By NATHAN NWAKAMMA

The Ijaw Elders Consultative Forum says it is working hard to end factionalism in the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and the Ijaw National Congress (INC), the two prominent groups of the Ijaw people.

The Leader of the forum which is based in Bayelsa, Chef T. K. Ogoriba, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Yenagoa.

Ogoriba said that the disunity between the two prominent Ijaw groups often retarded progress in the quest for improved life for the people.

He said the forum was already mobilising stakeholders to ensure rancour-free and acceptable election in the IYC.

The leader of the consultative forum said that afterwards, it would do same for the INC with a view to reviving the body from its comatose state.

Ogoriba traced the history of the struggle for identity and recognition of the Ijaw ethnic group to the formative years of the INC and IYC.

He noted that the efforts of the founding fathers of the two bodies were yielding fruits.

According to him, the emergence of Sen. Douye Diri, the pioneer National Organising Secretary of INC as the current Bayelsa Governor is a well deserved reward for the Ijaw struggle.

“We have come a long way from the advocacy for a place for the Ijaws with the Bayelsa Forum, INC, MOSIEND and other youth organisations, culminating in the creation of Bayelsa State.

“Today we have one of us who was in the struggle for creation of Bayelsa state as a governor with executive powers and we have no doubt about his ability to turn things around.

“He knows what the problems are and has the capacity to solve them. So he needs no further propping to be on the positive side of history.

“This is the time we want all and sundry to come together in solidarity and support this new administration and give it the benefit of the doubt. Already, the first steps are encouraging.

“At the 2020 Isaac Boro Memorial Day, the governor announced that the welfare of the surviving contemporaries of Boro has been resuscitated.

“That raised the people’s morale and hope on the new government,” he said.

Ogoriba recalled that the governor had stated that it was time for all Ijaws to come together to resuscitate the INC to work in synergy with the IYC to bring about stability in Ijaw land.

He noted that the elders were encouraged by the call by Gov. Diri on the Ijaws to shun divisive tendencies and show love for one other to achieve progress.

The leader of the elders forum said the interest shown by the governor in the Ijaw affairs would reposition the people for the development of the Niger Delta region. (NAN)

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