The Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) has faulted the Federal Government for what it describes as a lopsided approach to development in the Niger Delta, alleging that more attention is being given to protecting oil pipeline infrastructure than to addressing the welfare of residents in coastal communities.
Chairman of the IYC Eastern Zone, Datolu Sokubo, made the remarks during a stakeholders’ engagement in Port Harcourt, stressing that the government must begin to place higher value on human lives and community development.
“It is disturbing that the Federal Government is more concerned about pipelines than the people who live around them. Our communities are neglected, and this must change,” Sokubo stated.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) is urging young people in the region to abandon oil bunkering and embrace more sustainable and lawful means of livelihood.
President of MOSIEND, Kennedy West, warned that communities remain the biggest victims of illegal oil activities, which result in environmental degradation, insecurity, and economic setbacks.
“We must break the cycle. The future of the Niger Delta lies in education, entrepreneurship, and legal ventures — not in illegal refining or bunkering,” West said.
Both groups called for increased government investment in education, job creation, and infrastructure development in the coastal communities to address long-standing marginalization and promote peace in the region.
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