Briga News Nigeria
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Western Zone, has asserted that Nigeria’s independence remains incomplete without full resource control.
The group highlighted that for true sovereignty to be achieved, the issue of resource ownership and management must be addressed, particularly for the Niger Delta region, which has long been marginalized despite its wealth of natural resources.
Information Officer of the IYC Western Zone, Comrade Tare Magbei, made this statement on Monday in reaction to the country marking its 64th Independence Day.
He lamented that while Nigeria has been politically independent for over six decades, economic independence, especially for resource-rich regions, has been stifled by a lack of control over their resources.
Magbei emphasized that true federalism entails equitable distribution of power and resources, which is far from thereality in today’s Nigeria.
“The current structure promotes economic imbalance, with regions that contribute the most to the national economy receiving the least benefits,” he said.
The youth leader argued that resource control would empower local governments and communities to develop at their own pace, ensuring that wealth generated within a region is used to improve the lives of the people.
This, he said, is a cornerstone of true federalism, which recognizes the rights of each federating unit to control its own resources while contributing to the federal purse.
Magbei concluded by calling on the Nigerian government to urgently embrace true federalism as the only sustainable solution to the country’s myriad challenges.
“Until the regions are granted full control of their resources, Nigeria’s independence will remain incomplete. True federalism, which guarantees resource control, is essential for fairness, unity, and long-term national development.”
