Simon Utebor, Yenagoa
The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the
Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide, has alleged that the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission is laying a foundation for the arrest of
former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The IYC, however, advised the anti-graft
agency to shelve any plan to “persecute” the former President,
insisting that such a move would spell doom for the Muhammadu Buhari
administration.
Speaking at a news conference on
Saturday to mark the burial of a former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the IYC President, Mr. Udengs Eradiri, said
most of the close allies of Jonathan had been arrested by the EFCC.
He particularly condemned the recent
arrest and detention of Jonathan’s cousin and contractor, Mr. Robert
Azibaola, over an alleged $40m contract fraud.
Eradiri said Ijaw youths would not allow
Azibaola, Jonathan or any rising Ijaw leader to be persecuted by the
EFCC, the way the Federal Government dealt with the late Alamieyeseigha.
He said, “They have arrested almost all
our people. Azibaola was arrested by the EFCC and we are calling on the
EFCC to stop persecuting him further and charge him to court if there
are issues.
“They detained him for a long time,
forcing him to make statements to indict former President Jonathan.
Azibaola is a businessman, a contractor, and has the right, like every
other Nigerian, to get contracts. Why will the Niger Delta case be a
different one?
“We noticed that the same way they
persecuted Alamieyeseigha has continued. After Goodluck Jonathan, our
people who contributed to that administration, are being persecuted by
this government.
“The recent one is the ploy to arrest
Goodluck Jonathan, which is unfolding every day. This must stop.
Goodluck Jonathan is the most performing President that Nigeria has ever
had. We are proud of him.
“Everyday, there is a calculated attempt
to whittle down the achievements of former President Jonathan. We call
on Nigerians to mount pressure on the government to focus on leading
Nigeria right rather than looking for ways to bring down the
achievements of Jonathan.
“Buhari should please focus on
governance rather than persecution of people who have added value. We
are not happy about it and today, we use Alamieyeseigha’s death as a
point of contact. The world has seen that from Alamieyeseigha, it has
trickled down to all the Niger Delta people.”
Speaking on the alleged removal of 10
per cent community equity from the new Petroleum Industry Bill, Eradiri
asked the government to do the needful.
He added that the Federal Government
ought to have known that community ownership would ameliorate the years
of crises in the Niger Delta region.
The IYC President added, “For us, we
will not beg for it. We will not even lobby anybody. The oil is our oil
and we will take it. If they like, they should put it, if they don’t
like, they should leave it. We expect that this country should have
commonsense by including community participation.
“In the issue of pipeline surveillance,
this 10 per cent would have covered pipeline surveillance. Once the
people know that they have 10 per cent in this business, they will
protect it.”
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