The Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, Worldwide, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Rivers State Governor, Siminialaye Fubara, to prioritise the development of the Niger Delta and Ijaw riverine communities in the state.
The IYC President, Peter Timothy Igbifa, in a statement to congratulate Tinubu and Fubara on their inaugurations also canvassed for massive youth empowerment in the Niger Delta region and in the state.
Igbifa in the statement on Thursday from Port Harcourt, appealed to Fubara to undertake road projects that would link riverine communities to facilitate the movement of goods and services and speed up the overall development of the state.
He asked the Rivers governor to develop a new city in the riverine area that would have all the trappings of living in Port Harcourt.
Igbifa urged Fubara to prioritise job creation, employment opportunities and youth empowerment programmes to effectively engage the youths as the best means of fighting crimes in the state.
He said: “We congratulate Sir. Siminialaye Fubara, on his inauguration as the Governor of Rivers State. This is time for governance.
“We are calling on the governor to pay attention to the creation of jobs, employment opportunities and massive empowerment programmes for youths in Rivers State because we believe that adequate engagements of youths will help to fight crimes in the state.
“We further urge him to carry out integrated development of the rural communities in Rivers State and to consider building a modern city in such an area. The governor should create roads to link the rural communities and consider developing the ancient town of Opobo and other Ijaw communities into modern cities.
On the Presidency, Igbifa, while extolling the qualities of Tinubu, called on the President to adequately fund the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Ministry of the Niger Delta to propel the development of the region.
He urged Tinubu to turn the Niger Delta into a massive construction site by ensuring the completion of all abandoned projects in all the states that make up the region.
Igbifa called for the declaration of state of emergency on the East-West road, saying the people would be eternally grateful to Tinubu if his Presidency could immediately complete the abandoned road.
He said: “We are happy that Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been inaugurated as the President of our great country. We do not doubt his capacity. We, therefore, call on him to prioritise the development of the Niger Delta.
“The IYC wants Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the East-West road. The road should be completed immediately. The remapping of Akwa Ibom State should stop immediately and all the abandoned projects, especially roads in various states of the region should be completed”.