Egbema Youth Progressive Foundation (EYPF) has cautioned the military against intimidation of the people of the Niger Delta region, especially in Egbema kingdom. It also called on the Federal Government to embark on massive infrastructural development in the kingdom.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its President, Comr. Miyenpirigha Messiah Ebidouwei, EYPF said it welcomed the military operations in the region only for the purpose of protecting life and properties and not otherwise.

The group said on the 11th of October, a military Chopper hovered around Ajakurama Community in Edo State, warning that Ajakurama is not a hideout for criminals.

Ebidouwei urged the Federal Government, Edo State government and Ovia South West Local Government authority to facilitate their development agenda in the kingdom. According to the group, the Udo to Ofunama 86km road that was approved since 2007 has only 6km of the project completed. The road links all the communities in Egbema kingdom as well as Ukomu and Furupagha kingdoms.

“We need light, health centres, political appointments for our leaders, employment for unemployed youths in companies and public agencies in Edo and Delta states as well as federal agencies.”

The group also demanded the building of schools and recruitment of teachers “to inculcate moral knowledge in the lives of people in our kingdom; Award of scholarships to indigent people in Egbema kingdom to study various course in institutions of their choice and most importantly set up programmes to transform the mindset of Niger Deltans.”

Ebidouwei also emphasised that “the solution to lasting peace in the Niger Delta is very simple but I believe the federal and state governments are not sincere with their campaign agendas. If every administration can fulfil even 50% of it promises Niger Delta would be a better place.”

He further stated that criminal acts and agitations in the region are caused by careless acts of successive governments as they failed to do the needful.

The Youth leader wondered why the Federal Government cannot replace its military ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, through which soldiers harass and intimidate citizens with ‘Operation Massive Development’, stressing that ‘Operation Crocodile Smile' cannot and will never yield peace to Niger Delta.