Eradiri Tasks New INC Leadership On Unity, Institutional Reform

Former president of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, has congratulated the newly- inaugurated executive council of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) led by High Chief Macdonald Igbadiowei, urging the leadership to prioritise unity and restore the organisation’s credibility.

Eradiri, a former governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, said the new INC president faces the “daunting responsibility” of repositioning the body into a respected and cohesive institution.

He noted that political interference over the years had fragmented the organisation, stressing that the new leadership must work to reconcile divergent interests within the Ijaw nation.

According to him, Igbadiowei possesses the experience required to reposition the INC, having previously served in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

“He has a Herculean task ahead of him to reorganise the INC so that it becomes a respectable institution. There has been too much political interference that led it to become fragmented,” Eradiri said.

He added that the new leadership had the capacity to steer the affairs of the organisation in a direction that would benefit the Ijaw nation.

The former IYC leader pledged support for the new executive council, assuring that stakeholders would cooperate to ensure its success.

Eradiri, a former Commissioner for Youths and later Environment in Bayelsa State, also called on the state government to support the INC, while cautioning against undue interference in the affairs of the socio-cultural body.

He maintained that while the INC should collaborate with government, it must retain its independence.

“The INC cannot be under the whims and caprices of the state government. They must collaborate with each other,” he said.

Eradiri further advised the organisation to engage business leaders and other stakeholders within the Ijaw nation to strengthen its financial base and reposition it as a more effective institution.

He wished Igbadiowei and members of the executive council a successful tenure.