By: Daure David
The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Central Zone has called for the immediate removal of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet. This demand was made during an emergency Congress convened at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, in response to what they described as “ungarded statements” made by Wike against the Ijaw ethnic group.
The emergency Congress, presided over by Comrade Peres Ineifie, Chairman of the Central Zone, condemned Wike’s remarks made on national television and in Abalama, Rivers State, which the IYC believes misrepresented the Ijaw people. According to the Council, Wike referred to the Ijaw people as the “minority of the minorities,” a statement which they found highly offensive and historically inaccurate.
“How can a sitting cabinet member from the Niger Delta region say we are the minority of the minorities in Ijaw land? Wike needs to be schooled on the history of our people. Our ancestors fought for the formation of Nigeria and our fathers were instrumental in the creation of Rivers State. Where was he when Chief Dappa Piriye was leading the coalition in Africa and Nigeria?” questioned Comrade Ineifie.
The IYC further warned that the offensive comments by Wike could have far-reaching consequences on the unity between the people of the Niger Delta and other regions. They urged President Tinubu to act swiftly to avoid further alienating the Ijaw community, which is one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups, spread across the states of Edo, Ondo, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Rivers, and Bayelsa.
The Congress also resolved to hold a peaceful protest, with participants committing to a two-kilometer march in protest of the statements attributed to Wike. This peaceful demonstration is intended to raise awareness about the false narratives being peddled about the Ijaw people, who the IYC asserts have made significant contributions to Nigeria’s history.
The gathering, which took place on a Sunday, was not only a political assembly but also a spiritual event. The IYC members, alongside youths from various Ijaw clans, engaged in prayer sessions, invoking divine intervention for the removal of what they described as the “enemy of the Ijaw nation.”
The Congress was attended by several prominent figures, including IYC national officials such as Comrade Victor-Gow Ayibatari, National Financial Secretary; Comrade Aris Fekorogha, Director of Mobilization; Comrade Bob Emmanuel-Abiye, Deputy Director of Mobilization; Comrade Bob Collins Igbeta, Immediate Past Speaker, IYC Mobile Parliament; and Comrade Ebi Timilaemi, former National Treasurer of IYC Worldwide. Other key stakeholders included Dr. Tokpo Coronation, an APC chieftain; Dr. Inebaraton Preye, MD/CEO of Newzmarshal Nig Ltd; and various clan chairmen and youth leaders from across the Ijaw states.
As tensions rise over Wike’s statements, the Ijaw Youths Council has made it clear that they will not relent in their calls for the minister’s removal, emphasizing that the Ijaw people’s contributions to the formation and development of Nigeria must not be overlooked or misrepresented.
The IYC has given a strong message to President Tinubu: act swiftly to address the concerns of the Ijaw people, or risk losing their support in the future.
