join head with Ijwa people to address the matter at the executive level.
