2019: IYC calls on Buhari to douse growing tension

THE umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to douse the growing tensions in the land over incessant killings by herdsmen and the harassment of opposition figures ahead of the 2019 general elections.

Failure to act fast against the killings and political unrest, the IYC said, could spark, inadvertently, a civil disobedience that could result in a complete breakdown of law and order in the country.

The youth body made the call in an open letter to President Buhari titled: HERDSMEN KILLINGS AND RISING TENSION TOWARDS THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS and signed by IYC factional president and secretary, Eric Omare and Henry Iyalah on Sunday.

The Ijaw youths accused the president of not being proactive and decisive enough in tackling insecurity in the country through his acclaimed I-don’t-care body language from which, the youths insinuated, the armed forces are taking a cue from.

Instead of addressing the avoidable killings by herdsmen and political assassins headlong in the middle-belt and other parts of the country, the IYC further accused President Buhari of globe-trotting to garner support for his second term ambition at the expense of the lives of Nigerians.

It expressed fears that Nigerians might resort to self-help as admonished by General Theophilus Danjuma (retd.) if something urgent is not done to bring the perpetrators to justice and put a stop to the senseless killings by herdsmen.

“The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide is compelled to write this open letter to you in view of the continuous and unabated herdsmen killings in different parts of the country especially in the north-central zone of Nigeria and the rising political tension as the country move towards the 2019 general elections.

“These issues are so serious that if not given the required attention and seriously handled; they are capable of resulting in civil disobedience to constituted authorities and the complete breakdown of law and order.

“As President and father of the Nigerian nation, the IYC calls on you to arrest the growing tension towards the 2019 elections, ensure a free, fair and credible electoral process as it happened in Anambra State in the recent governorship elections in the interest of peace and security of Nigerians especially in the Niger Delta region.

“Mr President would recall that a former President in the person of Dr Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat for you to become President because he believed that his ambition is not worth the blood of anybody.

“In the same vein, we urge you to behave like a statesman and father of the nation to ensure that security agencies are not used to suppress the will of the people during elections because such conducts would definitely be resisted by the people especially the youths,” Omare averred.

The Ijaw group also advised the president to seek help from his counterpart in the United States (US), Donald Trump, to halt the daily killings by herdsmen and ensure free and fair election come 2019.

“We urge Mr President to use your foreign trips including your trip to the United States to seek support to stop the menace of Fulani herdsmen persistent killings and how to ensure free, fair and credible elections and not support to win elections for yourself.

“The interest of the generality of Nigerians should be uppermost in your mind over and above your personal ambition to win re-election as President in the interest of peace and security of our country Nigeria.

“We also hope that you would not tell President Trump that Nigerian youths are lazy!” Omare stated sarcastically.

On 2019 general elections, IYC noted that it was becoming obvious that the FG has started clamping down on opposing voices citing Dino Melaye travail as one of such effort to muzzle and cow those against the president’s second term ambition.

The group condemned the FG for such anti-democratic posture against opposing voices, saying it was unexpected of a president who ought to show maximum respect for opposing views and conduct of free, fair and transparent elections have been in the opposition for years himself.

“Mr President, the IYC is concerned by the rising political tension in Nigeria arising from the treatment of some political players by the security agencies.

“It is highly condemnable for people who express opposing views to your administration are to be harassed and maltreated.

“The hallmark of democracy is the right to hold an opinion and where this right is absent, then democracy is dead.

“The treatment being given to political figures like Senator Dino Melaye and others is highly unacceptable and condemnable.

“The insinuation in the Nigeria public is that the Gestapo treatment is part of your strategy to silence opposing voices in the build-up to the next general elections.

ALSO READ: Ondo govt, NDDC begin N19bn coastal road

“Your foreign trips including your trip to the United States are all alleged to be part of efforts to perfect this strategy.

“As someone who was in the opposition for several years and contested elections to the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as opposition candidate four times, we had expected maximum respect for opposing views by your administration and conduct of free, fair and transparent elections under your watch.

“The question of threat to the credibility of elections ought not to be an issue under your watch.

“The signs towards the 2019 general election are ominous considering the ongoing clampdown on opposing figures and the recent experience of some elections under your watch,”

“There are serious fears that the elections may not be free, fair and credible especially in the Niger Delta region,” IYC stated.

The Ijaw youths, therefore, warned that any attempt to repeat in 2019 the “war” that characterized the Bayelsa State governorship election and Rivers State rerun elections that led to bloodletting would be resisted in the Niger Delta region by the youths.