IYC CONSTITUTION AMENDMENT: Ex-Spokesman Ebilade Fire’s Hot On Sensitive Issues

***Condemns 50 Years Age Limit, Advocates Electronic Voting System

Cautiously taking into consideration the outcome of the IYC Odi constitutional convention last year, the former spokesman of IYC comrade Ebilade Ekerefe has registered his displeasure over some salient issues bordering on the increase of the statutory age limit of IYC to 50 years.

According to the versatile youth leader and a frontline advocate for the development of the Niger Delta region Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, opined that the 50 years ago limit is a deliberate attempt by greedy and unreasonable leaders to perpetually have access to IYC oppress and continue milking the system for personal gains, without allowing young Niger Deltans to grow in leadership.

Ebilade Ekerefe in a statement, poured out his heart, raising salient issues if not addressed will be an embarrassment to IYC as people may not take the pressure group seriously again.

He writes:

The IYC over a decade have been battling with a protracted constitutional crisis as a result of the inability of successive administrations failing to enact a robust and acceptable grundnorm for the smooth running of it’s activities. Some presidents attempted, including the previous administration of Peter Igbifa which I served, but ended in a fiasco during the transition.

While I commend the leadership of Sir. Jonathan Lokpobiri for having the courage and the political will to address the constitutional logjam timeously, it’s also important to appreciate the Constitution Drafting Committee ably chaired by my very good friend, Barr. Mathew Ayibakuro Noah for painstakingly doing a thorough and fantastic job.

However, as a critical stakeholder in the Council, it’s my personal view to make two salient observations which was resolved at the Odi Constitutional Convention last year December that was not captured in the draft document.

50 Years Age Limit

It is an anathema to increase the membership age limit of the Council from 45 to 50years. This portrays the IYC as an unprogressive organization as it does not conforms with global benchmarks on who is considered a youth.

Let’s tell our self the honest truth, some whose age have exceeded the 45 years have deliberately refused to retire from the IYC or transit into the INC as they see it as the only platform to achieve personal aggrandizement. Consequent upon this, they are exerting every effort to suffocate the organization. If this monopolistic tendencies are left unchecked, they’ll successfully annihilate the younger generation from taking their rightful place in the leadership which was bequeathed to us by the founding fathers. However, to invalidate my opinion, let them convince me and others who share my thoughts of the rational behind increasing the age limit to 50 when 45years is even considered unacceptable as youth in some sort.

In furtherance to this, the Ijaw National Congress remains the parent body of the Ijaw Youth Council and therefore, our constitution is supposed to be in relation to that of the INC’s constitution when it comes to the issue of age. Are they now saying that you can be in the IYC at age 50 and still be in the INC at age 45? Does it make any logical sense?

What impact can a 50years old man make in a youth organization when all his productive energy has diminished? Where would he even have the courage and the might to confront and speak against the oppressors of the region if not for self? At age 50, our focus should be more on competing for political positions that will transform the life’s of our people and not to drag space with younger people in the IYC.

It’s preposterous that since 1998, 27years after the Kaiama declaration, some people have refused to exit the scene and take the back stage for younger ones to lead. The should be told to play supportive roles and serve as good examples for the younger generation to emulate. The likes of Maxwell Oko, former chairman of the Central Zone who just celebrated his 50th birthday, Dr. Sammy Ogbuku, former Information Officer of Central Zone who’ll be 50 this year, Dr. Chris Ekiyo, Udengs Eradiri and “et al” serves as inspiration to me in particular for their remarkable accomplishments in less than 50years.

I refuse to accept that a 50 years old should be addressed as a youth and hold elective position in the IYC. No way! If this is not repealed and the age limit reduced back to 42years as reflected on the draft constitution presented by the Barr Mathew Ayibakuro’s committee, it will be viewed as a self-serving document and the real purpose or clamor for a working document defeated.

Option A4 Mode of Election:

I’ve sampled the opinions of a lot of people, both inside and outside the IYC of the advantages and disadvantages of option A4 mode of elections, honestly, the preponderances of the opinions are in support of this mode as they believe it will reduce cost drastically in our elections.

While I agree with them to an extent, I still believe that the Open Secret Balloting mode of election was not the problem, but the quality and characters of the delegates selected and presented before a National Elective Convention by the Zones and Chapters was. Majority of this delegates, especially some Clan Chairmen who are neophytes in the Council, come into a national election as delegates with the sole purpose of selling their votes to the highest bidder after milking from virtually every other contestant. To them, competence, capacity and the character needed to become a national officer and deliver on the job is not considered, but rather your dip pocket. This is the crux of the matter and I stated it during the Public Hearing of the Constitution Drafting Committee at Ijaw House last year.

Option A4 in my considered opinion is not the best solution to curbing vote buying in our elections. It is obsolete and not modern. This process will be easier to determine the outcome of the elections.

For example, someone in authority and influence can call all the delegates in his zone, induce them financially and direct them to cue behind his or her preferred candidates in the election. Of course they(delegates) will carry out the instruction in other not to be in the bad books of that leader or system and loose benefits afterwards. This will make the elections less interesting and less competitive.

Whereas, an open secret ballot is more competitive, healthier and vibrant. People can supposedly collect money randomly and those with conscience can still cast their votes for their preferred choice of candidate secretly even when directed to do otherwise by their benefactors. As a matter of fact, a vote is supposed to be sacred and not to the knowledge of the public.

However, if the sole purpose of the option A4 was to reduce cost, the best option to achieving that is through Electronic mode of voting. It is technological, more universally acceptable, less expensive and more transparent. That’s exactly what the INC did in the election that produced Prof. Benjamin Okaba’s leadership and we all saw how transparent and cost effective it was. This mode of election gives delegates, especially those in the diaspora chapter the opportunity to be in the comforts of their destinations and cast their votes freely without any compulsion or passing through the stress of coming to the convention venue.

Conclusively, the composition of the delegates is key. The delegate in my view should be expanded beyond the agreed number in the Odi Convention to accommodate statutory delegates made up of former Presidents, Secretary Generals, Spokesmen, National Women leaders, Parliament Speakers, Zonal and Chapter Chairmen who are still within the Council’s age limit. This set of category of delegates have sufficient knowledge about the Council and can not be easily induced financially to do the bidding of someone who is not fit and proper to lead.