SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, (THEWILL) – The Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, on Friday came hard on the Nigerian Senate for refusing to amend the 1999 Constitution in such a manner that would see to the decentralization or devolution of powers from the Federal Government to the State Governments.
In a statement issued on Friday by its national spokesman, Barr. Henry Iyalla, the apex Ijaw youth body said the voting pattern of the lawmakers has exposed the level of indifference and lack of interest by a good number of the senators.
The youth council expressed regrets that vote against decentralization of power is happening at the time when most Nigerians are strongly resolved towards a restructuring of the country.
They maintained that it would be in the best interest of the Senate to reconsider its position as regards devolution of powers to the federating units as their refusal to accept it does not serve the general purpose or interest of the Niger Delta people and Nigerians.
The statement reads in part: “It’s quite unfortunate that the Senate who has the Opportunity to restructure this country in line with the tenets and principles of True Fiscal Federalism has failed to do so.
“We must however continue to agitate for the decentralization of powers as against the quasi- military or unitary system of Government we operate; anything to the contrary would be against our age-long agitation for Resource Control and Self-Determination. We emphasize that states should be given the powers to manage and control their own resources.”
IYC therefore challenged the Senate to convoke a Constituent Assembly were all ethnic groups would sit to determine the veracity of rejecting the operation of true federalism in Nigeria.
“Let it be said unequivocally, that the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and the Niger Delta people as a whole would reject any move aimed at perpetually subjecting our people to a life of penury in plenty.
“We call on the President of the Senate and all distinguished Senators to review their stand in other to help a country that is in dire need of mental and physical restructuring,” the statement read.
