PRESS STATEMENT RE: RECKLESS ULTIMATUM BY ITSEKIRI GROUP, DISTORTION OF NIGER DELTA HISTORY, AND MATTERS ARISING The Ijaw Youth Council, Western Zone, rejects in totality the threats, ultimatums, and revisionist claims issued by a faceless group parading itself as the Itsekiri Ethnic Nationality Ex-Agitators Forum. We state without ambiguity that the Presidential Amnesty Programme was born out of an Ijaw-led armed resistance against state repression, environmental devastation, and economic exclusion. This is established history. It is not open to reinvention to suit present political convenience. The creeks where the conflict raged are Ijaw land. The communities that were bombarded, occupied, and reduced to rubble were Ijaw communities. The young men who laid down their arms in their thousands, many of whom paid the ultimate price, were overwhelmingly Ijaw. The Amnesty Programme exists because the Nigerian state could not silence the Ijaw struggle through force....
Ijaw Publishers' Forum Congratulates Barr S. Smooth on Birthday, By EgbemaVoice, The Ijaw Publishers' Forum (IPF) has extended warm birthday wishes to Barr S. Smooth, describing him as a legendary icon of Ijaw music who had achieved much that had made him outstanding. In a statement signed by IPF's National President, Comrade Ozobo Austin, the organization applauded Barr Smooth's contributions to Ijaw music industry and his philanthropic efforts, particularly in empowering youths in the Niger Delta region. The group added that Smooth's contributions to the Niger Delta struggle and enduring peace are overwhelming, adding that history will be kind to him eternity. The statement spotlight Barr Smooth's selfless leadership and generosity, wishing him continued strength, wisdom, and divine blessings on his special day. The IPF also prayed for his legacy to flourish, creating more opportunities for young people.