2007: Niger Delta Youth Challenge Opponents of Derivation
From Donald Andoor in Port Harcourt
Against the background of the suit filed at the Supreme Court by 22 states seeking to void the 13 percent derivation for the purpose of revenue allocation accruing to the federation account, the Niger Delta Youth Movement (NDYM), has declared that any political party which fails to zone the presidency to the South-South geo-political zone should forget the presidency come 2007
Also the group said it has resolved to organise a one million-man march should the apex court decide to entertain the suit.
The President of NDYM, Mr. Onengiye Elekima in a statement said "the North has ruled this country as if it was their birth right and has continued to lay claim to the political kingship of Nigeria. Why then would the North conspire to deprive the Niger Delta a meagre 13 percent derivation policy on the resources nature has endowed on our land."
The statement maintained that in the interest of peace and national unity the initiators of the said suit "should withdraw it and desist from acts capable of causing dissaffection and disintegration of Nigerian polity."
NDYM, a coalition of 30 youth organisations warned that the youth of the region "could no longer continue to stomach insults and intimidation from any region of Nigeria as we have resolved to take the bull by the horns" adding that " we are mobilizing and perfecting strategies to ensure that any zoning after the present administration comes to the Niger Delta otherwise the political party can as well forget the presidency"
While appealing to the governors of the region to make a categorical statement individually or collectively to counter whatever conspiracy that is going on, the youth, however reiterated that it was not relenting in its resolved to support the Obasanjo administration for its laudable programmes.
"It is unfortunate that at a time the youth of the Niger Delta is embracing peace and dialogue, a group of misguided gluttons have decided to draw the tiger by the tail they should be ready to accept whatever happens to a man that pulls a trained dog by the ear."
"The North should know that the deveiopment of the North and the hypertech plants on the North were executed with resources from the Niger Delta and any attempt to frustrate Obasanjo administration's laudable reforms and policies would be counter productive and the conspirators would pay severely for it." the statement warned.
It will be recalled that 19 states from the North and three from the South-west have gone to Supreme court seeking the void an act to abolish the dichotomy in the application of principle of derivation for the purpose of allocation of revenue accruing to the federation account.
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