The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has frowned on a rumour that some elements within the presidency have perfected plans to divert the Nigerian Maritime University’s Dockyard from its permanent site, Okerenkoko in Delta State to Lagos.
IYC President, Worldwide, Pereotubo Oweilaemi, in a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune has warned against such move.
“While we do not want to believe that President Buhari will make such costly mistake given the fact that it took him so much pains to achieve the Pyrrhic victory of peace in the region, we need to be apprehensive of the information because of similar incidents in the past.
“If there is any truth in the said rumour, then the Buhari government will be committing democratic suicide, “ the group warned.
Oweilaemi recollected that, “the world needs to know that a dockyard which was to be sited at Burutu Town in Delta State was diverted to Tin Can Island in Lagos in the 80s.
“We have had so many ugly incidents of this nature. We do not want to believe that the rumour has any bearing with the truth.”
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The group warned that, “the Ijaw nation will resist any attempt to divert the Nigerian Maritime University Dockyard from its permanent site, Okerenkoko to any other place in the country.
“We will revolt against such provocative action by enemies of peace even with the last drop of our blood. Never again will the Ijaw nation sleep over our rights, the Ijaw,” youths warned.
IYC has, however, urged President Buhari to fast track the building of the permanent site of the university as well as speed up work on the dockyard which is already progressing at Okerenkoko in Delta State.
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