By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The Council of Ogbos, in-charge of the organisational structures of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide, has announced the removal of the acting Chairman of the council’s Eastern Zone, James Tobin, following his push for the immediate removal of the Sole Administrator of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Akwa, and Niger Delta minister, Godswill Akpabio.
The Ogbos, known as the Council of Organisational Leaders (COOL), stated that Tobin had no authority to issue statements using IYC since his leadership had been dissolved in a stakeholders’ meeting.
The Leader of COOL, John Amos Benjamin, described the publication that called for the removal of Akwa and Niger Delta Affairs minister, Godswill Akpabio, by the ex-chairman as embarrassing asking members of the public to ignore it.
He said: “On 11th December, 2020, IYC, Eastern Zonal stakeholders’ meeting was held at the Presidential Hotels. It was decided at the meeting that the tenure of Tobin James, who was till then the Ag. Chairman, had elapsed and the council was dissolved following a motion.
“20th December, 2020, was unanimously agreed for a zonal congress. We officially set up the Zonal Electoral Committee (ZECO) to facilitate a transition in line with the great Okochiri Peace Treaty (OPT).
“We want to put on record that the tenure of Tobin James expired a long time ago. The constitution binding Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, states clearly that the tenure of office for national, zonal, chapter, clan, regions/diaspora executives and parliamentarians shall be three years of one term.
“The immediate past executive committee led by Comr. Samuel George, was inaugurated on 30th November, 2017. James the out gone Ag. Chairman deputized George and was given legitimacy to become the acting chairman after the historic OPT when his principal resigned to vie for a national position.
“But James no longer has the authority to write any official letter on behalf of the council. It is a gross misconduct and disciplinary actions will be meted on him appropriately”.
Benjamin said in line with the Okochiri Peace Treaty, COOL had named Ibim Ibiwari, as the acting chairman of the Eastern zone.
“There isn’t supposed to be a vacuum in leadership. It is the unanimous responsibility of COOL in line with the directives of the National Executive Council (NEC), ably led by the 8th President, Dcn. Comr. Peter Timothy Igbifa, to fill the vacuum.
“To this end, we implore the Presidency, and as well as the general public, to kindly disregard the purported document and their biased position. Their act is mischievous and attention-seeking. Some of the signatories have distanced themselves from such documents. COOL, sincerely apologizes to the relevant authorities and entities, for the embarrassment this may have caused them”.