Abati: I thought I could rattle Tinubu during media chat — but he knows what he’s doing

By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

Ijaw youths under the umbrella of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, has vowed to lead what they called “mother of all ” protest against President Bola Tinubu over the deteriorating state of things faced by the Ijaw people and Nigerians in general. 

IYC in a statement made available on Tuesday by its National Spokesman, Amb Binebai Princewill, said the decision to embark on the mother of all protest in the Niger Delta was taken after a due consultation with critical Ijaw stakeholders and after analysing the unfriendly policies of the Tinubu led federal government and its inimical political attitude towards the Ijaw people.

Princewill said: ” We have come to the resolution that shutting down the country is the only available option left. We are using this medium to inform our few Ijaw sons in the Tinubu Government that they should not be surprised to see thousands of Ijaw people storming the streets in demand for a better living condition of our people since they are appearing to be insensitive to the plight of our people. It should be noted that when the protest will start, there will be no sacred cow and they cannot claim not to be aware. 

“The Tinubu led Federal Government of Nigeria has really pushed the Ijaw people to the wall from the surreptitious sale of Nigerian Agip Oil Company to Oando,  the political manipulation of the Ijaw people, the wiping out of  Ijaw sons and daughters from holding key offices in the MDAs, attempted sale of onshore assets of Shell without giving our people the right of first refusal, the non cleaning up of our environment before their purported divestment and the continued refusal of the Federal Government of Nigeria and IOCs to relocate their headquarters back to the Niger Delta region. 

“Apart from the steadily rising high cost of living in Nigeria, the free fall of the naira against the dollar, hike in pump price of fuel and the prices of commodities in the market. In view of all these, a responsible Government should be seen working to normalise things for its citizens. Just few months in office, the Tinubu Government have successfully finished Nigeria, Nigerians are now living in hell.

“The IYC will also protest against Dangote Cement and his brother BUA over the hike in the prices of their cements. Before now, Eagle and Ibeto Cements produced in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Niger Delta, Nigeria was doing well and far cheaper but Dangote used the Federal Government of Nigeria to drive out these cements that are produced in the Niger Delta region from the market hence making life more difficult for our people. The political monopolisation of the Cement industry in favour of Aliko Dangote is no doubt a huge problem that good spirited Nigerians must deal with. 

“The Federal Government of Nigeria out of its selfish interest murdered our Ibeto and Eagle Cements for Dangote Cement for which our people are hugely paying the price. We cannot continue to bear the brunt for a Government that is not interested in the development and progress of the Ijaw and Niger Delta people. It is on this premise that the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) will be taking specific action against Dangote and BUA cements in the coming days. 

“Finally, the IYC is reiterating that this press release should be seen as a warning as it is not going to be business as usual, we cannot continue to be peaceful when life is unbearable to our people and the Government appearing to be insensitive to the masses. There is going to be dare consequences if things continues like this.”