… urge govt to address cost of living crisis
The umbrella body of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) has decried high cost of cement, saying the situation has further unleashed more suffering on Nigerians. In a statement by its spokesman, Binebai Princewill, the group promised to head for a showdown with cement producers over hike in the price across the country.
Princewill said before now, some cement brands manufactured in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in the Niger Delta, were doing well and far cheaper, but some producers with monopolistic tendencies used their connections with the government to drive them out of the Niger Delta market, thus making lives more difficult for the people.
The spokesman claimed that the ‘political monopolisation’ of the cement industry in favour of some producers was a problem good spirited Nigerians must deal with.
He said: “We cannot continue to bear the brunt of a system not interested in the development and progress of the Ijaw and Niger Delta people. “It is on this premise that IYC will be taking action against cement manufacturers in the coming days.
“We reiterate that this statement should be seen as a warning, as it is not going to be business as usual. We cannot continue to be peaceful when life is unbearable to our people and the government is appearing to be insensitive to the plight of the masses. There is going to be dire consequences if things continue like this.”
The IYC spokesman urged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to ameliorate the deteriorating conditions of living faced by Nigerians.
He said after consultations with stakeholders in the Niger Delta over the current cost of living crisis, Ijaw youths might be forced to embark on ‘mother of all protests’ against the government if the biting inflation and hunger were not well addressed.
Princewill said: “We are using this medium to inform our few Ijaw sons in the Tinubu cabinet that they should not be surprised to see thousands of Ijaw people storming the streets in demand for a better living condition for our people since they are appearing to be insensitive to the plight of our people.
“It should be noted that when the protest will start, there will be no sacred cows and they cannot claim not to be aware.
“Government has really pushed the Ijaw to the wall from the surreptitious sale of Nigerian Agip Oil Company, to another oil company, the political manipulation of the Ijaw people, the wiping out of Ijaw sons and daughters from holding key offices in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), attempted sale of onshore assets of Shell without giving our people the right of first refusal, the non-clean-up of our environment before their purported divestment and the continued refusal of the Federal Government and IOCs to relocate their headquarters to their bases in the Niger Delta.
“We are equally uncomfortable with the rising cost of living in Nigeria, the free fall of the Naira against the US Dollar, hike in pump price of fuel and abnormal prices of commodities at markets.”
