Adopt New Strategies for Niger Delta Development, IYC Spokesman Advocates

Report by Ebizimo Freeman – Stakeholders in the Niger Delta region have been charged to adopt new strategies to tackle the persistent reluctance of the federal government to assent to the agitations of the people of the Niger Delta region for infrastructural development as well as other challenges facing the region.

National Spokesman of the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe came out with this during his birthday celebration and book launch held in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital.

Comrade Ekerefe pointed out that the region must do away with obsolete strategies and adopt a new era of strategic alliance with other ethnic nationalities, intellectual and aggressive engagement with the federal government for more accelerated development of the Niger Delta.

The National Spokesman used the occasion to declare his interest to vie for the presidency of the 9th Council of the IYC in the forthcoming IYC National Executive Elections.

He noted that if elected as the IYC president, he would birth a new era of intellectual approach to issues bothering the Niger Delta region.

Chairman of the occasion, Ambassador Godknows Igali while appreciating God for the life of Ebilade stressed the importance of applying the intellectual approach and discourse to the lingering problems of the region.

” Let us adopt the intellectual approach, raise the issues, discuss the issues, the world is driven by knowledge, let people know why there are problems in the Niger Delta, violence does not solve problems, no matter how violent you are, you still end up on the conference table”

The Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Professor Teddy Edias and the second vice Vice President of the Ijaw National Congress, INC, Alabo Nengi James both commended Ebilade Ekerefe for the progress he has made in his leadership walk and urged the youths to politicize the electoral process that would bring a new leadership in the Council.

Other dignitaries also attended the celebration with a book launch titled “The Chronicles of Ebilade Ekerefe: The journey so far”.