BY Emma Amaize & Samuel Oyadongha

WARRI—IJAW Youth Council, IYC, yesterday, said that former governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah and his fellow South-South delegates at the National Conference Committee on Devolution of Powers, who agreed to retain 13 per cent derivation, have no power to change the stand of the Niger Delta people.

The group, in a statement by spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, said: “The attention of IYC has been drawn to an interview granted by Obong Attah, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, wherein he said that South-South delegates, who served in the confab committee on Devolution of Power, agreed to retain 13 per cent derivation because of national interest and to avoid secession.

“Niger Deltans read the said interview with disappointment and regard as a betrayal of trust. Obong Attah and other South-South delegates, who served in the committee and agreed to retain 13 per cent derivation did so on their own, and not on behalf of Niger Deltans.

“Niger Delta people have a common position on the issue of resource control, which cannot be changed unilaterally by Attah and his co-travelers. It is disappointing that Attah, a former advocate of resource control, could justify retaining 13 per cent derivation considering the fact that the 2005 Obasanjo Political Reform Conference had recommended an increase in derivation, about nine years ago.

“Niger Delta people will in due course meet and sanction Niger Delta delegates, who are betraying the position of the region on resource control and derivation at the ongoing confab. We call on Niger Delta delegates to boldly stand in defence of resource control during the debate on the report of the committee in plenary.”