IYC: Meet Your Spokesman Aspirants Amatoru, Bedford, Awipi, Binebai in the Forthcoming Council Elections

IYC: Meet Your Spokesman Aspirants Amatoru, Bedford, Awipi, Binebai in the Forthcoming Council Elections 

Oyinbi Onduku 

Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) is the umbrella body accommodating the entire youths of ljaw Nation both male and female, literates and illiterates, poor and the rich, rural and urban dwellers, home and abroad respectively.

The body is being led by elected executive President alongside other executive members numbering over fifteen persons that constitutes the Excos which tenure last for three years.

The various elective executive positions are being shared according to the zones that made up the council, especially Central, Eastern, Western Zones and Special Area Chapters across the country including Lagos and Abuja.

According to the structure and functionality of council in practice, aside from the President, the position of  Spokesman in council is the next most powerful office to look up to in terms of projecting and protecting the interest of ljaw youths in the most populous country of Africa continent Nigeria.

With the numerous challenges bedeviling ljaw nation resulting from underdevelopment, bad government, oppression from majority ethnic groups, environmental pollution by multinational oil companies, herdsmen attacks etc, there is urgent need for ljaw youths to elect a very competent, selfless, fearless and vocal President alongside Spokesman to consistently tackle Nigeria federal government as well as other perceived enemies of ljaw Nation in the country.

At this junction, we present to you the four aspirants at the moment vying for the position of Spokesman of Council. However, this is public opinion poll, and it is expected ljaw youths from Western Zone should endeavor to use this medium to make a right decision by selecting the most competent aspirant amongst them according to their background, pedigree and contributions so far in the ljaw nation liberation struggle over the years.

1) *ENGR. AMATORU TORUBENI VICTOR (MNATE)*

He was born into the family of late His Royal Highness, Chief Amatoru Dennis Torubeni of Tuomo Community, TT Clan in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, in the early 80s.

He is a graduate of Civil Engineering Technology (HND) from Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana Ebonyi State, 2006/2011. He also acquired a Post Graduate Diploma in Civil Engineering at the prestigious Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State in 2019. And he is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Civil Engineering, University of PortHarcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

While in the higher institution, he was active in student union politics and was elected as Treasurer National Association of Civil Engineering Students (NACES), Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana Chapter. He was former Secretary General Niger Delta Student Union Government (NIDSUG) as well as President Niger Delta Student Union Government (NIDSUG) Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana Chapter precisely.

Professionally, he is a fellow of the National Association of Technologists in Nigeria (NATE).

Contributing his quota to the ljaw liberation struggle, he had played a critical role to protect the ljaw course as active member of Meinbutu during the ljaw/ltsekiri ethnic crisis in Warri and its environ.

He had served ljaw nation in different capacity during the days of Alhaji Asari Dokubo as President of Council to the present Comr. Timothy lgbifa led administration.

It will also interest you to note that he was former Special Assistant (SA) on Education to Barr. Oweilaemi Pereotubo led lYC government as well as the National Spokesman of the Niger Delta Nonviolence Agitators Forum (NDNAF), ably led by most senior. Comrade Wisdom lkuli as National President.

He is currently a Media Assistant (SA) to the National President of ljaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, and he used the office to play a vital role in resolving the leadership crisis rocking lYC Eastern Zone.

Presently, he has indicated interest to serve ljaw nation under the capacity of Spokesman in the forthcoming ljaw Youth Council (IYC) elections comes July, 2023.

2)  *BEDFORD BEREFA BENJAMIN* 

He is a media personnel and consultant with several years of experience who hails from Ekogbene community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State.

A graduate of Health Education from the prestigious Niger Delta University, after which he proceeded for a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Journalism from the International Institute of Journalism.

He is also an associate member of the Institute of Strategic Management, ISMN. He has attended several National Conferences to deepen discourse on  environmental issues and advancement in the Niger Delta region.

Bedford Berefa Benjamin is a young man with a passion and interest in the Ijaw course. Hence, he has used his wealth of experience in journalism to give a voice to the issues affecting the Ijaw people, both locally and internationally.

He has written several news items, articles, and features on the Ijaw struggle, the marginalization, and social injustice of the Niger Delta, including issues on Resource Control.

Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer of The Breath Innovation, an organization that specializes in media related activities with an online television and news blog, The BreathTV.

The Breath TV is a platform that is currently promoting and propagating the Ijaw struggle.

He is a true Ijaw breed who is the current Spokesman of Ijaw Political Frontiers, a group committed to the Ijaw course. Criticize, analyse policies, and promote political positions that affect the Ijaw nation, engage political heads, and suggest programs for the progress of the Ijaw collective struggle.

Bedford has contributed his intellectual properties in the ljaw liberation struggle and attended more than three National Conventions, participated in several Boro Day celebrations, and protested to express the collective dissatisfaction of the Ijaw Nation. He has also done several documentaries on his platforms and others to showcase the level of environmental rape of our coastal territories, decay of infrastructure,  the devastating effect of the flood. He is currently working on a material to expose the level of sufferings in the interlands and the way forward, including other developmental works, to tell the Ijaw story.

As a student of the Kaiama Declarations in 1998, Berefa followed the struggle senso stricto by interviewing and following notable leaders in the Ijaw struggle for Self-Determination.

He has served sacrificially with his time, energy and money. He is competent, versatile, and has the capacity to do the job when given the mandate by ljaw youths come July, 2023.

3) *AWIPI PEIBULOU LAWSON*

Comrade Lawson Peibulou Awipi is an indigene of Bomadi Town in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State. He is a graduate of Political Science from Delta State University, Abraka. He also obtained Masters Degree in Public Administration at the University of Benin, Edo State in the year 2017.

Comrade Awipi as he is well known, has been an activist right from the classroom. In 2010, he was elected as the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the National Union of Izon-Ebe Students (NUIS) College of Education Chapter, Warri, Delta State. And of course, as the PRO of NUIS, he used the position to project, protect and defend the interest of Ijaw students.

In 2013, he became the National President of the National Union of Izon-Ebe Students (NUIS). As NUIS President, he mobilized Ijaw students to protest against the injustice metted on Niger Delta ljaw people by the Federal Government of Nigeria. He equally mobilized the student community to Abuja with coaster buses to block the entrance of National Assembly over bad government, and the impact was greatly felt by Nigerians both home and abroad. He was the first ljaw student to organize "Ijaw Cultural Day" as NUIS President where all Ijaw Students all over Nigeria gathered in Ijaw House, Bayelsa State and the student community used the programme to call Nigerian Government to order on issues that affects the Niger Delta ljaw people at then. 

Awipi's struggle for better ljaw nation did not end after graduation from school. He has been very active and committed in the Ijaw struggle with all passion. On the 13th of August, 2018, he was elected as the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Western Zone, and he served ljaw youths incredibly well.

Right now, he has declared his intention to further serve ljaw Nation under the capacity as National Spokesman of lYC come July.

4) *AMB. BINEBAI PRINCEWILL YERIN*

He was born in the mid-80s to the ace African Drama scholar, Prof. Ben Binebai, from Ofougbene Community (Iduwini Kingdom), Burutu LGA, Delta State.

A graduate of Mass Communication from Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka. He is an encyclopedia of the Ijaw socio-cultural, political and economic history. He is full of life, young, intelligent, outspoken, visionary and industrious.

While in the university, he was active and committed to student union politics, especially SUG, Faculty, Departmental and the National Union of lzon-lbe Students (NUIS) where his indelible inputs were greatly felt at that time.

Amb. Princewill Binebai is a household name both in community service, activism, media profession and otherwise.

His leadership charisma is unbeatable. Having served as Youth President of Burutu Community, he was elected as Iduwini Clan Chairman of ljaw Youth Council (IYC) where he used his exalted office to holistically tackle the Federal, State and Local governments to prioritize the development of Burutu as the headquarters of oil rich council area that is host to Forcados Terminal.

He is the current President General of the umbrella body Delta Ijaw Comrade Community, a coalition of ljaw human right activists and media professionals rendering selfless services towards development and promotion of ljaw nation in the state and beyond.

As a career journalist, he founded The Liberator Newspaper Worldwide in order to tell the real story of the Niger Delta people, especially the underdevelopment of the oil rich ljaw region where environmental degradation, poverty and hunger has become the order of the day.

As a patriotic ljaw youth, he uses his news media to propagate the problems and needs of the ljaw people before the government and the multinational oil companies operating in the region in order to provide immediate solution to the plight of the people.

He is admired by the young and the old due to his philanthropic life style, humility, dedication to duty, honesty and hardworking. His contributions to the development of ljaw nation politically, economically, academically and culturally across the country is overwhelming.

His passion for the progress and development of ljaw nation has endeared him once again to serve his people in the forthcoming lYC elections as the Spokesman this time around. He is coming with the desire for the voice of ljaw nation to be heard louder and clearer within the shores of Nigeria and abroad.