The Ijaw National Congress has frowned at the Water Resources Bill reintroduced by the National Assembly.
The apex Ijaw body also called for the amendment of the Petroleum Industry Act, stressing that the 3% allocated to host communities was inappropriate, while condemning the “definition of host communities as any area in Nigeria and beyond.”
In a communique released at the end of town hall meeting at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Saturday September 24, the INC also called for a swift resolution of all issues surrounding the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.
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it further called for the immediate constitution of a substantive board for the intervention agency without delay.
Resolutions reached at the meeting as contained in the communique signed by the INC National President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba and all critical stakeholders include;
“That the Ijaw Nation is contiguous with defined territorial boundaries and can NEVER be a part of any other group(s) or agitations.
“That the Ijaws in strong terms condemn the Re-introduced Water Resources Bill and call for the amendment of the PIA.
“That the Ijaw National Congress (INC) still insist that the 3% provision for Host communities, the definition of host communities as any area in Nigeria and beyond, which may include Niger Republic, and the allocation of a whopping 30% provision for the exploration of frontier basins in the PIA as totally unacceptable to the Ijaw Nation.
“The Ijaw Nation frowns at the delay by the federal government in resolving the issues concerning the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and called for the Immediately re-composition of a substantive Board for the NDDC, in line with the NDDC act.
“We further sound a note of warning to people of other Ethnic Nationalities perpetrating insecurity in Ijaw territories, Nationwide and to inform them not to misconstrue the hospitality of the Ijaw people for weakness. That would be a great mistake.”
The meeting also urged traditional rulers to take effective control of their domains and to check the current spike of insecurity in the Ijaw Nation.
