PORT HARCOURT: Tensions are rising in Rivers State as the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) has issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, warning of a potential halt in oil production unless key political demands are addressed.
In a strongly worded open letter signed by NDYC President Bene Youkore Mamamu, the group called for an immediate reversal of withheld revenue from Rivers State, an end to impeachment efforts against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and a public retraction of what they described as “anti-Ijaw” remarks attributed to former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The letter warned, “Failure to comply could lead to a total shutdown of oil production across the region — a move that would have catastrophic consequences for Nigeria’s economy. Copies of the letter were distributed to journalists in Warri, Delta State, on Saturday.
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The youth body strongly condemned Wike’s reported comments referring to the Ijaw people as a minority group, calling the statement “provocative and an open declaration of economic and political war.
We are ready to shock the world in seven days, the letter declared.The oil that powers this nation flows from our land the fourth largest and most populous ethnic group in Nigeria and we will not allow Wike, who appears to be supported by the Presidency, to undermine our region and rewrite our history.
The NDYC accused President Tinubu’s administration of empowering Wike and the judiciary to weaken the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta, citing threats to impeach Governor Fubara, seize the state’s funds, and insult Niger Delta elder statesman Pa Edwin Clark.
We will not stand by while the history of the Ijaw nation is distorted, the group stated, urging its members to prepare for widespread disruption of oil activities if their demands are not met by the end of the ultimatum.
The threat of an oil shutdown has sparked concerns about potential economic instability, as the Niger Delta remains Nigeria’s most critical oil-producing region, contributing significantly to the country’s revenue.
