The Urhobo National Youth Congress (UNYC), has accused the Federal Government (FG), of marginalisation of Urhobo Youths in the phase III of the amnesty programme.
It also urged the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NNPC) to put Urhobo Youths in its scheme of things, requesting a minimum of 50 job slots from the company.
This was contained in a letter dated 22nd April, 2013 titled ‘‘the marginalisation, in FGN Phase III Amnesty’’ Exclusion and Unemployment of Urhobo Youths; A request for fifty (50) employment positions in your establishment’’ and made available to our reporter according to the letter jointly signed by its President – Comrade Nicholas Evwienure and Barrister Odudu Okakuro, the Urhobo Youth body felt short-changed over their exclusion by the Federal government in the phase three of the amnesty programme.
The group also lamented that the Urhobo youth in the Nigerian Nation has been so unfairly treated and dastardly neglected in spite of the great wealth of oil resources that abound in their land.
‘‘it is a pity that the Federal Government is paying undue attention and giving unnecessary credence to people who choose to embark in militancy, terrorism, thuggery, pipeline vandalism interalia as a way of driving home their agitation at the expense of peace loving people”.
‘‘As youths, we don’t want to resort to arm struggle in our drive to achieve our right, nevertheless, the Federal Government should not consider that as a weakness to abandon us!’’
Stressing further, the president said that, the Urhobo youth deserve a fair share in the amnesty programme even as a way of encourage the peace loving ethnic nations’’ the letter stated.
Meanwhile, the group has asked the Nigeria Petroleum Development Cooperation, (NPDC) to include the youths in its scheme of things noting a minimum of fifty job slots should be given to them as a way of empowering the youths besides creating a sense of belonging on them.
Source: Frontiernews