Ijaw Youth Council Passes Vote Of Confidence On Leadership
Ben Dunno, Warri
The leadership of ljaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, has passed a vote of confidence on its President, Barr. Pereotubo Rolland Oweilaemi, for articulating and projecting Ijaw youth views and opinions in all national and international fora on issues that bothers on the wellbeing of the Ijaw nation.
The body has therefore warned any individual or group going about parading themselves as a parallel body to the IYC led by Oweilaemi to desist from such impersonation as the Ijaw nation recognized only one IYC that has the mandate of all Ijaw stakeholders both at home and in the diaspora.
Making its stand known in a statement signed by Daniel Dasimaka, the Spokesperson of Ijaw Youth Council, the body specifically urged the immediate past Spokesman of the Council, Barr. Eric Omare, to stop parading himself as IYC President to the unsuspecting members of the public in his own interest.
According to the statement, “Ordinarily, given that the entire Ijaw nation as well as Ijaw youths know their one and only President, Barr. Pereotubo Rolland Oweilaemi, whose election heralded wild jubilations across the length and width of Ijaw land because it reflected that genuine consent of Ijaws of all walks of life, we would not have written on this subject”.
“However, mindful of the enormity of allowing such needless confusion in our land in this critical juncture of our existence, we now write to -for the sake of clarity and emphasis- state that Eric Omare is not President of the IYC; as that position is already occupied by the duly elected Pereotubo Oweilaemi”.
“The general public, especially our partners and our good friends in the media as well as the security agencies are by this publication notified and advised to desist forthwith from dealing with Eric Omare in such capacity, as Ijaw youths cannot indemnify any lose therefrom”.
“This is because such actions would only embolden him and continue to threaten the fragile peace we currently enjoy in our land by continually parading himself as president. It must be noted however, that we are not by any means trying to gag him”.
“It is our firm belief that as a critical stakeholder and a former image maker of the IYC, Omare has earned the right to speak on issues of common interest to all Ijaws.
“Nonetheless, he can only do that as a private citizen and not one endangering the peace by pretending to be President even though he is very much aware of the binding decision of the Ijaw Eminent Persons’ Committee on this matter which declared Oweilaemi as the authentic President of the IYC after considering all facts presented to it”.
“It is worthy of note that Omare and his two remaining co-travellers submitted to this Committee and it’s processes; only to renege when the Committee set up by the Governor of Bayelsa State did not dance to their tune and are now attempting in vain to subvert the general will of the Ijaw nation for private ambitions”.
“Once more for the sake of absolute clarity there is only one IYC National Executives and it is led by Barr. Oweilaemi Rolland Pereotubo”, the statement noted.
In a swift reaction, Barr. Eric Omare, described the claim as false, baseless and unfounded, stating that the election that brouht him to office as IYC President followed all laid down procedures required by the IYC constitution in electing the executive of the council.