of Concerned Niger-Delta Youths Initiative (CNDYI), Ebis
Orubebe, in this interview with Vanguard spoke on why the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the 2015 presidential
polls and how to maintain peace in the Niger-Delta region.
He said:
There was serious internal crisis within the PDP,
which led to the defection of some important
members including governors, legislators and other
leaders. Secondly, this insecurity challenge,
especially Boko Haram, was a key factor the
opposition took advantage of.
Thirdly, you know Nigeria politics; politics of North
and South. Some northern leaders accused Dr
Goodluck Jonathan of refusing to honour the zoning
agreement. I do not know when that agreement was
reached, where it was discussed. That was a key
factor, the entire North felt power should return to
the region. Also, some persons within the party did
not do well. We see it as a betrayal, the way they lost
scandalously in their areas.
In regards to increased insecurity in the country he said:
When the Boko Haram insurgency started many
Nigerians felt it was just Jonathan’s problem. So
people rather than joining him to fight they were
busy blaming him. Even the people from places
where this crisis is going on were seeing it as just
Jonathan’s problem. So that is how it basically got
to this point. As we can see, this problem has gone
beyond just Nigeria.
These people have connections with ISIS, Al-Qaeda
and other international terrorist organizations. I will
call on all Nigerians to support the current President
and the government, to see how we would put hands
together and fight it.
In regards to the resurrection of the crisis in the Niger-Delta
region under President Buhari, he said:
Even before the election there were some set of
youths, let me call them ex-agitators who threatened
that if Jonathan was not re-elected they were going
to take up arms again.
We reached out to these agitators and some youth
leaders to take the result of the elections. I still see
some forms of threat, especially on the part of the
ex-agitators; arising from what is going on in the
current government, which I may call witch-hunt. As
of last count, we have three aides to the former
president from the Niger Delta, who are being
detained and no one has come up to tell us the
reasons for their detention. I have my fears, because
I know the role we played to make sure that there is
peace in the region; and if this witch-hunt is not
halted with immediate effect, I doubt that we will
continue to enjoy peace in the Niger-Delta.
As a group, we are still planning some programmes
to bring the youths together. First and foremost,
looking at the crisis in the North-Eastern part of the
country, we want to work with the youths over there
because they are our brothers, and anything
happening there affects every one of us. We are also
planning programmes and activities that will
continue to foster peaceful co-existence among
Niger-Delta youths.
We have been trying to bring various warring factions
and youth groups in the region together to maintain
peace. We are planning a meeting with the newly
elected leaders in the region, especially the
governors and legislators, to see how we can pursue
a common goal, which is the development of the
Niger-Delta, peacefully.
In President Muhammadu Bahari’s inaugural speech,
he promised to improve on programmes that were
already in place and that Niger-Delta in particular will
have a special place in his government. So, we are
hoping that he will keep to his promise. You are the
President/Founder of Concerned Niger-Delta Youths
Initiative (CNDYI), what is the group about?
The aim of this group is to promote peace and unity
among Niger-Delta youths in particular and Nigerian
youths in general. It was formed as a result of the
polarization of youths’ groups over the years which
has become a tool in the hands of selfish politicians
with their divisive tendencies and other Niger-Delta
forces.
We set up this group to bring these youths together
in order to foster unity among them as leaders of
tomorrow.
Vanguard
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