The Ijaw Elders Forum (IEF) and a coalition of Ijaw interest groups have advocated the inclusion of Ijaws in the current federal administration.

They lamented the non-inclusion of Ijaws in appointments in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

IEF made its position known on Saturday in a statement by its chairman, Bukazi Etete, on behalf of the coalition of Ijaw interest groups.

The coalition includes the Ijaw Professionals Association (IPA), the Ijaw Nation Forum (INF), the G24 Embasara Foundation, and Ijaw Women Connect Worldwide.

The IEF noted that its demand is in solidarity with ongoing advocacy by the pan-Ijaw socio-cultural group, the Ijaw National Congress for Equity and Justice, in appointments by the Tinubu-led administration.

“It is very sad to note that the Ijaws have been completely left out of the federal government but for a minister of state position.

“It is unacceptable that with the myriad of appointments by this government, the fourth largest ethnic group in the country has been largely ignored.

“Being conscious of the unfortunate economic, political and social deprivations and the unjustifiable denial of access to wealth creation through the ownership and management of our God-endowed natural resources in line with the tenets of fiscal federalism, the least the Federal Government can do to assuage the ill feeling of the Ijaw people is to have adequate representation in Federal appointments to create a sense of belonging,” the group stated

The coalition urged the federal government to reconsider its stand and include Ijaws in the government to create a sense of equity and engender unity in the polity.

(NAN)