Godsent Ogbebor
Niger Delta Youths Threaten Oil Shutdown Over Political Crisis
Tension is mounting in Rivers State as youth groups under the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) have threatened to shut down oil production across the region over the ongoing political crisis in the state.
The youth groups issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, demanding the immediate restoration of Rivers State’s statutory revenue allocation, an end to impeachment moves against Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and a public retraction of alleged anti-Ijaw remarks attributed to former Governor Nyesom Wike.
In an open letter to the president, signed by NDYC President Bene Youkore Mamamu, the group warned that failure to meet their demands could lead to a total shutdown of oil production, a move that could severely impact Nigeria’s fragile economy.
The group condemned Wike’s reported comments describing the Ijaws as a minority among minorities, calling it “provocative and inflammatory” and an attack on the economic and political interests of the region.
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“We are ready to shock the world in seven days,” the letter stated. “The oil that fuels this nation flows from our land, and we will not allow Wike, who we suspect is being used by the Presidency, to sabotage our region and undermine Ijaw history.”
The NDYC further accused the Tinubu administration of empowering Wike and the judiciary to weaken the Ijaw people and the Niger Delta, citing attempts to impeach Governor Fubara and seize the state’s funds.
The group has urged its members to mobilize and disrupt oil production across the Niger Delta if their demands are not met before the ultimatum expires.
