The Ijaw National Congress (INC), has reportedly cried out over what it says is exclusion of Ijaw people from the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vanguard reports October 15, 2023.
Furthermore, the group solicited that an Ijaw person should be the next Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA. INC made the statement through its President, Prof. Benjamin Okaba.
“The attention of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has been drawn to some developments in Nigeria’s coastal economy, and to publications which report the proposed appointment of a certain fellow (not Ijaw) as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority.
“We are constrained by the exigencies of the recent federal political developments, especially in terms of appointments, which are skewed in favour of one ethnic nationality to make the following assertions:
“That the Ijaw have been left out of the present government of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have no representation in the entire executive branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria, except for only one federal Ministerial position.
“We assert that this is not acceptable to the Ijaw people who are major contributors to the Nigerian economy. The Ijaw nation has the dominant population in five coastal states of Nigeria and contribute disproportionately to the revenue of the country.
“That we the Ijaw live in and occupy no less than 65% of Nigeria’s coastal lands but have no representation in government ministries charged with the development of our region and homeland economy.
“These ministries include but not limited to the Ministries of Marine and Blue Economy and its parastatals, Transportation and its agencies, etc. The Ijaw people have been precluded from participating in matters of the development of their own territory even when the resources of these territories contribute immeasurably to the revenue sustaining the entire nation.
“We do not and shall not accept this practice of exploitation and under-representation.Arising from the above, therefore: We demand inclusion in the Federal Government, particularly the executive branch, and insist that Ijaw be adequately represented in policy formulation, planning and implementation of development projects and programmes in Nigeria’s marine economy and associated ministries, parastatals and agencies.
“We demand without equivocation that an Ijaw person be appointed Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority. This is because no Ijaw person has occupied that office since the establishment of organization in 1955”, the statement read.