Comrade Emiko Oghomienor, Adviser to the Itsekiri National Youths Council (INYC), has declared that the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has no power to dissolve the leadership of the Council.
The traditional ruler had, in an announcement, dissolved the INYC executive on the allegation that it failed to adopt a new constitution.
The Olu of Warri had insisted on the dissolution of the INYC executive to pave the way for a Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) and fresh elections into the body.
The announcement, made within the Palace, was attended by the Itsekiri Youths Assembly.
The dissolution of the INYC executive was attributed to “the failure of the youth body to successfully adopt a new constitution and conduct an election to elect new executives at the National and chapter levels.
“In the interim, the Palace has immediately appointed Presidents of the National Association of Itsekiri Graduates (NAIG) and National Association of Itsekiri Students (NAIS) as the core of a committee to draft a new constitution for INYC, with Chief Omolubi Newuwumi and Chief Wilson Olley working as advisers.”
But Oghomienor, in a statement, on Tuesday, faulted the dissolution of the INYC leadership by the Olu of Warri. He maintained that it is only the Board of Trustees of INYC that is statutorily empowered to dissolve the Council.
“Even the Board of Trustees of INYC, which is constitutionally empowered to dissolve exco of the body, has laid down procedures that must be followed, whenever the necessity arises.
“In this instance, there is no need to announce dissolution of the current leadership of INYC, led by Comrade Weyinmi Isaac Agbateyiniro, with Comrade Godwin Utieyin acting as President.
“The tenure of the current INYC leadership terminates December 2024, which is barely two months away. One now wonders the bases on which the purported dissolution was announced.
“The issue that was on ground for days was exploring ways to amend the existing constitution of INYC, not drafting a new constitution as being insinuated.
“The Olu of Warri, right from the inception of INYC, is only presented with the leadership of the body for royal blessing, not determining the process of electing INYC executive.
“For the records, INYC was birthed as a result critical circumstances, by very mature, patriotic and forward-thinking Itsekiris. It is not a body for children or inexperienced youths,” he said.
Oghomienor also emphasised: “I am not aware of any ethnic nationality in the Niger Delta or other parts of Nigeria where traditional rulers or institutions delve into the election of youth executive for ethnic nationalities.
“The current leadership of INYC will see their tenure through and the election of a new exco will be done, in line with the existing constitution of INYC, subject to further amendments.”
