Ijaw accuse Buhari of stoking conflict in Niger Delta

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Once again the Ijaw Youth Council has accused President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government of policies towards the Niger Delta region as deliberately vindictive to cause conflicts.

Udens Eradiri, the President-General of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, alleged that in the 2016 budget proposal by the Federal Government the allocation meant for amnesty was deliberately trimmed down for the exploration of oil in the Chad basin area where nobody is living because of the insurgency in the North East.

According to Eradiri, “the budget for Amnesty programme was about N40 billion but has been reduced to about N20 billion. It has been cut to be used to fund the exploration of in Chad basin where nobody is living because of insurgency. This is a calculated attempt to create conflict in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria in the coming year.”

He also further alleged: “If you cut the amnesty budget it shows clearly that you don’t want to engage the people of the region. How much is the allocation to the Niger Delta Development Agency, NDDC? What is the budget of the Ministry of Niger Delta? He has forgotten that cost of running government is hinged on a peaceful Niger Delta region. And the amnesty programme is the reason Nigeria has the peace and revenue it has been enjoying and all is an attempt to cause conflict that would deny the government from realising the N6 Trillion Budget the government is expecting in the 2015 budget.”

Eradiri claims that Buhari’s administration is rolling out anti-Ijaw policies.

Former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan is Ijaw from Otuoeke, in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.