National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Umbrella body of all Ijaw youths, the Ijaw youths council (IYC), has restated its stance on a restructured Nigeria and issuance of oil prospecting licences (OPLs) as well as oil mining leases (OMLs).
To this end, speaking with Journalists in Sampou community of Kolokuma/Opokuma council area of Bayelsa State during the obsequious ceremonies of the late Lay Reader(Chief) AJM Diri, father of the state Governor, Senator Douye Diri, the Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council, Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe has said restructuring Nigeria is a panacea for rapid socioeconomic and political transformation and stability of the nation.
He noted that the IYC as a foremost umbrella for Ijaw Youths globally has been in the vanguard for advocacy of the restructuring of Nigeria, describing it as sacrosanct.
Ekerefe averred that it was only in a restructured Nigeria that rapid infrastructural development and political transformation through devolution of powers could be ascertained.
This was just as he also bared his mind on the issuance of licenses for ownership of oil blocks in the Niger Delta region and across the nation, describing Nigeria as blessed with abundant hydrocarbon and other natural resources.
He called on the federal government to play an impartial role while issuing licenses for exploration and exploitation of crude oil in all parts of the country where crude oil has been discovered, saying that Niger Deltans be also given OPLs and OMLs in the region and other oil producing parts of the country like other Nigerians and expatriates exploring and exploiting hydrocarbons in the nation.
Ekerefe said: “The IYC has been in the fore front of concern Nigerians and bodies calling for and canvassing for the restructuring of this country. It’s only in a restructured Nigeria that our economy and politics could thrive.
“With restructuring, there’ld be devolution of powers and components units of the federation would begin to have more powers and the political will to execute greater projects within their various spheres of operations.
“But I want to quickly add that whilst the IYC is totally in support of restructuring, the Federal government should as matter of importance ensure that Niger Deltans were given oil prospecting licences (OPLs) and oil mining leases(OMLs) in the region and other parts of the country like their fellow citizens from other parts of nation so that they can also be contributing more to and benefiting from the accruals in the oil and gas industry for the overall advancement of economic growth of the region and nation at large.”
