National Confab: IYC Faults Rejection Of Minority Report

Source: thewillnigeria.com

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, (THEWILL) â€' The foremost Ijaw youth organisation, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has described the rejection of the Ann-Kio Briggs Minority Report on Resource Control by the National Conference as a tyranny of the majority and a demonstration of a pre-conceived position on the vexed subject of resource control.

The group said it was wrong for the National Confab at its plenary on the May 22 to have rejected the minority report by Ann-Kio Briggs on resource control without subjecting it to a debate.

A statement by the group's spokesman, Eric Omare, said; 'The IYC regards this decision as tyranny of the majority and a demonstration of a preconceived position on the vexed subject of resource control.

'The National Conference which is supposed to be a platform to design a new Nigeria is fast metamorphosing into an instrument for the continued oppression of the minorities in Nigeria by the majorities; hence we have lost confidence in the conference.

'The IYC make bold to state that the National Conference was wrong to have rejected the minority report prepared by Ann-Kio Briggs without subjecting it to debate.

'The mere fact that the majority has arrived at a decision at the Committee level should not exclude those with minority position from submitting their position to the plenary for debate as such minority report would enhance deliberations at plenary.

'The Niger Delta people are disappointed in this sudden disposition by the National Conference to maintain status quo at all costs.

'It is retrogressive for the ongoing conference to insist on maintaining the status quo of 13 percent when the Obasanjo's Political Reform Conference had in 2005, about nine years ago, recommended the increase in derivation from 13 percent to 25 percent.

'The Niger Delta people had expected that nine years after the Political Reform Conference recommended 25 percent derivation, this conference of 2014 would not have any difficulty in accepting the 50 derivation which the Ann Briggs minority report advocated for the Niger Delta people.

'The rejection of the Ann-Kio Briggs minority report is a dark chapter in the history of our people. However, the Niger Delta people would not be deterred with this set back as it would only be temporary.

'We shall continue with the agitation for resource control and fiscal federalism and our collective will to control our resource would eventually triumph as it is in the interest of a productive Nigeria,' the statement said.

While commending the efforts of Ann-Kio Briggs, the IYC said the Niger Delta people would go back to the drawing board and decide on the next line of action.