Mkpoikana Udoma
09 January 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that academic activity commenced this year at the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State.
The Ijaw youth body also urged the Federal Government to commence the cleanup of Ogoniland as recommended by the United Nations Environmental Programme, UNEP, as a template for the cleanup of other oil-polluted areas in the Niger Delta.
Outlining the organisation’s expectations for 2018, IYC president, Mr. Eric Omare, called on the government to tackle key infrastructure projects in the region, regretting that there was no meaningful development in the region from the current administration.
Omare called on President Buhari to deliver on his promises to he region, saying that in the past two and a half years, there have been no meaningful achievements by the government with regard to the Niger Delta.
According to him, “With specific reference to the Niger Delta region, we expect the practical kick-off of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko.
“The Federal Government has been going back and forth (on the project). We expect the government to ensure that academic activities in the university kicks off in 2018.
“Secondly, we expect the government to tackle other key projects such as the Ogoni cleanup, as a template to clean up other parts of the Niger Delta, because presently the Ogoni cleanup is a failure, no success has been recorded.
“Thirdly, while we agree that former president Goodluck Jonathan ought to have completed the East-West road, the project was ongoing because there was efforts while he (Jonathan) was there, but since Buhari came on board no milestone has been achieved. So we expect him to complete that road as a matter of urgency.”