The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has called for the immediate commencement of the clean-up of the Niger Delta region as recommended by the United Nations Environmental Programme.
The IYC President, Mr Mabiye Kuromiema, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at the sidelines of Eastern Zonal Convention IYC in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom on Monday.
The convention activities included a lecture entitled: “The Ijaw in the Political Development of Nigeria”, by Prof John Enemugwem.
Kuromiema said that the council had resolved to arrest the continued pollution of the ecosystem in the oil rich Niger Delta region by international oil companies.
He said, “We totally condemn, as a people, the continued pollution of our environment by the operations of oil companies, ExxonMobil, Agip, Shell and others.
“They have continuously polluted our environment which has resulted to the destruction of our ecosystem: destruction of the livelihood the basis of survival of our people.
“This has been firmly established recently by the report of UNEP, which has made it scientifically clear that the Niger Delta is one of the most polluted environment with regards to the activities of oil and gas.
“What the council is calling for today is the immediate commencement of the process to clean up the entire Niger Delta environment.
“Our position is that we don’t just want clean up, bringing foreigners with so called expertise and competence into our communities to clean up or to bring people who are not qualified.
“IYC wants the clean-up job to be reserved for Niger Delta youths, who should be trained and certified to undertake the exercise in line with internationally accepted standards to restore the environment to its original form.
Kuromiema recommended that the youths from oil communities should be equipped with appropriate technologies to work as environmental stewards to prevent future pollution once the clean-up was completed.
The IYC leader said that the involvement of Niger Delta youths in the proposed clean up and monitoring of the environment would provide jobs for the youths.
He said that it would also bring economic empowerment to them.