A group under the auspice of Watchdog for Progressive Ijaw (WPI), has called on the spokesperson of IJaw Youths council, Mr.Ebilade Ekerefe to stop issuing sponsored statement in the name of revered Ijaw Youths council (IYC).
According to a statement by the group’s coordinator, Lambart Ototo , they said IYC spokesperson has a duty to always consult his council especially the President of the Council before going public with any statement. Anything contrary to this conventional practice is an aberration and an abomination.
The coordinator of Watchdog for Progressive Ijaw (WPI) noted that, their attention was drawn to a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Ebilade Ekerefe, cancelling what he initially referred to as a mother-of-all protest to shut down the headquarters of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) following the appointment of a sole Administrator for the commission.
Lambart stated that, as a group known for fighting for the ijaw course ,it would not fold it’s hand to see that , the reverred Ijaw Youths council is been drag to the mud just for someone’s selfish personal gains.
“Initially we wanted to ignore Ekerefe because of his penchant for working in cross purposes with the leadership of IYC. But we are constrained to reply him following glaring evidence of insubordination and questionable practices alien to the position he occupies in IYC.
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” First, why is Ekerefe hasty to take decision for the council without waiting for a stakeholders’ meeting proposed by the council and publicised by the IYC President, Deacon Peter Timothy Igbifa? The proposed meeting was designed to take a collective decision on NDDC and other Niger Delta interventionist agencies and programmes and to formulate an action plan and strategies required to push our common interest in these establishments.
“It is curious and suspicious that Ekerefe, who threw all caution to the wind with uncommon obsession for protest against the NDDC despite superior arguments against it could suddenly wake up to cancel the protest without allowing the IYC leadership and stakeholders to meet.
“We expected Ekerefe to make his points at the proposed meeting and convince stakeholders that protest, which he earlier insisted must hold, is the best action plan for the IYC. But he did not only chew his words, he again issued another lone statement without the knowledge of the council as though he is the leader of IYC.
“What has really changed? Could it be true that some dollars exchanged hands and compelled Ekerefe to swallow his vomit by betraying a course he so much believed in? We know when political sponsorship pushed Ekerefe to issue multiple statements as directed by his pay masters. God forbid.
“Whatever Ekerefe is relying on now to cancel his protest was manifest at the time he ignored all entreaties to issue repeated statements advocating protest. In fact, the allegations that he collected dollars to cancel his proposed mother-of-all protest are rife and we want him to come publicly and deny it.
” The truth remains that the proposed meeting of IYC stakeholders has not held and no position on the council’s action plan and strategies has been taken. The proclamation by IYC President on stakeholders’ meeting remains valid. It is only the meeting, not Ekerefe that can decide the way forward for IYC.
“We appreciate the decision of our revered council’s President, Deacon Timothy Igbifa, to run an all-inclusive IYC and to give everybody a voice, the reason he has convened the meeting. Ekerefe is on his own and is for now not speaking for the council until he follows the conventional due process,” he stated.
