{"id":5440,"date":"2026-02-13T10:48:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:48:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2026\/02\/13\/re-reckless-ultimatum-by-itsekiri-group-a-distortion-of-niger-delta-history-and-matters-arising___says-iyc\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T10:48:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T10:48:22","slug":"re-reckless-ultimatum-by-itsekiri-group-a-distortion-of-niger-delta-history-and-matters-arising___says-iyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2026\/02\/13\/re-reckless-ultimatum-by-itsekiri-group-a-distortion-of-niger-delta-history-and-matters-arising___says-iyc\/","title":{"rendered":"RE: Reckless Ultimatum By Itsekiri Group A Distortion Of Niger Delta History And Matters Arising___Says IYC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Ebiowei Gabriel <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, rejects in totality the threats, ultimatums, and revisionist claims issued by a faceless group parading itself as the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality Ex-Agitators Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We state without ambiguity that the Presidential Amnesty Programme was born out of an Ijaw-led armed resistance against state repression, environmental devastation, and economic exclusion. This is established history. It is not open to reinvention to suit present political convenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creeks where the conflict raged are Ijaw land. The communities that were bombarded, occupied, and reduced to rubble were Ijaw communities. The young men who laid down their arms in their thousands, many of whom paid the ultimate price, were overwhelmingly Ijaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Amnesty Programme exists because the Nigerian state could not silence the Ijaw struggle through force. That reality must remain central to any honest conversation about its origin and direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Any attempt by any group to posture as equal architects of that struggle is misleading and needlessly provocative. Historical distortion does not promote inclusion. It fuels tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We consider it deeply irresponsible for any organization to threaten oil production or public order as a bargaining tool. Such language recalls a period of instability that brought hardship to the region and the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peace in the Niger Delta was secured through sacrifice and difficult choices made by Ijaw youths who placed national stability above prolonged conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let it be clearly understood that the leadership and direction of the Presidential Amnesty Programme must reflect the circumstances that gave rise to it. That foundation is Ijaw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While we support transparency and accountability in the administration of the Programme, we will not accept intimidation, ethnic pressure, or manufactured grievances aimed at diminishing the central role of the Ijaw nation in the Niger Delta struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this regard, the Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, passes a vote of confidence on the current leadership of the Presidential Amnesty Programme under Dr. Dennis Otuaro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His stewardship has demonstrated stability, administrative focus, and a clear understanding of the delicate history and structure of the Programme. Under his watch, there has been continuity, engagement with critical stakeholders, and a firm commitment to sustaining peace in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We respectfully urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard the distractions of political noisemakers whose interventions are driven by narrow interests rather than regional stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this critical moment, consistency and institutional memory are essential. We therefore recommend the extension of Dr. Otuaro\u2019s tenure to consolidate ongoing reforms and preserve the fragile peace anchored on the Amnesty framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those who beat the drums of unrest must remember that peace in the Niger Delta rests on truth and responsibility. Distorting history is not advocacy. It is provocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, remains committed to peace and national unity. We will continue to defend the legacy, sacrifices, and rightful place of the Ijaw people within the Amnesty structure with clarity and resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comrade Nicholas Igarama
Chairman, Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ebi Joshua Olowolayemo Esq.
Secretary<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comrade Tare Magbei
Information Officer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ebiowei Gabriel The Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, rejects in totality the threats, ultimatums,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5439,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"RE: Reckless Ultimatum By Itsekiri Group A Distortion Of Niger Delta History And Matters Arising___Says IYC","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/96cbadcc-7fce-419b-b02e-294e7c2df0e4.jpg?fit=1280%2C786&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4406,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/07\/14\/just-in-niger-delta-group-condemns-pipeline-repair-contract-awarded-to-olu-of-itsekiri\/","url_meta":{"origin":5440,"position":0},"title":"JUST IN: Niger Delta Group Condemns Pipeline Repair Contract Awarded To Olu Of Itsekiri","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"July 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"By Esther David Prominent Ijaw group under the auspices of Ijaw People's Development Initiative has called on the federal government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL to terminate pipeline repair contracts of SECTIONAL REPLACEMENT OF 14.4KM WEAK SECTIONS OF TRANS-FORCADOSPIPELINE OPERATIONS which was awarded to the PIPELINE INFRASTRUCTURE\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0881-1.jpg?fit=863%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0881-1.jpg?fit=863%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0881-1.jpg?fit=863%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img_0881-1.jpg?fit=863%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3975,"url":"https:\/\/coastaltimes.com.ng\/index.php\/2025\/06\/28\/itsekiri-a-kingdom-built-on-ijaw-land-and-heritage___izonkeme-owei\/","url_meta":{"origin":5440,"position":1},"title":"ITSEKIRI: A Kingdom Built In Ijaw Land And Heritage___Izonkeme Owei","author":"Freeborn Abraye","date":"June 28, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u200e By Esther David ITSEKIRI: A KINGDOM BUILT IN IJAW LAND AND HERITAGE.\u200eUNCOVERING THE TRUE ORIGINS OF A STORIED MONARCHY\u200e\u200eIn the vibrant and complex mosaic of Nigeria's ethnic identities, few histories are as contested and as misunderstood as that of the Itsekiri people. 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