The federal government has impoverished, balkanised and undermined the Ijaw, leaving them with the “worst ever” ecosystem in the world, says the president general of INC, Benjamin Okaba.

“Despite the God-given enormous human and natural resources of the Ijaws, who are equally ranked among the four largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Ijaw nation, the focus of this conversation, is badly impoverished, brutally balkanised, neglected, and undermined by successive administrations in Nigeria, even before independence,” said Mr Okaba at the Annual Convention and Fund Raising of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) of the Americas, held in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Sunday.

Mr Okaba added, “The Ijaw local economy is badly articulated. This is worsened by the lack of meaningful wealth creation/empowerment and employment opportunities.

“The Ijaw ecosystem, to say the least, the worst ever anywhere in the world, has continuously faced unmitigated catastrophes arising largely from oil and gas exploitation-related pollution without any reasonable form of remediation and compensation.

“The Ijaws suffer a slave and stranger status in a nation where they are aboriginal and the producers of its economic mainstay.”

Governor Douye Diri lamented that the International Oil Companies (IOCs), particularly Shell Petroleum Development Company, were responsible for the environmental degradation in Bayelsa.

However, Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), said, “If you go to our area in Bayelsa state, it is likely to be the most polluted state, but people may not know. What is responsible for this pollution? It could be mainly the people or companies. The people in that state are involved in getting illegal crude oil for illegal refining.

“After the refining, they throw the rest into the river. You will agree with me that by the law, the federal government owns the water and land resources. So, it behoves everyone to join hands together to fight this menace.”

The minister urged Nigerians in the diaspora to support the government’s efforts so that the environment can be preserved. He appealed to Ijaw people in the diaspora to tell Nigerians in the Niger Delta region to stop pipeline vandalisation.

He added, “It will cause more harm to the communities than the little money they will make. No matter the proceeds gotten from the illegal refining, it can not feed the people of the communities. So, we appeal to those perpetuating such acts to desist.

“President Tinubu will continue to support all Nigerians in the diaspora, including the Ijaw people, because we occupy a strategic position in the country, and oil still remains the main strength of our economy.

“It accounts for at least 90 per cent of forex. We occupy the entire area of coastline. For us to benefit from this resource, we need to work with the government at all levels.”

(NAN)