Fellow Ijaw youths
I am Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri, Your President.
As we bid farewell to the outgone year, I extend warm greetings and goodwill from the Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide.
We reflect on the past year’s progress, acknowledging the challenges we have overcome and the resilience that has kept us strong.
Last year, despite our best efforts to prevent potential conflicts, unfortunate incidents occurred, resulting in the tragic loss of young lives. These events had the potential to create deep divisions within the council, but through unity and creative endeavors by various leaders working together, we have been able to manage the situation, and restore peace. I would like to take a moment to honor the memory of the Ijaw youths who lost their lives in Abuloma Town. May their souls continue to rest in eternal peace.
Regretable as it is, i want to say our achievements in the past year are undeniable, and one notable accomplishment is the amendment of the IYC Constitution ratified and adopted the last very successful NATIONAL CONVENTION held in Odi Community.
When we took office, we were faced with a significant challenge – the absence of a formal constitution for over a decade, which led to reliance on conventional rules and ultimately, contributed to many crises within the IYC during elections cycle.
However, we have made remarkable progress, and by the end of 2024, we successfully amended our constitution, giving us a solid, working document to guide us forward.
We cannot effectively address complex, large-scale challenges with a limited and outdated approach. Recognizing this, we took proactive steps to empower our youths with the knowledge and skills necessary to intellectually confront the injustices they face.
To achieve this, we provided some foreign and local scholarships opportunities, which will transform the lives of many young people and offer them new hope and opportunities that previously seemed out of reach.
By expanding their intellectual horizons, we are equipping our youths to tackle the complexities of the modern world and advocate for their rights with confidence and authority.
We are also pleased to report significant progress on our promise to construct a state-of-the-art Secretariat complex for the IYC. Late last year, we successfully raised substantial funds to kickstart the project, which enabled us to begin the site clearing. Building on this momentum, I am thrilled to announce that the construction of the IYC secretariat complex will commence shortly.
This milestone marks a major step forward in our efforts to providing a modern and functional hub for our organization, and we are eager to see the project take shape in the coming months.
I would also like to take this opportunity to issue a stern warning to certain tribes and kingdoms that have been perpetrating violence, displacement, and land grabbing against the Ijaw people, simply because they are a minority in their respective states. I urge them to revisit history and recall that the Ijaw people have never been conquered or subjugated.
I hereby call upon the governors of these states especially The Governors of Akwa Ibom and Edo States respectively to prioritize the safety and well-being of Ijaw citizens residing within their jurisdictions, as we will no longer stand idly by, while our people are brutally slaughtered and murdered in their own communities.
The IYC is also compelled to issue a strong warning regarding the persistent attacks on our farmers by herdsmen in our own territory. We have witnessed numerous tragic incidents of violence, and it is imperative that this trend is halted immediately.
If these senseless killings continue, we will be forced to take matters into our own hands and defend ourselves by all means necessary, as the safety and well-being of our people is our utmost priority.
Our dear brothers and sisters in the struggle, as we step into the New Year, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing Ijawland and promoting the well-being of our people. We pledge to continue advocating for justice, equality, and sustainable development of the Niger Delta region.
Regardless of the deliberate misgivings, I urge on all Ijaw youths around the world to unite and support our brother, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, of Rivers State, as he works to deliver good governance to all Rivers people. It is crucial that we rally behind our brother to ensure he succeeds in his mission to bring positive change to our dear Rivers State. By doing so, will be contributing to a brighter future for the Ijaw people and the state of Rivers as a whole.
And particularly to our leaders, we urge you to prioritize education, healthcare, employement generation and infrastructural development in our communities, even as we extend our heartfelt gratitude to leaders who have supported the IYC in achieving its goals.
Your contributions have been invaluable, and we appreciate the impact you have made. As we move forward, we are excited to foster an even stronger partnership with you, one that will yield greater benefits and prosperity for the Ijaw people. By working together, we are confident that we can create a brighter future for Ijaw nation.
To our youths, we encourage you to harness innovation, entrepreneurship, and skills development to drive positive change, even as i emphasize the need for unity and collective effort amongst us.
Let us refrain from engaging in illicit activities such as Drug abuse, Kidnapping, bunkering etc, which can devastate our environment and compromise our heritage and dignity.
Instead, I urge you to join the global movement in acknowledging the reality of climate change and advocating for sustainable practices that prioritize the preservation of our ecosystem. By doing so, we can protect our environment, safeguard our heritage, and contribute to a more environmentally conscious future.
As we celebrate this New Year, let us honor our rich cultural heritage and promote peace, unity, and understanding among our people.
Long live the Ijaw Nation! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Happy New Year!
Signed:
Sir Jonathan Lokpobiri Snr
9th President, IYC Worldwide
